68 Calls at Gardens and Nurseries. 



Art. IV. Calls at Gardens and JVurseries. 



Aguekably to the remarks mado in our introduction, we now present our 

 readers with a few notes, very hastily taken, upon a few of the gardens and 

 resiliences we have visited (hu-ing the last month. From jiressureof other en- 

 gagements, we liave not done this so fully as we should have wished, either 

 to do justice to some of the beautiful i)laces we liave visited — to the many 

 new, rare and elegant plants we have unexpectedly observed in bloom — or 

 to gratify ourselves in our own descriptions. We hope however, our next 

 visits will be made with less haste, that we may give a more detailed account 

 of some of the improvements which have been, and are now making, at 

 many places. The greenhouse generally [)resents less attraction in the 

 month of January, than in any other of the winter months, unless we except 

 December; and we are not certain that the latter will yield to the former, 

 unless in such seasons when the early frosts destroy the various plants, 

 which the zealous gardener would transfer to the greenhouse, to adorn it, 

 while the pKasiu'e ground presents a wasK; and dreary aspect. In the mid- 

 dle of December last, we visited some of the same places we have the lest, 

 month, one or two of vvliicli we believe we mentioned. We found but liiw ad- 

 ditional jilants in bloom; but in February, we may anticipate a rich and 

 varied treat. The very severe cold the lirst part of last month, we are happy 

 to learn, has not caused any injury to the various greeidiouses. But it was 

 found necessary to keep up a very strong heat during some of the coldest 

 nights. — One thing the severity of the weather has certainly proved, that the 

 largest and loftiest greenhouses or conservatories in our vicinity, may be 

 kept at a proper temperature — and that too, with less trouble to the garden- 

 er, and less expense to the owner, heated upon the hot water system, than by 

 the old iTiethod of brick Hues. We were astonished to find there was so 

 much difference in the (piality of the heat: the air in the houses heat by hot 

 water being mild, bland, and humid, while those heated by brick flues were 

 dry and uncongenial. We shall mention in the course of our remarks, the 

 different places which are heat by hot water, and the temperature at which 

 the houses were kept during the late severe weather. — 



Belmont Place, Walertoivn, J. P. Cushing,Esq. — January 13</(. This beau- 

 tiful residence was formerly known and termed the " Preble Place," but 

 since it has [)asse(l into the hands of the present liberal owner, it has been 

 known by the name at the head of this paragraph. It is an excellent situa- 

 tion ; the whole grounds contain about one Inuidred acres, consisting of a 

 lawn, garden, and [deasure grounds. The garden, of late years, had suffered 

 from neglect; and many of the fruit trees, shrubs, &c. which were planted at 

 great expense by Mr. Preble, had become old and decayed. They were all 

 rooted out by the direction of Mr. Gushing, and the situation of llie garden 

 altered from its former position. It has now become one of the finest in the 

 country, and will |)robably before long, vie with the famous English gardens 

 of Sion House and White Knights. 



The first objects which struck us on entering the forcing grounds, was a 

 new range of pits, we believe twelve in number, — six of which were built of 

 brick, solid, coped with plank, and sank level with the surface of the ground ; 

 these we presume were for late forcing. We observed that they were al- 

 ready filled with dry leaves, and i)robably intended for lettuces, radishes, &c. 

 The other six were built on the plan (or very similar) recommended by Mc- 

 Phail, in his Gardeners' Remembrancer, and maybe found illustrated with 

 a wood cut in Loudon's Encyclopajdia of gardening, p. 302. § 1.551. 



They are built in the most substantial manner, and will probably last 

 many years; we believe that none were ever erected on this plan in the 

 country, and we are glad to know that their value will now be easily ascer- 



