3.54 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



MAY 14, 1«34. 



tender, and require protection, as well as hardy 

 species. 



There are many public gardens in Europe, laid 

 out and embellished at great expense, which serve 

 as promenades and pleasure grounds. These are 

 sometimes maintained nl public expense, and at 

 other times hy individuals. They are found in 

 the environs of most of the capitals and large 

 towns upon the continent. To show how much 

 they may he made to contribute to the pleasure 

 as 'well "as the health of city life, and the influ- 

 ence they exert upon the manners of a community, 

 1 will here quote from the journal of a travelling 

 horticulturist, the notice of a public garden of 

 this kind belonging to the city of Frankfort m 

 Germany. . 



" This city is surrounded, except on one side 

 where the Maine runs, with a pleasure ground or 

 garden, at least two miles in length, and occupying 

 the breadth of the former ditch and ramparts, 

 and affording great variety of shady walks and 

 picturesque scenery, with the grand advantage ol 

 being accessible from every part of the city in a 

 lew moments. One peculiar feature of this plea- 

 sure ground is, that it is not confined to trees and 

 shrubs, but contains a profusion of the choicest 

 flowers and roses, dahlias, crysanthemums, &c. 

 together with most of the choice annuals, as bal- 

 sams, China asters, &c. even geraniums and fer- 

 raria tigrida, planted in large masses oi each, 

 ami intermixed with vast beds of mignonette, all 

 in a high state of luxuriance and beauty. Noth- 

 ing could he more brilliant than the display of this 

 ^anlen says the narrator, when I saw it m Sep- 

 tember when the dahlias and superb clumps of da- 

 turea arborea, salvia coccinea, &c. were in flow- 

 er ; and as a proof of the scale on which it is 

 managed, and the attention paid to it, 1 may men- 

 tion that the gardeners were then preparing a bed 

 of irregular figure wholly for pinks, about 50 leel 

 long, and from 9 to 15 broad. 



Tliis garden affords a striking proof of the 

 great superiority of the maimers of the German 

 lower classes over those of the English. Though 

 merely separated from the public highway by a 

 low hedge which may be stridden across, and at 

 all times accessible, (there being no door or gates 

 at any time to the entrance) to every individual 

 of a population of 50,000 souls, and constantly 

 frequented by servants and children of all des- 

 criptions, not a flower, nor even a leaf of any one 

 of the plains, seems ever touched. Even the 

 beds of mignonette look as untrodden and un- 

 packed, as if in an English private garden. And 

 yet there are no persons (that 1 saw) to watch ; 

 and instead of threats of heavy penalties, a print- 

 ed paper is affixed on a board at each entrance, 

 expressing in German, that the public authorities 

 having originally formed, and annually keeping 

 up the garden for the gratification 1 of the citizens, 

 its trees, shrubs and flowers, are committed to the 

 safeguard of their individual protection. This 

 simple appeal is here sufficient. 



The public ground in this city known as the 

 military or Washington square, might, at no great 

 expense, be converted into a public garden of this 

 kind, and furnish a most delightful and interesting 



promenade during the sm er, for citizens ami 



visiters. When once put in order, it might In 

 kept so with the avails of season tickets, at a nom- 

 inal price, or the profits of a refectory, embra- 

 cing the sale of spare - plants, seeds mid fruits, li 

 might be surrounded by a neat fence, side walk 



and a row of ornamental trees, while the interior 

 might be laid out with taste, enriched with the 

 choicest fruits, and embellished Willi ornamental 

 shrubbery and flowers. It would also afford plea- 

 sant facilities for the study of botany to the youth 

 of our public schools. 



One of the most splendid structures for the pres- 

 ervation and display of tropical plants, has been 

 undertaken at Brighton, England ; and although, 

 owing to the misconduct of a foreman, in prema- 

 turely removing some of the supports, the build- 

 ing fell last August, its re-construction was im- 

 mediately commenced, and it will probably In- 

 completed the ensuing summer. It is called tin 

 Brighton Autheum. It is an immense conserva- 

 tory, for growing plants of great height, and is 

 constructed wholly of iron and glass, even the 

 sanies being of iron, and requiring of this metal 

 between four and five hundred tons. The struc- 

 ture had been reared, many choice plants introdu- 

 ced, and the glazing about being commenced; when 

 it fell with a tremendous crash. The dome of this 

 building was the largest ever constructed, rising 

 GO feet from the base of the rafters, and exceeding 

 that of St. Peters, at Rome, by 8000 superficial 

 feet, and requiring nearly two acres of glass to 

 cover it. Among the plants purchased for this 

 splendid conservatory, were three palms, sixty feel 

 high, for which 1500/. had been pai.l, if my mem- 

 ory serves me, to the Messrs. Loddriges, nursery- 

 men of London. 



Private gardens, of great extent, and on an ex- 

 pensive scale, abound in most of the countries ol 

 Europe. In these, not only hardy fruits and vege- 

 tables are forced, for early use, but most of the 

 tropical fruits are brought to a high state of per- 

 fection, by the aid of hot houses and walls. Straw- 

 berries, in this way, are produced for the table in 

 April, melons in May, grapes and peaches in .lime, 

 and pine apples at almost any season. It is affirm- 

 ed, that in Britain a gentleman may derive from 

 his own garden, with the aid of glass and lire heat, 

 a more varied and richer dessert, throughout the 

 year, than is to be met with on the most luxurious 

 table's ill any other country. And yet the summers 

 of England are of so low a temperature, that the 

 peach, grape, melon, fee. require the aid of artifi- 

 cial heat, or a wall, to bring them to perfection ; 

 and even our fine Spitzenhurgh apple docs not 

 ripen well there in the open ground. Gardens of 

 this description, though generally on a more limited 

 scale, may be found in the neighborhoods of our 

 commercial towns, and will doubtless be multiplied 

 as we advance in horticultural improvement. Tin 

 garden of Mr. Pratt, near Philadelphia, is distin- 

 guished for the number and variety of rare plants 

 which it contains, and for its appendages and neat 

 arrangement. That of Col. Perkins, in the viciunv 

 of Boston, has a range of glass houses of nearlv 

 700 feet in length, for reari.ig tender plants aim 

 forcing fruit, and exhibits a pattern of good taste 

 and neatness. 1 am induced to believe, that u, 

 can only succeed in cultivating the fine varieties of 

 foreign grapes by means of grape houses. In tin 

 open ground, this fruit does not ripen well, and is 

 very liable to be rendered worthless by blight aim 

 mildew, lor which no effectual preventive seems 

 yet to have been discovered. A grape bouse ol 

 50 or 00 feet may be constructed lor about $120, 

 which will require no fire heat, and very link 

 labor to manage it. It will besides serve for inairj 

 half hardy plants, and other horticultural purposes. 

 Public Nurseries, which also belong to horticul- 



ture, are highly useful to all communities in v\ Inch 

 they are located. Tiny serve to introduce and to 

 concentrate the vegetable productions of every 

 country, which are likely to subserve our wants, 

 or administer to our pleasure. The interchanges 

 which take place between those of Europe and 

 America are now managed with such facility, 

 that a new fruit, or a new flowering plant, 

 which attracts notice on our continent, in a few 

 years becomes common in the nurseries of both. 

 The numerous horticultural periodicals of Europe, 

 many of which circulate in our country, bring us 

 early acquainted with whatever is new, rare or 

 valuable in their collections, and a single season 

 >n\.s to introduce the desirable plant into our 

 grounds. In this way we have been enabled to 

 obtain the fine new varieties of Flemish and French 

 pears, in some instances before they have fruited 

 in England. The splendid double Dahlia first at- 

 tracted attention in Europe some eight or ten veins 

 ago; and it is now common in our nurseries and 

 pleasure grounds. I was instrumental in bringing 

 into notice, five or six years ago, a fine indigenous 

 variety of the apple, grafts of which I forwarded 

 to Eu'i ope. I have since noticed it in the Cata- 

 logue of the London 11m t. Society, with the names 

 of many other id' our local fruits, and in catalogues 



from the island of Jersey ami from II burg, in 



Germany. The ailantus was introduced six or 

 eight years ago, by one of our consuls, from far- 

 ther India, and it is now growing,] believe, in al- 

 most every state of the.Uuion. Until within a few 

 years public nurseries have been confined to the 

 "vicinity of New York and Philadelphia; but they 

 are now spi inging up in every quartered' the I nion. 

 A very interesting establishment of this kind, and 

 one of the oldest in the country, is located on the 

 hanks of the Schuylkill, a few miles below Phila- 

 delphia. It was planted by the elder Bartram, 

 about ninety years ago, and contains, besides the 

 usual variety of fruit and ornamental plants, most 

 of the beautiful native trees and shrubs of our 

 country, collected by that indefatigable botanist. 

 It is now improved hy Col. Carr, a descendant of 

 the original proprietor. I saw the establishment 

 in .lone, when the splendid Magnolias, the stately 

 Liiiodendron, the more humble Rhododendrons, 

 Kalmias, &c. were displaying all their vernal 

 beauty and fragrance. The scene afforded uncom- 

 mon int. rest. ' A stalely cypress, measuring thirty 

 feet in circumference, brought from the south and 

 planted by the founder ninety years ago, occupies 

 the centre of the grounds, and is surrounde* by 

 the oaks, pines, and other useful and ornamental 

 natives of our forest,— exhibiting, altogether, pro- 

 i, ably the most perfect collection of American 

 trees and plants that is to be found in any one 



spot. 



Villa gardens arc those which are attached to 

 the country bouses of men of opulence, and are 

 ,, nrralU laid out Willi taste, and embellished at 

 considerable expense. They may be considered 

 private gardens of the second grade. They are 

 .,„ indication of intellectual refinement, as well 

 , s ol wealth, wherever they are found to pre- 



Those are denominated cottage gardens, which 

 ,e(ong to the common (lass in Europe, and are 

 MOS t prevalent about villages and towns. While 

 lov contribute essentially to human subsistence, 

 hej afford an agreeable relaxation from the tolls 

 ■f labor. . . . 



Flower gardens occupy no little attention in 



