i7i the neighborhood of Boston. 51 



with much benefit in the northern parts of Great Britain. 

 In fact, without such partial protection, the culture of peaches 

 would be all but impossible. The principles upon which 

 the various operations of gardening are conducted about this 

 place by Mr. Schimming, arc thoroughly scientific, and man- 

 ifest a perfect understanding of the numerous details con- 

 nected Avith the higher branches of horticulture. At the 

 time of my visit the camellias were the glory of the green- 

 house ; the collection of which is large, and in excellent con- 

 dition. The principal stage was filled with a promiscuous 

 collection of greenhouse plants, generally cultivated. 1 ob- 

 served nothing new among them, and very few, of what 

 might be termed " fine specimens," according to the Chis- 

 wick definition of that term. In fact the form of the house 

 renders the growth of fine specimens almost impossible ; as 

 a matter of necessity the plants were placed too thickly to- 

 gether, (a circumstance much too common,) but the efi"ect 

 they produced " en masse," was excellent. The healthy 

 appearance of the whole, and the unscrupulous cleanliness and 

 neatness which was every where manifest, and this too, at a 

 season when visiters were least to be expected, reflected 

 much credit on the taste and attention of the foreman in 

 charge of them. 



I have said that the form of this house, as regards the 

 growth of specimen plants, was decidedly objectionable, and 

 its internal arrangements are equally so ? Although the lat- 

 ter, under present conditions, are probably the very best that 

 could be adopted, — for convenience and effect with good 

 management they certainly are so — but without great cave, 

 and unwearied attention, the defects of the structure, as a 

 plant house, would soon become very apparent. The amount 

 of attention and labor required to produce the same effect in 

 different houses, is but seldom appreciated to its fullest ex- 

 tent, and gardeners are sometimes censured for doing badly, 

 what it was impossible for them to do better, while others 

 are praised for doing well, what was only a natural result of 

 the cause that produced it, and which, probably by any spe- 

 cies of mismanagement could not have very well been oth- 

 erwise. 



