414 Notes on Gardens and Nurseries. 



covered np with boards as long as it was possible to do so, 

 without drawing up the eyes too weak ; and we should 

 judge the crop to be more than a fortnight later than the 

 ordinary cold house. By this plan, Mr. Allen manages to 

 have grapes every month in the year, the retarding house 

 holding on, with the aid of occasional heat to dry up damp, 

 until the crop from the first forced house comes in. 



Some beautiful peaches and nectarines were nearly ripe in 

 one of the houses, and the crop was exceedingly large and 

 fine. To lovers of forced fruit, an inspection of Mr. Allen's 

 houses afford the highest gratification. 



Garden of C. Hoffman. — We hav€ never had the pleasure 

 of a walk through the garden of Mr. Hoffman before. Though 

 covering only a moderate extent of ground, less than an 

 acre, we should think, including all the buildings, we found 

 it filled with plants and trees. There is also a camellia 

 house, two vineries, a stove, and a greenhouse, — in all nearly 

 two hundred running feet of glass. 



In the garden the roses struck us as particularly fine. Mr. 

 Wilson, the gardener, certainly deserves credit for their man- 

 agement. They were principally trained as pyramids on 

 trellises to the height of ten feet, and were clothed with 

 fiowers, from the bottom to the top. The sorts were hiostly 

 hybrid Chinas and hybrid Bourbons, such as Madame Plan- 

 tin, Tl!urette, Brennus, Geo. IV, &c., &c. The plants are 

 all protected in winter, by loosening them from the trellis, 

 and covering them with manure, straw or litter of any kind. 

 The whole labor of covering a hundred plants is but small, 

 but, if ten times as much, the splendor of these specimens 

 would amply repay it. 



The camellias, owing to the occupation of the whole 

 ground as a flower garden, are never removed from the 

 house during the year, and looked in very good order. The 

 house is kept shaded, and as cool as possible. They were 

 well set with buds and promise a fine display. Some of the 

 double whites are exceedingly large and valuable plants. 



Mr. Wilson has tried some experiments in the culture of 

 the strawberry ; one of them was the growth of the Boston 



