214 State of Horticulture in Italy. 



plants, and there were many fine specimens of Forest Trees 

 in the open ground ; among the latter, I noticed a Gingko 

 biloba, 30 feet or more, and a Cedar of Lebanon of the same 

 size. 



At Padua, I found the best Botanic Garden I have yet seen, 

 and containing the largest collection of plants and trees. It 

 is one of the oldest in Europe, and is under the efficient direc- 

 tion of the Professor of Botany attached to the University of 

 that ancient seat of learning. There were many very rare 

 plants from New Holland, China, &c., some of which are 

 scarcely to be found in any other collection. The Arboretum 

 was well arranged, and contains, among other things, the lar- 

 gest Gingko biloba in Europe, with the exception, perhaps, 

 of that at Montpellier. The chief gardener is an intelligent, 

 efficient man, and every thing was in excellent order. 



At Venice, I found a small Botanic Garden, with one or 

 two greenhouses, but scarcely deserving notice. Horticulture 

 does not flourish in that city of the sea. 



At Milan, the most flourishing city of Lombardy, and which 

 Napoleon designed for its capital. I found no Botanic Garden, 

 no Horticultural Society, nor any evidence of existing taste 

 in this respect. And yet Lombardy has peculiar advanta- 

 ges, with her rich soil, pure climate, and abundant means of 

 irrigation. At Turin, there is a Botanic Garden of some merit, 

 with good greenhouses, but I did not observe any thing in 

 it worthy of a detailed notice. 



Possessing, myself, but very little knowledge of the state of 

 horticulture in Italy, I was desirous of obtaining all the in- 

 formation possible, and have inquired at the principal book- 

 stores of all the larger cities for works upon the subject. I 

 have been able, however, to find nothing of the kind except- 

 ing, in Milan, some treatises on corn, rice, silk, vines, &c., 

 with one or two manuals of gardening. Independent of its 

 other attractions, Italy nevertheless contains much of natural 

 interest to please a horticultural traveller, and I much enjoyed 

 its fine climate, luxuriant vegetation, and the opportunity of 

 examining their culture of the grape. I am now about passing 

 through Belgium to Haarlem, where I shall select an assort- 

 ment of the finest tulips, hyacinths, &c., of which that city 

 can boast, and hope another spring to show our horticultural 



