Domestic Notices : — Efigland. 497 



Art. III. Domestic Notices. 



ENGLAND, 



Climate of Bovey Tracey, ChmUeigh, Devon, as to Plants. — On April 19. 

 1831, I had new ash-leaved kidney potatoes for dinner, from roots planted 

 in January. The potatoes planted were exposed in the garden walks for 

 six weeks last summer. Petunia nyctaginiflora, Fuchs/a gracilis, Maurand?/a 

 Barclay««ff, and Vest/« /ycioides have lived out in my garden during the 

 winter. Six camellias have flowered under a veranda, into the border of 

 which they are planted. Primula prae'nitens has lived for the last three 

 years in the garden during winter. — J. G, C. Bovey Tracey, Ckudleigh, 

 Devon, April 20. 1831. 



Southampton Botanic Garden. — Sir, By your approval, I enter into 

 the promised description of the Southampton Botanic Garden. Having 

 stated the extent of ground and glass at p. 376., 1 now submit to 

 you the number of houses, &c. : — 1 stove; I Botany Bay house; 1 house 

 for camellias and orange trees ; 2 Cape houses, and 1 propagating house. 

 Two of these are heated by hot water. This garden contains a selection of 

 individual specimens amounting to upwards of 4000, not including hot- 

 house and green-house plants, which I plant out to take stock from ; more 

 particularly the new and rare kinds. By this mode I have proved many of 

 the most ornamental house plants to be quite hardy, and shall be most 

 happy to give you some account of them ere long. I shall not describe in 

 what state of keeping these grounds are, nor the collection they pos- 

 sess, but will leave these to be determined by some botanist who has 

 visited or may visit this establishment. You have headed mine of the 25th, 

 " Spa Botanic Gardens ; " I beg leave to state that the gardens formerly 

 called " Spa Gardens" are the property of Mr. Evemy, not Mr. Page, and 

 are occupied by the New Forest Archers, and now called the Royal Victoria 

 New Forest Ai-chery Grounds. Our botanic garden has no connection 

 with the former. We have never had any tea-drinking here, neither is 

 there any subscription whatever attached. Our nursery consists of large 

 quarters of forest trees and fruit trees, with American and herbaceous 

 plants. Specimen trees of the fruits are planted out, producing a beautiful 

 effect, and affording information respecting the varieties, &c. In this 

 nursery there are two green-houses and a pit for plants. 1 am, Sir, &c. — 

 James Ingram. Southampton Botanic Garden, June 28. 1831. 



Some Chestnuts tvhich grew on a Tree from a Knt planted by the Hand of 

 George Washington in March, 1797, at the Country Seat of the late Judge Peters^ 

 have been kindly sent us by our much esteemed correspondent. Dr. Mease of 

 Philadelphia. They left that city, April 4th, packed in loam, and arrived in 

 London, May 7th, unfortunately rotten. Similar seeds, sent to us in future, 

 should be immersed in tallow. However, if we live seven years, it is our 

 intention, before that time shall elapse, to gather with our own hands some 

 memorials of Washington and of Jefferson, from the estates which belonged 

 to these truly noble men. — Cond. 



The charming Purple Saxifrage (^axifraga oppositifolia) is now in great 

 beauty with me, having been in flower since the 1st of March, and is at 

 present quite the glory of my garden. This lovely little alpine, certainly 

 one of the choicest productions of Flora, succeeds with me better than, I 

 think, I ever saw it do elsewhere; and this, I believe, arises from the cir- 

 cumstance of its not being overnursed, I might almost say, quite neglected 

 and left to itself: for it stands the whole year round on my garden steps, 

 fronting the south, with no other care or attention paid it than being occa- 

 sionally watered in dry weather. I keep the plants in large pots, which 

 they entirely fill, trailing over the rim and sides ; at the present moment 

 they constitute one entn-e mass of brilliant flowers, closely crowded toge- 

 ther, not only on the surface, but hanging down like a curtain of purple to 



Vol. Vil. — No 33. k k 



