364> London Nurseries 



rarest trees by thousands, and send the young plants to all parts of the 

 empii'e to his customers, in an infant state, when they occupy little space, 

 and can be conveyed at little expense. They will be reared in local nur- 

 series till they attain the height of a few feet, and the public will purchase 

 them when they see the beauty of the foliage of some, of the flowers of 

 others, and the great variety and number of species of articles of which 

 they have hitherto been accustomed to see only one or two. 



In the course of the summer Mr. Donald will no doubt find that he can 

 procure a number of additional species ; and we have recommended him, as 

 we would all others in similar circumstances, to apply to the Horticultural 

 Society, to Kew, and to the other botanic gardens, for cuttings of the young 

 shoots, at the time when it is beginning to ripen, and the sap of course 

 beginning to return and deposit the new wood. There is scarcely any 

 ligneous plant, indigenous or exotic, cuttings of which taken off in this 

 state, cut across immediately below a joint or bud, and firmly planted in 

 pure sand, with all the leaves on, and covered with a bell-glass, which will 

 not strike root. Let none, therefore, who have a good gardener about 

 them, excuse themselves from planting an arboretum because they cannot 

 get plants ; for all who can prove that they can make a good use of them 

 may procure cuttings from the sources mentioned. 



Albtc7y, Henri/ Driimmond, Esq. — April 6. The house is beautifully 

 situated in a valley, with undulating hilly sides, crowned with aged oaks, 

 chestnuts, beeches, and pines ; and in the bottom of the valley there ig a 

 considerable stream of pure water. 



Albury has been celebrated since Evelyn's time, on account of its ter- 

 race, fruit-wall, and kitchen-garden, which have been noticed by our cor- 

 respondent Mr. Gale*, in Vol. V^ p. 10. Albury is, doubtless, a most 

 delightful summer residence ; but, as far as art is concerned, it is full of 

 faults. The approach wants dignity of character, and goes up and down, 

 over hills and hollows, like a common farm road. The lawn in front of the 

 house is crowded and confused with masses of trees and shrubs ; there is 

 no leading feature ; no breadth of lawn to form a centre to the picture, and 

 a place of attraction and repose for the eye ; and, as at Arundel Castle, 

 there is no main walk inviting from the house to the grounds. How a place 

 where nature has done so much, and where there is a good house, and no 

 want of wealth and liberality on the part of the proprietor, should be so de- 

 ficient in these three grand leading features of a pai'k and pleasure-grounds, 

 we cannot well divine. 



When the grounds were planted originally in Evelyn's time, and recently 

 during the occupancy of a former proprietor, no expense seems to have 

 been spared in procuring the most suitable trees and shrubs ; and these 

 have thriven as well as the most sanguine planter could desire. The 

 old terrace-walk and fruit-wall are, no doubt, interesting objects; no one 

 would think of pulling them down now that they are there ; but, if they 

 were not there, no one would think of building them. So long a straight 

 wall, and so broad a straight terrace, are great and striking deformities, with 

 reference to the natural form of the surface on which they are placed ; and 

 this natural chai-acter is so strongly impressed, that it is not to be overcome 

 by any art. In Evelyn's time, however, a place was valued much more for 

 the art which it displayed than for its natural beauties ; all the surrounding 

 country was then in a state of nature, and we can conceive how much this 

 formidable work of art must have been admired. The reason is, man 

 can see no great beauty in either nature or art that has not reference to 



* In the communication alluded to, Mr. Gale offered to supply further 

 notes on gardens which he has visited ; and we regret he has not complied 

 with our invitation to do so. 



