J^otes on Gardens and JVurseries. 113 



raltia Heisten'a, Prostranthera purpurea, and several other 

 plants, were beginning to flower, and Lechenaultia formosa has 

 been in bloom all the fall and winter: it is an exquisite little 

 plant. 



Passing into the camellia-house, the coup deceit was delightful. 

 We were struck with surprise at the great quantity of fine speci- 

 mens which Mr. Wilder has spared no pains nor expense to pro- 

 cure. The standard plants, which we have before noticed, were 

 mostly in bloom; two of them in particular, florida and Wel- 

 bankii, were indeed magnificent. We have never seen such 

 flowers as were produced on these plants. On Welbank/i we 

 counted upwards of twenty, some of which were between five 

 and six inches across; the plant was literally white with the abun- 

 dance of blossoms: Greville's red and Lady Hume's blush had 

 each been superb, but were now past their height of bloom. Of 

 the smaller plants, arranged in front of the tall ones, C. reticulata 

 was the most prominent. Two plants had each two flowers ex- 

 panded, and for gorgeousness none of the other species or vari- 

 eties anything equal it; one of the flowers measured six inches 

 across: they were easily seen nearly the length of the house. A 

 specimen of this species, eight or ten feet high, with twenty or 

 thirty flowers open, would be a grand object. It would be im- 

 possible to enumerate all the camellias that we observed in flow- 

 er, but we add a few of the best; C. j. var. Vandesia was ex- 

 ceedingly elegant; concinna superb; some of the flowers had 

 been on the plant for weeks: it is one of the best of Chandler's 

 seedlings: Buckliana is a French one of much merit. Dorsettii 

 has also been fine: one called the Prince of Orange was spotted 

 somewhat in the way of a fine double-striped: two plants of im- 

 bricata will soon be superb. The more rare ones, still to flow- 

 er, were francofurtensis, rosea, (of China,) Donckelaer?, &c. 

 Many of the French varieties are synonymous with the English 

 names, and many of them are single ones; a few only will rank 

 high in comparison with the English sorts: they will all be de- 

 scribed in Mr. Wilder 's papers, one of which will be found in a 

 preceding page. While speaking of camellias, we may mention 

 that Mr. Wilder has lately received from the continent a lot of 

 plants, embracing varieties which are now selling at enormous 

 prices. He has briefly described several of these already, p. 

 22. The plants are remarkably small, with a few exceptions, 

 and if the weak ones succeed, he will have a most magnificent 

 addition, if we can place any confidence in the foreign descrip- 

 tions: ochroleuca, Palmer's Perfection and King were mere 

 buds, with scarcely a leaf; the two latter are now selling at from 

 two hundred to four hundred francs each in Germany, no larger 

 than Mr. Wilder's. Some of the plants have started well, and 

 we hope they will all succeed. Mr. Wilder showed us some 

 VOL. IV. — NO. in. 15 



