Fromont on the Seine. 285 



arbor vitse running east and west, planted about seven feet 

 apart, so that the sun does not shine upon the plants only at 

 morning and night. Here the camellias, rhododendrons, aza- 

 leas and similar plants requiring shade are arranged in rows, 

 on beds of sand or ashes, and sometimes plunged to the rim 

 of the pots. They require less watering so arranged, and re- 

 tain a more verdant and healthy appearance. Immense quan- 

 tities of seedling rhododendrons, kalmias, hardy azaleas, &c. 

 are raised in frames placed between two of these hedges, and 

 elevated on a platform about two feet to prevent the ingress of 

 worms, which often destroy the whole stock. In this way 

 the young seedlings thrive admirably, and soon make flower- 

 ing plants. The only place where we noticed hedges to any 

 thing like the same extent as at Fromont, was in the nursery 

 of Mr. Rivers, of Savvbridgeworth, which we have already no- 

 ticed, (p. 171,) who from his frequent visits to the Continent, 

 had probably seen the good effects of the plan, and, throwing 

 aside all prejudice, adopted it himself. 



The inspection of the propagating department afforded us 

 great gratification. The principal part of the houses are in a 

 walled enclosure of about half an acre, sloping to the south, 

 and the back part of most of them was sunk in the earth, 

 about two feet, and an additional embankment was made by 

 the earth which was thrown out to form the one in the rear, 

 there being several of them one before the other. In this way 

 they are protected from the cold with the exception of the 

 roof, and being narrow, many of them have shutters. A sin- 

 gle broad shelf, with a walk on the back, is all the interior 

 fitting of several of the ranges, these being adapted for hold- 

 ing young stock, very few large plants being allowed to ac- 

 cumulate and occupy room. 



The houses devoted exclusively to propagation face the 

 north, running in a transverse direction of the others, occu- 

 pying the whole of the west wall, and are of similar con- 

 struction, as regards size, but they are built with a central 

 bed for holding bark or leaves, or some other heating mate- 

 rial ; the hot water pipes are in front, and a walk in the rear. 

 No where did we ever see so much neatness and method in a 

 propagating department; three rows of large bell glasses, 

 fifteen inches broad and fifteen high, were arranged length- 



