Gardening and Botanj/ of Spain. 67 



out strings * [pods when boiled not stringy], lettuce, &c. Of 

 fruits there are the strawberry, raspberry, currant, gooseberry, 

 with many sorts of pears, apples, and plums, which deserve 

 to be particularly noticed, on account of their fine qualities, 

 and of the time they are in season. But what really make 

 these gardens more delightful are their fine stately woods of 

 lime, oak, elm, black poplar, aspen, horsechestnuts, and other 

 forest trees ; the walks through which are completely shaded 

 in summer, and the whole agreeably cooled by the cascades 

 of water which fall from the elevated summits of the high 

 ground which surrounds this delightful place. The diversified 

 play of the numerous fountains, and the natural features and 

 beauty of the place, make the whole a most enchanting spot. 

 This, too, suffered during the war of independence, from 

 which damage it has not yet recovered. 



The royal gardens of Aranjuez are still more extensive and 

 diversified. They are situated in a beautiful and fertile plain, 

 through the middle of which flows the rapid Tagus. Besides 

 many of the native trees and shrubs of the peninsula, they 

 cultivate also many natives of South America, especially those 

 of the family of Coniferae and Amentaceae ; the cedar of Le- 

 banon, different species of lime, maple, ash, and various 

 species of ^'sculus, Juglans, ikforus, Cratse^gus, Prtlnus, and 

 the Asimina triloba of Dunal, which last I saw there in blos- 

 som, and was informed that it never yields fruit; the tulip 

 trees, the Magnolm gi'andiflora and glauca, the Sop/iora 

 japonica, theCalycanthusfloridus, Chimonanthus fragrans, and 

 various others ; accounts of which, written by the brothers 

 Boutelou, may be seen in the Annals of Natural Science of 

 Madrid, and in the last volume of the Seminary of Agricul- 

 ture, published in that capital, up to the year 1808. The 

 trees, which are planted in ground of great fertility, and 

 irrigated sufficiently, acquire a height and bulk which justly 

 attract the admiration of travellers, and give a majestic 

 aspect to the avenues and walks, among which the Queen's 

 Walk deserves special mention. 



A great part of these gardens is destined for nurseries and 

 seed plots for raising trees, most of which are afterwards an- 

 nually distributed gratis among individuals, and the public 

 establishments. 



Another sufficiently large portion divided into squares, 

 rather monotonous in its appearance, is devoted to the culti- 

 vation of ornamental shrubs and flowers. There shine various 



* Although this kind of bean is much cultivated in Spain, it was not till 

 1819 1 happened to examine it, and found it a new species. 



F 9 



