126 J^otes made during a Visit to 



o 



which places he visits every year or two, for the purpose of 

 procuring all kinds of plants that are new and fine. The 

 camellias were in excellent health, and embraced all the best 

 varieties; among the number we saw some large and fine spe- 

 cimens of the double white. 



In the vegetable garden, we noticed a method of cultivating 

 celery, quite different from the usual plan of growing in single 

 trenches. The system is, to prepare a bed about four feet 

 wide, and of any length the ground will admit. In this bed 

 the plants are set out, in rov/s about six inches apart, and six 

 inches from plant to plant. This takes place the latter part 

 of July or first of August. As soon as the plants get well 

 rooted and begin to grow, the operation of blanching com- 

 mences, and the earth is filled in between the plants every 

 fortnight, until they complete their growth. The object of 

 this mode is principally to counteract the effects of dryness. 

 When the earth is "thrown up in single ridges, evaporation, 

 under a hot sun, takes place much more rapidly than if there 

 was a large body of earth, as in beds four feet wide. The 

 consequence is, that the plants have a constant supply of mois- 

 ture, and as ridges are formed between the beds, where the 

 earth is thrown out, in all heavy rains the plants receive all 

 the benefit of the rain; while, by the method of growing the 

 plants in single rows, all the water is carried away from them 

 into the hollows which are formed, as soon as the plants are 

 earthed up above the surface of the soil. The celery in the 

 Washington market has the reputation of being of excellent 

 quality. Mr. Douglas had several large beds planted out for 

 this purpose. 



In addition to the stock of plants, Mr. Douglas has a seed 

 store attached to his city garden, and supplies all the finest 

 vegetable and flower seeds to be procured. 



JVursery of Mr. Joshua Pierce. — About four miles from 

 the city, we found the nursery of IMr. Pierce, situated upon 

 one of the most beautiful spots around the city, approached 

 only at the nearest point, from a road which skirts the border 

 of a forest, occasionally running through a dense growth of 

 maples, chestnuts, &c. The nursery and farming grounds 

 cover upwards of a hundred acres, which is an elevated piece 

 of ground, sloping on all sides to the valley which intervenes 

 between that and the surrounding land. The nursery is a 

 detached portion on the south and west sides, the green-house, 



