in the neighborhood of New York and Philadelphia. 163 



built on since the erection of the first. It has been said in a report of 

 the gardens in the vicinity of Philadelphia, that this was the best kept 

 garden in Pennsylvania ; and that the green-house and hot-house 

 department was unrivalled in the Union. We cannot attest to the 

 former, as we have not had the pleasure of visiting it during the 

 summer season ; but of the latter we can, without exaggeration, say, 

 it is the finest we have ever seen. We found Mr. Pratt's gardener, 

 Mr. Mackenzie, a very intelligent young man, and fruni tiie appear- 

 ance of things, well skilled in his profession. He very kindly prom- 

 ised to give us any information in his pov.er, and v.e have no doubt 

 our readers will be gratified with his renjarks. 



The range of liouses has not a very favorable appearance upon 

 approaching them. The largest one is built in the old style, with 

 upright sashes or large windows in front, and with a dark roof The 

 others have been built up on each side of this, without much regard 

 to proportion or beauty, and they consequently present an uneven 

 and broken front. 



We do not know how long these houses have been erected, but 

 we have no doubt if JMr. Pratt shall ever have cause to rebuild them, 

 he will do so with as much splendor as any thing of the kind in the 

 country. There is no place where such an ornament would add 

 more beauty, and no collection of plants more deserving of such a 

 habitation, than Mr. Pratt's. The large upright house is filled 

 principally with the different species and varieties of oranges and 

 lemons — among which, are some of the very largest species. These 

 we have understood Mr. Pratt disposes around his grounds in such 

 a manner, in the summer season, as to make a complete grove of this 

 grand tribe of plants ; the highly odoriferous fragrance of their flowers 

 while in bloom, is delightfully agreeable. 



On entering the firet compartment of the range of houses, the 

 object which particularly struck us, was a large plant of the Viburnum 

 tinus, with hundreds of cymes, of its beautiful white flowers, just 

 expanding; this is a common green-house plant, and in England is 

 extensively used for hedges ; but it is deserving of a place in every 

 ■collection. Passing through the orangery which we have just men- 

 tioned, we entered another compartment, which is used as a green- 

 house ; in this we saw several fine Camellias, though of the more com- 

 mon kinds. Mr. Pratt's collection of Camellias is, however, quite 

 small, compared with his other plants. We here observed some of 

 the finest flowers of the old red, or Grevell's red, we have ever seen ; 

 this variety, when flowered strong, still holds its quality as a showy 

 kind. We here also saw the shaddock, some of the fruit measuring 

 seven inches in diam.eter ; a fine specimen of the mandarin orange; 

 the Birchellacapensis, and other plants, but too numerous to mention 

 particularly. In the next compartment, wliich is the entrance to the 

 houses in front, and which is quite small, we noticed fine plants of the 

 Minulus Smithii and variegatus in bloom ; both grown from cutting 



