Royal Gardens. 731 



We have had a list made, and the period of their defoliation and the autum- 

 nal colour of their leaves noted down, by Mr. O'Halloran, an intelligent 

 and industrious young journeyman ; and we hope next spring to procure, 

 with the approbation of the Society, through the same individual, the period 

 of foliation, the colour of the opening buds and young leaves, and various 

 other particulars. We shall, at the same time, take a portrait of each 

 species to one and the same scale ; and, by comparing these with the ages 

 of the specimens, the comparative rapidity of growth under the same cir- 

 cumstances will be obtained. This information, with others which we have 

 not space to mention, is for the use of our Arboretum Britdnnicum. (p. 718.) 

 For the same object we have had a list made of the defoliation and autumnal 

 tints of the principal deciduous trees in the pleasure-ground at Kew; and 

 the same, accompanied with portraits, of the unrivalled arboretum of 

 Messrs. Loddiges. We earnestly request all the assistance which our read- 

 ers can afford us, particularly as to foliation and defoliation on different 

 soils ; say calcareous, argillaceous, siliceous, peaty or vegetable soils, and 

 water-fed soils. Portraits of the shapes of full-grown trees, not trees going 

 to decay, will also be highly acceptable; and for whatever is sent and made 

 use of, a return will be made in kind, varying, according to the nature of 

 the information, from a copy of our Manual of Cottage-Gardening, or of 

 the Supplements to the Encyclopaedias, to the Encyclopaedia of Plants or 

 the Illustrations of Landscape- Gardening. — Cond. 



Art. VI. The Royal Gardens. 



The monopoly which Mr. W. T. Aiton enjoyed of Kew, Kensington, 

 Buckingham Palace, Hampton Court, Cumberland Lodge, the Royal 

 Lodge, Virginia Water, and we are not sure that we have included all, has 

 been very properly broken down. Mr. Aiton is now limited to the botanic 

 garden at Kew : his brother, who before had Windsor, is now limited to 

 the kitchen-garden at Kensington. Hampton Court is given to Mr. Tyrrel ; 

 Windsor to Mr. Macfarlane ; the kitchen-garden at Kew to Mr. Godfrey, 

 formerly gardener to Admiral Harvey, in Essex. As the progress of Buck- 

 ingham Palace has been stopped, the present king not intending to live 

 there, it is probable that no gardener will be appointed ; and the same may 

 be said as to the Royal Lodge at Windsor, which is already in part pulled 

 down. The pleasure-ground at Kew, it is said, will be put under a separate 

 gardener ; and we have heard Mr. Gardiner, son of Colonel Gardiner, men- 

 tioned as destined to fill the situation. We are not sorry to mark these 

 changes ; though we think it rather too much to deprive Mr. Aiton of two 

 of the departments of Kew. But what astonishes us most is, that, deprived 

 of these two, he should have accepted of the third. We can only account 

 for this trait in his character, by supposing that the habits of a court gar- 

 dener have a tendency to repress those feelings which ordinary gardeners, 

 like ourselves, would consider proper spirit and manly independence. 



One thing we must be allowed to regret, and that is, that the forcing 

 department at Kensington was not put entirely under the control of Mr. 

 Plimley. A better pine and grape grower, or a more worthy man, does 

 not exist. We have witnessed his unwearied care and assiduity, attended 

 by the most brilliant success, during the last fourteen years ; withholding, 

 at his own request, lest it should offend Mr. Aiton, that praise he so well 

 merited. His salary, we understand, has been little more than the wages 

 of a journeyman. We will venture to assert, that he is as worthy of any 

 gardener's situation in the gift of the crown as Mr. Aiton himself; and we 

 sincerely hope his deserts may yet meet with their due reward from so 

 considerate and kind-hearted a master as William IV. 



