' Calls at Gardens and JWrseries. 381 



sachusetts Horticultural Society, but we believe the kinds have not been 

 distinguished. 



Botanic Garden, Cambridge, Sept.— We have never observed this 

 garden when neatness was so generally prevalent. The Ijordera were 

 quite clear of weeds, and the appearance of the plants highly improved. 

 This establishment has suffered sadly for want of more assistance; but we 

 hope this will no longer be the case. It is certainly desirable that a. garden 

 bearing such a name as this, and attached to one of our first institutions, 

 should be kept in a better state than it has been of late years. 



The dahlias here have blossomed uncommonly well this season; 

 composed as the soil is, in this garden, of a stiff loam, inclining almost 

 to clay in some parts, it seems astonishing. The variety is large, 

 though not including near so many new kinds as many other collections; 

 but there was a great profusion of flowers on many of the fine old 

 sorts ; Mr. Carter has raised some excellent seedlings. Magn61m 

 obovata has here produced a second crop of flowers. Some fine new 

 seedling phloxes have also been raised here; but we had not the time to 

 walk through the grounds. 



In the houses Passiflora racem6sa var. princeps was in bloom. 

 £chites grandiflora had also some flowers expanded. Vall6t« purpvi- 

 rea, many pots of, was beautifully in bloom; we do not often see plants 

 so well grown as these were; nor is it in many good collections, to 

 which it should not be a stranger; it is of easy culture, and certainly it 

 is one of the most elegant of the Amarylhkece. 



Mount Jluhurn Cemetery. — The plants were nearly all killed here by 

 the very severe frost in the early part of the month, — a few dahlias, 

 standing in some of the lots upon the grounds, in high situations, where 

 they, were sheltered by the foliage of the trees, having alone escaped 

 destruction. Around the ponds, and in what was formerly the garden, 

 every thing in the least tender was totally destroyed. We are sorry 

 to see the garden so much neglected. When this place was under the 

 control of both the present Corporation and the Horticultural Society, 

 it was kept in good order, and a very showy collection of plants orna- 

 mented the borders; but latterly it has been suffered to run to weeds. 

 We have understood that it is the intention of the proprietors of the 

 cemetery to plant the garden with all sorts of forest trees, and, eventu- 

 ally, to adapt it to the purpose of laying out lots; this should not, how- 

 ever, prevent thern from giving some attendance to the garden, while it 

 exists as it is at present. It might, with very little care and expense, 

 be made highly ornamental, and the quantity of flowers which could be 

 cultivated on its limits would be well adapted for the purpose of fur- 

 nishing such of the proprietors as might desire it, with an abundance of 

 flowers, in the form of bouquets. Would it not be a subject of some 

 consideration whether, at present, the garden site should be planted with 

 forest trees? that it might be converted to the use we have just men- 

 tioned. A good distrilmtion of shrubs, both evergreen and deciduous, 

 would beautify it in a high degree; and if, at some future time, it should 

 then be wanted for cemetery purposes, these would in no way interfere 

 with the disposition of the grounds. An interesting and delightful 

 place might thus be produced, combining the beauty of the flower gar- 

 den with the quiet and retired character of the place, and form a pleasant 

 promenade after a tiresome walk through the high and uneven surface 

 of the other part of the grounds. Mr. Russell, the present superin- 

 tendent, is every way qualified to do justice to the place; and we have 

 no doubt that it would be, at once, worthy of his skill, as well as of the 

 taste and liberality of the proprietors of the cemetery. 



The number of lots sold to new proprietors this year, up to the pres- 

 ent time, is very great. Many new tombs have been erected, and the 



