362 



London Nurseries 



All plants exceeding 6 ft., and under 20 ft., are placed on the third and 

 fourth lines (c d), and all plants exceeding 20 ft., and under 100 ft., are 

 placed on the foui-th and fifth lines {d e) ; both on the same principle as 

 the smaller plants, and both varied from the principle in the same manner, 

 when more than three of the same height occur together. Some deviation 

 is also made from the principle in the case of very rapid or slow growing 

 plants, and on other accounts that will readily occur in practice to every 

 gardener who has had any experience in planting trees. 



The plants are to be named on white porcelain tallies {Jig. 66.), fixed 

 ^ ^"- to cast-iron shanks {fig. 



67.) : the tallies are 

 furnished by Granger, 

 Lee, and Co., porcelain 

 manufacturers, Worces- 

 ter, at 8/. a thousand ; 

 the iron shanks are sup- 

 plied by a foundery at 

 Guildford, at about the 

 same price; and the 

 names are painted, ac- 

 cented, and varnished, at 

 one penny a word, or 

 little more than 2d. a 

 tally, by John Thompson, of No. 4. Earl Street, Blackfriars, who tran- 

 scribed the whole of the Encyc. of Plants and the Hortus Britdnniciis, and 

 who is now executing the task with great beauty, and with a degree of accu- 

 racy which would not easily be attained by a person not accustomed to spell 

 and accent botanical names. The paint used is composed of boiled linseed 

 oi], charcoal black, a little gum, and a httle turpentine ; the whole mixed 

 well together, and thinned with oil, till it is about the consistence of cream. 

 The mixture is put in a bladder, and kept close from the air, and it is 

 taken out in small quantities, as wanted for use. Copal varnish is that 

 made use of; the names taking about a week to get perfectly dry before 

 varnishing, and another week before they are fit to fix to the shank. The 

 last process is effected with two screw-nails. 



Mr. Donald has received every assistance from the trade in collecting 

 the specimens necessary for this arboretum ; a cii'cumstance which we con- 

 sider as highly creditable to all parties, and which we trust will be imitated 

 in the case of other nurserymen forming similar arrangements. We hope 

 the time will soon arrive, when all the principal nurserymen, in every part 

 of the country, will not only form collections of fruit trees, such as we 

 have lately recommended, for the supply of scions for grafting ; but arbo- 

 retums of timber and ornamental trees and shrubs, to invite their customers 

 to examine their beauty and variety ; and collections of herbaceous plants, 

 to induce the public to study botany and purchase flowers. Every large 

 nursery will be then a botanic garden and a complete orchard ; and as every 

 large town has a large nursery, the enjoyments and rural knowledge of the 

 townsmen will be very greatly increased. The taste for country enjoyments 

 which will thus be created, will cause thousands to pant for a country life 

 who now consider nothing desirable beyond the limits of a town. This 

 new taste will teach men that there are other sources of happiness besides 

 the accumulation of money, and, by a process which it is needless to detail, 

 will tend to general prosperity and happiness. 



No small praise is due to Mr. Donald for the expense and trouble he has 

 incurred in the present undertaking; but we have no doubt that he will be 

 richly repaid by it, and the whole trade will gain considerably by the taste 

 which will be created, or at least greatly advanced, for new and ornamental 

 trees and shmbs. Mr. Donald will propagate, from his ai-boretum, the 



