the Residence of the Rev. Theodore Williams. 233 



these names may serve as a guide to him in selecting plants that 

 shall indicate a superior degree of botanical taste. Mr. Williams 

 has not only selected the finest specimens and varieties, but the 

 largest plants of these that could be procured in England. 



The sum that the plants enumerated in our lists must have 

 cost, we cannot tell, on account of the large size of the plants ; 

 but small plants of all the same species might be obtained for 

 perhaps 200/. 



The unique practice adopted by Mr. Williams, of growing in 

 pots pines which will endure the open air (we make an exception 

 in favour of those that will not, such as P. longifolia, leiophylla, 

 &c.), and keeping them in a green-house both in summer and 

 winter, cannot be recommended; because, though the plants, when 

 taken so much care of as atHendon Rectory, will look remarkably 

 well for five or six years, yet, for want of room, they must ultimately 

 become stunted and die ; or, if they are turned out into the 

 free soil, after being six or seven years in pots, even with all 

 the care that can be bestowed in unwinding their roots from 

 the balls, and spreading them out, their chance of living is very 

 doubtful. If it were probable that keeping these pines and firs 

 in pots would make them bear cones, like Dr. Diel's fruit trees, 

 that might serve as an apology for this kind of taste ; and, 

 doubtless, if the trees can be kept alive in pots, till nearly 

 the usual period at which they would bear cones in the free 

 ground, this would be the case ; but still, so little would be 

 gained by it, that we cannot recommend the plan for imitation. 

 The only plants, in our opinion, that can be legitimately grown 

 in green-houses and hot- houses, are such as can be brought to 

 as great a degree of perfection there, as they would attain in 

 the open air in their native countries. Of these there are 

 thousands of species which can be brought to greater perfection 

 under glass in Britain, than they are ever seen to attain in 

 their native countries, in the open air. This will apply to 

 almost all the shrubs, and all the herbaceous plants, of warm 

 climates. The trees of warm climates have, in general, a mise- 

 rable appearance under glass, for want of room. 



To return to Hendon Rectory, we wish not to be under- 

 stood as denying the right of Mr. Williams to indulge in his 

 own peculiar taste : we merely state that it is one which never 

 can become general, on account of the expense and trouble 

 with which it is attended, in proportion to the effect produced. 

 Mr. Williams's taste for the gardenesque in the planting of his 

 garden, and for the highest order and keeping in its management, 

 is beyond all praise, and is equalled nowhere, that we know 

 of, in the neighbourhood of London, but at Mrs. Lawrence's, 

 at Drayton Green. 



Since the above was written, Mr. Williams has made great 



