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RECOLLECTIONS OF A RECENT JOURNEY SOUTH. 



BY V.'M. SAUNDERS, LONDON, ONT. 



fCoiitiaval fiom iwfje (il,.) 



Before lea'viug Philadelphia I was privileged to visit several very 

 interesting horticultural establishments. At Mt. Airy Nurseries, 

 (Miller & ILiyes, proprietors,) there was a large collection of very 

 choice things, especially of evergreens, embracing all the newer and 

 rarer sorts. One feature which was very noticeable here was the great 

 attention paid to individual specimens, giving them sufficient space as 

 well as care, to insure their perfect development, and the retention of 

 their natural beauty of form. There ^\'as also 'a fine collection of the 

 new variegated forms of Enonymus Japonicus, and a large space de- 

 voted to the uut-door culture of Roses, which must look charming 

 when the bushes are in bloom. The proprietors have a number of 

 extensive greenhouses, where plants are largely propagated, and 

 immense quantities of flowers are grown during the winter to supply 

 the city demand for cut flowers ; in this department Roses and Car- 

 nations have a prominent place. 



That veteran horticulturist, Thomas Meehan, was also called on, 

 and many excellent things were seen in his spacious grounds, while 

 his large and varied stock of native trees and shrubs, the culture of 

 which he has made a specialty, is probably unequalled on the continent. 

 Here also in the office of this enthusiastic worker I saw the first 

 portions of that superb work, " The Wild Flowers and Perns of the 

 United States," which is being edited by Mr. Meehan, and published by 

 Mr. Prang, of Boston. It is issued in parts, each part being illustrated 

 by four beaiitiful chromo Kthographs, representing the plants in their 

 natural colors and in the most artistic manner ; the text also is most 

 admirable and instructive reading. 



The next stage in the journey was to Washington, where a visit 

 was paid to the Department of Agriculture. Under the care of the 

 very skillful superintendant, Mr. Wm. Saunders, the grounds here 

 have much improved during the past five years. The shrubs and trees, 

 which are arranged in family groups, have attained a fair size, and 

 while they produce good effects as to appearance, they are also invaluable 

 as a means of instruction to visitors. The flower beds about the 



