To the Editors of "The American Journal of Horticulture and Florist's Companion." 



Sir. — Of a country as extensive as Germany, presenting itself under many 

 different aspects, with a variety of scenery, of industries, of soil, and production, 

 it would be extremely difficult for any one, no matter how well informed in rela- 

 tion to it, to give within the compass of a letter a description applicable to the 

 whole, or to any considerable portion. I shall not, then, attempt to do what I 

 consider so difficult, alike deterred by this consideration as well as by a con- 

 sciousness of not being sufficiently well informed upon the subject ; but shall 

 content myself with endeavoring to give you an account of some particulars in 

 reference to it, that, at the time of a somewhat rapid journey through a portion of 

 its territory, attracted my attention, without feeling confined, in doing so, to any 

 regular order or method. 



Besides broad plains, Germany has within its confines chains of mountains, 

 ranges of hills, forests, and wide valleys ; yet still it may be stated to be gener- 

 ally a level country, particularly in the northern portions of it, well adapted to 

 agricultural purposes. On account of its uninterrupted level character for, in 

 many parts of it, long distances, it becomes to many monotonous and tedious, 

 especially to those who find pleasure in travelling only from views of picturesque 

 scener}'. To these, much of the interest of a journey in Germany would be 

 sought, and probably found, in visiting its old towns and cities, interesting, some 

 of them, from their antiquity, and the quaint and singular style of architecture 

 prevailing therein ; some from the associations connected with them as the 

 scenes of former remarkable occurrences, or from having been in ancient times 

 the marts of active trade, now diverted into other channels, centres of commerce 

 whence were distributed the products of the East, that through them found 



VOL. IV. 13 97 



