104 CULTURE OF THE ORANGE. ' 



Tlie double blossomed hawthorn is certainly one of the greatest 

 ornaments of our pleasure grounds, wiiether it be kept as a shrub or 

 trained as a tree. Tiiere was, or perliaps still remains, t\^o large trees 

 of this description on tiie lawn before Warwick-iiouse, at Worthing, 

 whose impenetrable siiade defies the beams of Sol, when lie darts his 

 fiercest rays. No pleasure ground should be witiiout the fine splendid 

 new kinds, and every grass-plot ought to be ornamented and be per- 

 fumed by their lovely blossoms. 



Some of the double varieties are of a fine crimson, rose, and lake 

 colour ; others are white at tiieir first appearance, and cliange to a 

 faint red as they decay. Tiie double blossoms are less fragrant tlian 

 the common ^■ariety, whicii reminds us, says a French writer, of those 

 young females who fear not to change their simple apparel for a more 

 gaudy dress, which adds nothing to their attractions. 



Tiie foliage of the iiawthorn is of the most agreeable medium green, 

 and so highly polished that the white flowers are reflected on their 

 sliining surfaces. 



It lias often caused our surprise that men who expend large sums of 

 money in forming gardens of pleasure, and mucli time in selecting 

 plants, should bestow no time or attention on botany, which would add 

 so materially to tiie gratification whicii flowers give them ; for without 

 some slight knowledge of tliis science they cannot enjoy the works of 

 nature, because they do not know v here to look, or tiie utility at wliat 

 tliey look at. The botanist looks into the flowers of the hawthorn, not 

 only to observe the stigma and to count the chives that surround it, 

 but observes the shape of the five petals, whose concave forms protect 

 tlie pollen and mature it by acting as reflectors. He then sees them 

 bend over their chives, and rest tlieir heads of pollen on the stigma, 

 Avhich has some attractive jiover not yet defined. lie is delighted 

 Avith the regularity and order with wliicii tliey discharge their prolific 

 powder, and retire back to give place to other chives until the whole 

 have performed their oflice without confusion. lie knows then tliat 

 the petals have discharged their part towards tiie formation of the 

 future plants, and he sees tliem given to the wind without regret, 

 because it is necessary for the young fruit to enjoy the juices of tlie 

 plant, without being spent any longer upon the petals. 



CULTURE OF THE ORANGE. 



BY MB. THOMPSON, ELESTON GARDENS, SOBliiKSETSHIKE. 



I BEG to send you the result of the culture of our orange trees at this 

 place. My employer bought several that vere newly imported from 

 Portugal and Spain ; he has taken great interest in their cultivation, and 

 has been at more trouble with them than has been conducive to their 

 health. They were in tubs eighteen inches diameter; he frequently stirred 

 the soil on the surface of the tubs, (which broke the young fibres,) and 

 gave them a great quantity of water at all seasons, until the soil be- 

 came sodden and the trees sickly. They were then removed from the 

 greenhouse to a vinery, where they lost all their leaves ; this was in 



