Nurseries, Market-Gardens, Horticultural Practices. 411 



remarkable for its order and neatness ; and we learn from the 

 trade, that it used to be considered the best kept nursery be- 

 tween Edinburgh and London. It is extensive, and fully 

 stocked with forest trees, shrubs, and fruit trees, in excellent 

 condition for removal, and sold at very low prices. The 

 same may be said of Mr. Cunningham's nursery at Manches- 

 ter, which is remarkably well laid out, and highly kept. The 

 nursery in the worst order which we have seen is that of 

 Weare at Coventry ; we were quite astonished to find so 

 much glass, so extensive an American ground, and so many 

 good plants, both tender and hardy, amidst so much broken 

 glass, rubbish, and weeds. We regret it the more, because 

 the foreman (whose name, not having our notes to refer to, 

 we cannot here insert) is an excellent propagator, a reader, 

 and enthusiastically devoted to his profession. We sincerely 

 hope his employer may be induced to allow him the requisite 

 number of men for cultivation and management, and to put 

 the houses, walls, and walks in repair. Such a man, in some 

 situations and circumstances, would be a treasure ; but at 

 present he is like a pearl in a dunghill. 



Market-Gardens. — The only one that we have seen worthy 

 of notice in this outline is that of Mr. Mist at Perry Barr, 

 near Birmingham. Mr. Mist is a Fellow of the Horticultural 

 Society, a reader, and a strictly scientific, as well as practical, 

 cultivator. His ground being his own, he is trenching and 

 manuring part of it for asparagus, sea-kale, tart rhubarb, 

 horseradish, and other deep-rooting plants, to the depth of 

 4 ft., in a style which could not be afforded by a common 

 market-gardener. He grows Keen's seedling strawberry to 

 a very high degree of perfection ; carries asparagus to 

 market twice in the same day, for the Birmingham dinners at 

 one o'clock, and for the suppers at nine o'clock ; and, if he 

 were encouraged by a proper vegetable market in Birming- 

 ham, we feel confident he would greatly improve the taste of 

 the consumers of vegetables in that town. 



Of Horticultural Practices we have met with several worthy 

 of particular description and commendation ; but we shall 

 give only two here, which, we think, ought to be as widely 

 known as possible without delay. The first is the general 

 adoption of a mode analogous to Mr. Strutt's, but more simple 

 and less expensive, of wintering the vines grown under the 

 rafters in pineries. The house is constructed in the usual 

 manner ; but, about 1 ft. within the front wall {Jig. 74. a), a 

 4-inch wall {b) is built a few inches higher than the front 

 wall. When it is desired to winter the vines, the front sashes 

 are taken out, fixed on this wall, and made air-tight at top 



