688 Calls at the Nurseries 



«• 



region. But we shall have more to say on this subject, when we review* 

 the last number of Dr. Hooker's Botanical Miscellany. Among innu- 

 merable curious and interesting plants, we shall only notice the fine 

 specimen of Banksk repens, which Labillardiere took for a fern, as 

 did Linnaeus the Jcacia decipiens. The slightest knowledge of the anato- 

 mical difference between the Dicotyledoneae and the Acotyledoneas, such 

 as any person, even though he may never have seen a plant before, may 

 attain in five minutes, would have prevented such mistakes ; but science 

 had not advanced so far in the days of these great men. There are here 

 two plants, 4 ft. high, of the St. Vincent bread-fruit tree. Mr. Smith finds 

 this variety much hardier than that from Trinidad. From the latter island 

 he has had many plants, but has never been able to keep one of them for 

 any length of time ; from the former he has had only the two now in the gar- 

 dens, which are both growing vigorously. The collection of ferns is here 

 greatly increased, Mr. Smith having been very successful in raising plants from 

 the seeds of dried specimens. There is not a better class for a small hot- 

 house, not over light, and where much attention cannot be paid to the 

 plants, than ferns ; because, with very little heat and care, and a good deal 

 of water, which lady gardeners are generally very fond of supplying their 

 plants with, they will look green and well all tiie year. Among various 

 exotic plants, the hardiness of which has been j)roved during the last 

 winter, the aromatic ones, it appears, are found to suffer most from the 

 cold. This may afford a hint in attempting to acclimatise. For the last 

 seven years it has been observed that the number of master gardeners from 

 Scotland who have yearly visited Kew Gardens has been gradually increas- 

 ing ; a favourable symptom, as nothing contributes more to a man's own 

 improvement than seeing the improvements of his neighbours. 



Kitchen-Garden, Kew. — We did not find Mr. Gotlfrey at home; but his 

 foreman, Mr. Anderson, showed us every part of the garden, all of which 

 we found in a good state. As it appeared to us, the fruit tree borders 

 are more severely cropped than they were in 1827, when we last saw 

 them. There is still, however, a space of 6 ft. kept between the wall and 

 the crops; but this, with due submission, we do not think above half 

 enough. The vines in the pinery are matted up, as hinted at p. 539. 

 Grapes were cut here last year in the last week of March. Cucumbers in 

 one pine stove are now fit to cut, and a succession will continue during 

 winter and spring. 



Fulham Nursei-y, Messrs. Whitley, Brames, and Milne. — J'rbutus procera, 

 a very handsome Nepal species, Mr. Milne expects to be quite hardy ; 

 A. hjbrida, a very handsome species, most prolific in flowers (see Vol. V. 

 p. 660.), he finds decidedly hardier than either of its parents, A. C/^nedo and 

 A. Jndrachne. Handsome young plants of several rare species of Pinus 

 and^^bies raised from cuttings. Seedlings of Juniperus excelsa. A large 

 stock oi Ribes sanguineum, plants from 2 ft. to 4 ft. high. Gaura biennis, 

 an old plant, at present rather neglected, now finely in flower, and on that 

 account valuable ; also Tigridia conchiflora. 



The Haverstock Nursery, Mr. Money. — Oct. 30. Tasted the fruit of 

 Money's early Muscat grape, grown on the open wall, and found it as 

 good as it was last year, or better : Mi-. Money has above 150 plants 

 for sale. Tasted a large, new, black seedling, which has fruited this year 

 for the first time, and is likely to be a most valuable addition to the 

 grapery. Money's West's St. Peter, large and excellent as before. Very 

 large crops of the Esperione on standards in the open air, and the same of 

 the black Muscadine, which on tasting we found to be quite distinct sorts. 

 (See p. 677.) The leaves of the claret and of the port-wine grape very 

 deep red coloured and rich. Mr. Money's Tokay grape has very small 

 berries, and is quite distinct from the grape of that name which we saw 

 in the vineries of the west of Scotland, and which was probably a variety 



