State of Horticulture in Italy. 211 



and many other plants, curious and rare. The CaUicarpa 

 Cana bore beautiful clusters of snow-white seed. A separate 

 house contained all the varieties of coffee in full flower and 

 fruit. The whole collection, both hardy and exotic, was very 

 good, and although not kept with that neatness which is de- 

 sirable, did credit to its directors. 



As I have before observed, the climate and soil of Naples 

 are very propitious for horticultural improvement. The win- 

 ter is sufficiently long to give the plants all the rest they re- 

 quire, while the long season of vegetation gives them luxuri- 

 ant growth, and enables them fully to consolidate their juices. 

 Their rich volcanic soil is sometimes more than six feet deep, 

 and very little cultivation is needed to make it produce the 

 finest crops of grain or vegetables. M. Tenore attributed the 

 want of improvement in horticulture to the natural indolence 

 of the people, but I can scarcely coincide with him, for I never 

 saw a more active people in any thing which really interested 

 them. I think that it is more probably owing to a deficiency in 

 the requisite means of exciting that interest which is absolutely 

 essential to the attainment of any object. When this is once 

 excited, and the Neapolitans become fairly awake on the sub- 

 ject, they can easily compete with any country in Europe. 

 There are, in the vicinity of Naples, several private villas, 

 and two villas of the king which well deserve notice. They 

 are all laid out in the natural style. 



The royal villa of Capo di Monte owes its beauty to the 

 skill and taste of F. Denhardt, sub-director of the Botanic 

 Garden. He kindly sent out one of his assistants to show me the 

 grounds, which are five miles in circuit, and being extended 

 every year. The Park is full of winding drives, and walks 

 very neatly kept, and surrounded by bright close turf, and 

 clumps of trees and shrubs. Near a fine oak, 100 feet high, 

 with trunk six feet in diameter, is a little hillock, from which 

 bursts upon the view one of those charming openings which 

 produce so fine an efiect in a landscape. Some half a mile 

 distant was a very chaste little summer residence of the Queen, 

 (Casina it is called) and stretching around on the level turf 

 were belts of trees, occasional clumps of shrubs, palms and 

 pines with one or two rich groups of the Magnolia grandiflora. 

 Several of these openings occurred ; at one, with a church in 



