BOOK IV. 



COMMERCIAL GARDENS. 



1035 



orchard should be surrounded by a wall, on which to grow specimens of such sorts of 

 plums, cherries, and pears, as do not ripen well as standards ; the hardier sorts of grapes, 

 and peaches, nectarines, and apricots. The tenderer sorts of vines, and some few peaches, 

 which are tender in the northern counties, may be grown, one of a sort, under each rafter 

 in the range of hot-houses. 



7353. The compartments for stools of every description, and the borders for cuttings, should 

 be as near the house as possible, as on these, men are employed a greater number of 

 days in the year than on any other of the compartments, and therefore it is desirable such 

 compartments should be more immediately under the eye of the master. 



7354. Fruit-tree and seed-bed compartments should come next ; then transplanted 

 shrubs ; next young forest trees transplanted ; and, in the most distant parts, the larger 

 forest trees, as requiring least culture of all. But a proper attention to rotation will not 

 admit of this arrangement being completely attended to ; and to keep the ground in 

 good heart is as essential to success as keeping the men at work. 



7355. In some of the jirincipal nurseries which have risen to their present degree of 

 eminence by degrees ; and where consequently one building or additional object has been 

 added to another as wanted, without having any general plan in view, the greatest confusion 

 in appearance, and a considerable loss of labor, is the final result. The best way in such a 

 case is to pull down great part of the hot-houses and outbuildings, and re-arrange the 

 whole on some plan which will admit of a regular tour of inspection, either by the master 

 or stranger-visitants. A fine example of this has recently been given by Messrs. Lod- 

 diges ; whose arrangement, and mode of displaying the whole to strangers, is so per- 

 fect, tliat the time saved in conducting visitors through the premises will be no small 

 gain. 



7356. The Hackney nursery (fig. 736.), or commercial botanic garden, affords an example of a small ir- 

 regular spot, laid out both with due consideration as to effect, botanical science, and economy as to cul- 

 ture. The entrance (a) leads to the range of hot-houses, and commences with the stoves (b), proceeds to 

 the grand palm-house (c), thence to the dry-stove bulbs, and other articles (rf), to the double camellia-house 

 (e], and the green-house plants (/). The area enclosed by these buildings is devoted to the culture of plants 

 in pits and frames, to beds of rare American and herbaceous plants, and to collections in pots ready for sale 

 The outside space on the north side (g) is used as a depository for soils, pots, and other agents of culture and 

 for propagating-pits (A), and nursery-plantations of delicate articles. The visitant having 

 arrived at the end of the artificial climates, next enters on the course of the arbo- 

 retum (i, i, i), which is arranged alphabetically, and occupies one side of a winding 

 walk, till it has exhausted all the trees and shrubs, which will grow in the open 

 air, with the exception of some of the more common species, of the roses, 

 and American select shrubs. This walk crosses a public lane (A), on an 

 elevated bridge, and entering an irregular piece of ground, winds round 

 it till it terminates in an American ground in the centre (m), com- 

 posed of a series of revolutions of grass-walks, with intervening beds > 

 of bog-earth, displaying a complete collection. The arboretum " 

 alphabet is only carried along the right hand of the arboretum ' 

 walk (i, i, i), and on the left hand is a complete collection of roses ' 

 for a certain length, and then herbaceous plants for the rest^ ' 

 of the space. The beauty of this arrangement is, that there is 

 no interruption to the series when once entered on, while "" 

 at the same time any of the genera along the winding J 

 paths may be gone to at once by small paths, which 

 occur here and there across the borders. A visitant 

 wishing to see the American collection only, will 

 proceed at once to its commencement (/), and 

 wind along it till he arrives at its termina- 

 tion (ra), and so on.- The arboretum con- 

 tains a number of species and varieties 

 not before introduced, or hitherto 

 neglected in this country. Every 

 species commences with a named 

 specimen, left to attain its na- 

 tural size and shape next the 

 walk ; behind, in a line, are 

 stools for laying or stocks 

 for grafting, and the 

 next two or three lines 

 are devoted to the recep. 

 tion of the young plants 

 till sold or disposed of. 

 This mode saves much 

 trouble in culture, and 

 at once shows the pur- 

 chaser the sort of tree he 

 is to get, and assures him 



736 



that he is getting its real 

 progeny. The names of 

 the trees and American 

 shrubs, and the numbers 

 of the herbaceous plants 

 and roses, are painted on 

 the ends of bricks, which 

 are let half their length 

 into the ground, in an 

 oblique manner, so as 

 their ends may meet the 

 eye at a favorable angle. 



7357. Of florists' gardens there are 

 two sorts ; the first for the purpose 

 of forcing flowers in pots, for draw- 

 ingroom gardens, and raising others 

 in the open air for the flower-mar- 

 ket ; the second for the propagation 

 and culture of florists' flowers, in 

 order to vend their bulbs and plants. 

 Both should be situated near a large 

 town, as a market for the produce of 

 the first kind ; and to ensure visitors 

 to the flower-shows of the second. 

 A low situation, if possible near the 

 sea, but at all events with a humid 

 atmosphere, is to be preferred for the 

 culture of bulbs ; and no florists' 



