Calls at the' Nurseries. 351 



growing state, as well as the stumps. Various fruit trees have been deprived 

 of their outer bark, headed down,' ringed, and treated with Mr. Forsyth's 

 composition, all with the usual success. There is a Mammoth apple- 

 tree, which produces very large fruit, and some others, on which he has 

 grafted all the different sorts he could procure. The American blight 

 has cankered most of the apple-trees, but has done very little injury 

 to the pears, though intermixed with them, a proof, as our corre- 

 spondent Rusticus observes, (p. 155.) that the pear will thrive in a worse soil 

 than the apple. Mr. G. unties his espalier trees in winter, when he prunes 

 them, and leaves their branches dangling about loose till the blossom is 

 set. Their being loose, he considers as promoting the last object, by 

 allowing them to be shaken by the wind. A tank and pump have been 

 recently formed for collecting and containing the drainings of the dung and 

 compost ground, with which the ranunculus beds are watered. A great 

 breadth of ground is covered with the last named flower and with the 

 anemone, both just emerging from the soil. Mr. G. always plants these 

 flowers in spring, but the tulips and most others in October and Novem- 

 ber. The latter and hyacinths are quite hardy, but anemones, ranun- 

 culuses, and most sorts of polyanthus narcissus require to be covered with 

 rotten tan, or litter, to protect them from the frost. 



May \9th. The single tulips are now in full bloom, and this day hap- 

 pening to be fine, Mr. Groom's bed of a 150 feet long and 4 feet broad 

 presented by far the most magnificent spectacle of the kind we ever saw. 

 We are persuaded that very few of the wealthy amateurs of gardening 

 have seen such a sight, otherwise the culture of tulips would be more 

 general. This bed consists of upwards of 200 sorts, in seven rows 

 viewed lengthways, and in rows across at six inches apart; for the names 

 we must refer to Mr. Groom's printed catalogue, not having room to 

 insert the list of select sorts obligingly furnished us by him. 



Pantheon, Regent's Park, April 27. This immense building, correspond- 

 ing in figure with that of the same name in Rome, is preparing for exhibiting 

 Mr. Hornor's Panorama of London, which of itself is an astonishing under- 

 taking ; but coupled as it will be with this immense building, and the objects 

 and contrivances within and around it, will surpass all that has hitherto 

 been done in panoramic exhibition in this or any country. The ground 

 around the edifice is now being planted under the direction of Mr.Mackay, 

 of Clapton, and it affords even in its present incomplete state, a striking 

 example of what may be done by selection of large plants, and especially of 

 ever-greens. There are variegated hollies here 15 feet high, and rhododen- 

 drons nearly as many feet in diameter, and laurels, yews, box, &c. pro- 

 portionately large. They have been selected from all the nurseries from 

 within 20 and 30 miles of London, and from the American ground at 

 Wanstead-house, which supplied the immense rhododendrons mentioned, of 

 more than 30 years' growth. The plants were carefully taken up with 

 balls, and put in baskets of suitable size, and in that state conveyed to the 

 pit in which they were planted. In some cases the plants were planted 

 with the basket entire, to admit, if need should require, of lifting them in 

 the course of the summer to fill up blanks from death, or to facilitate alter- 

 ations ; in others the sides of the baskets were cut away and the bottom left ; 

 and from the smaller plants the baskets were wholly removed. Every tree 

 or shrub planted was set iu puddle, or fixed by water. (Encycl. of Gard. 

 § 20.96, 2097), and properly staked. The kinds were planted in masses, espe- 

 cially the shrubs j and the deciduous trees, which are but few in proportion 

 to the evergreens, are planted from 5 & 4 to a dozen in a hole, as sug- 

 gested by Mr. Price, and adopted by Mr. Repton, Mr. D. Stewart, and others. 

 This at once produces an effect different from that of a young plantation, 

 and gives something of the idea of stools of coppicewood. It would be 



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