Knap Hill Nursery. 13 



Messrs. Waterer; Bagshot Park, the Duchess of Gloucester; 

 Dropmore, Lady Grenville ; Royal Gardens at Windsor. 

 Chester, near Liverpool : the Nurseries of Messrs. F. and J. 

 Dickson. Glasgow : Glasgow Botanic Garden ; Bothwell 

 Castle ; Gascube, Sir Archibald Campbell ; Nurseries of 

 Messrs. Austin & Son. Edinburgh : Caledonian Horticultural 

 Society's Garden; Royal Botanic Garden; Nurseries of 

 Messrs. Lawson & Son ; Dalkeith Park, the Duke of Buc- 

 cleugh ; Abbottsford, and Melrose Abbey. 



Knap Hill Nursery^ Messrs. Waterer, Oct. 3. — This nur- 

 sery, which has been so long celebrated for its great collection 

 of American plants, was established upwards of forty years 

 ago ; it covers upwards of one hundred acres, nearly fifty of 

 which are devoted to the cultivation of what are termed in 

 England, by way of distinction, American plants, — that is, 

 rhododendrons, azaleas, kalmias, andromedas, vaccineums, 

 magnolias, &c. &c. in all their numerous varieties. June is the 

 season of the year to see these plants in their full beauty, 

 and we could form some idea of the truly magnificent dis- 

 play that this nursery must present at that season. As 

 familiar as beautiful shows of pla,nts were, to the late Mr. 

 Loudon, he has declared that "nothing of the kind was so 

 splendid " as the rhododendrons and azaleas of the Knap 

 Hill Nursery. 



Our route to this place was by the South Western rails to 

 the Woking Station, about twenty miles; and a walk of 

 nearly two miles, part of the distance over a moor covered 

 with wild heaths, brought us to the nursery. The soil in 

 the vicinity of Knap Hill and Bagshot is a loose sandy peat, 

 two or more feet deep in many places ; and the American 

 plants were found to thrive so admirably in this earth, that a 

 great part of the ground was devoted to this tribe, which, at 

 the lime of its commencement, were so much sought after, 

 for planting pleasure-grounds and lawns. Messrs. Waterer, 

 in consequence of this, gave great attention to the raising of 

 seedlings, and probably more choice varieties of azaleas have 

 been originated here, than in any other collection in England, 

 or perhaps Belgium. 



The plants are all cultivated in beds, and are removed 

 every year ; by this process, the young seedlings, or layers, 



