Domestic Notices : — England, 473 



iron, show forcibly the want of the principle for which we have been con- 

 tending. As to the palace at Pimlico, it is altogether beneath criticism, and 

 may be considered as the last act of a reign of extravagance and folly 

 scarcely to be paralleled in the annals of nations. Attempts are making 

 to complete this palace as a royal residence, but it would show much bet- 

 ter sense, in our opinion, to rase it to the ground, and throw the gardens 

 open to the public. 



Kensington Gardens are now undergoing a system of draining and plough- 

 ing up the grass land, to the great annoyance of the public, more especially 

 as, along with these operations, about 120 cows and bulls have the run of 

 the gardens. The ploughing and paving ought to have taken place early 

 in spring, when it would have been done with much less labour, and much 

 more effectually. It is worthy of remark, that these gardens have been 

 drained by small brick arched drains, the bricks being set in mortar; and 

 that, partly for this reason, and partly because the tops of the drains have 

 been made rather too far below the surface, they do not seem to have an- 

 swered the end proposed. Common rubble drains, brought to within 6 in. 

 of the surface, would have been much more effective, and might have been 

 formed with the screenings of the gravel, which might be dug from certain 

 parts of these gardens. These extravagant and nearly useless brick drains 

 must have been a capital job for the king's bricklayer at some former 

 period. 



The Pleasure-Groiind at Keiv has lately been enlarged, by an addition of 

 several acres behind the palace. The surface is smoothed, and sown 

 down with grass, and it is supposed that the arboretum will be extended 

 in this direction. We were rather disappointed at seeing that a very bad 

 mixture of grass seeds had been employed, which will of course retard 

 the process by which that beautiful, deep green, smooth, velvet-like 

 surface, almost peculiar to England, is at last acquired. In the stove of 

 the botanic garden we observed a number of orchideous epiphytes bear- 

 ing seeds, a thing hitherto scarcely known in this country. It is effected 

 by the artificial removal of the anthers, and their being brought in con- 

 tact with the stigma ; a fact which will go far to destroy the doctrine of 

 fecundation by internal absorption. The king is said to be attached to 

 Kew, and to be desirous of improving both the botanic garden and the 

 pleasure-ground ; news which we are very glad to hear ; for they have both 

 suffered much during the last two reigns, from the want of that soul of all 

 gardening, and, indeed, of every other kind of improvement, money. 



Mr. IVeltJie's Collectmi of Pclargoninms, near Hammersmith Bridge, was 

 this season most superbly in bloom. We have never seen any thing like 

 them for vigorous growth, and profusion of flowers. There are near a 

 hundred sorts, the greater part of which were raised by Mr. Weltjie from 

 seeds. The father of this gentlemen is well known to the floricultural 

 world, by the very fine varieties of carnations and tulips which bear his 

 name. — Cond. 



Magnificent Pceony. — A Paeonm Moutan, now growing in the garden 

 of Lady IStapleton, at Gray's Court, Henley on Thames, was turned out 

 of a small pot in the open air, about fourteen years ago. In May, this 

 year, it was measured, and found to be 5^ ft. high, 27 ft. in circumference, 

 and bearing 230 flowers, each averaging 6 in. in diameter. Should you 

 publish the above, I should be glad to know if there are any of a larger 

 size in the country, and if so, where they are to be seen. — Hugh Miil- 

 holland. Gray's Court, May 28. 18.32. 



Calceolaria Alkins'ikna, sent us by Mr. Atkins, the nurseryman, at North- 

 ampton, who raised it, is a beautiful hybrid, very much like C. Young«. 

 It is perfectly hardy, and has been in flower with us ever since we re- 

 ceived it. 



A Hybrid Laburnum, with purple, or rather lilac. Flowers, mentioned in a 



