392 Prestwich Botanical Society, and 



live hedges than that of the Jardin des Plantes ; a grass- 

 ground containing patches of several yards square of all the 

 principal grasses, including the cultivated corns ; and another 

 compartment for large patches of the leguminous plants in 

 field culture, the oil plants, plants for clothing, cordage, 

 dyeing, &c. Most of these are now run wild, and a great 

 many of the examples of annual plants are wanting. There 

 were at one time here, we were told, upwards of 1 50 sorts of 

 potatoes, and a great many fruit trees : at present several acres 

 are under a potato crop as a matter of profit. Close to the 

 college, which is a large building, and was formerly, if we do 

 not mistake, a convent, is' a small systematic botanic garden, 

 representing perhaps fifty of the Jussieuean orders. The 

 gardener, an intelligent man for the country, and exceedingly 

 attentive to strangers, lamented to us his situation in being 

 obliged to see the plants which he had reared and loved, 

 neglected and going to ruin. He is not allowed the least 

 assistance, and to keep what is under his charge in good order 

 would require at least two men. He pointed out to us a spe- 

 cimen of Juglans olivasf6rmis, of forty years' growth, and 

 from 40 to 50 ft. high, which bears abundantly every year ; 

 a Gleditschm monosperma, 40 ft. high, with its long broad 

 pods; and a good-sized tree (30ft.) of Plnus halep£nsis» 



(To be continued^), 



Art. II. Notice of the Prestwich Botanical Society, and the Burp 

 Botanical and Entomological Society, preceded by some Critical 

 Remarks on a Passage in the Account of the Conductors Tour 

 in France. By Mr. J. Horsefield, Weaver, Pilkington, near 

 Manchester. 



Sir, 

 I have long been desirous of sending you some account of 

 the botanical societies that exist in this part of the country, 

 but natural timidity and want of education, together, have 

 hitherto prevented me from acting according to my desire ; 

 but you have at length vexed me to the use of my pen. Fond 

 of botany and horticultural pursuits, and placed by Miss-For- 

 tune in such circumstances that I cannot practise half enough 

 of either, I make up the deficiency in some measure by read- 

 ing ; consequently, the contents of your Gardener's Magazine 

 are to me highly interesting : but it may be necessary here to 

 remark, that sometimes several weeks elapse between the 

 publication of a Number and the time of my perusing hy 



