Foreign Notices : — NortJi Amerie'a, QQS. 



a "jardin de naturalisation," or a garden expressly devoted to the purpose 

 of reducing foreign plants to bear and thrive in the climate of the island ; 

 a most useful institution, and one to which we would call the attention 

 of our Van Diemen's Land Society, as well as of the Government and of 

 our readers generally. It contains about 8 English acres, and, together 

 with the botanical garden, distributes upwards of 10,000 trees and shrubs 

 annually among the colonists in this most improving little island.' M.Brecon, 

 a gentleman of high literary and scientific attainments, superintends the 

 management of both gardens. There are 65,000 hectares of land, or about 

 170,000 acres, in cultivation in the island, nearly one half of which is 

 in corn, about one 'fifth in cassada (Jatropha Mdnihot, a tuberous root, 

 which is grated, and a poisonous juice extracted from it, and then baked in 

 cakes for bread [see its history, p. 470.]), and the remainder in gardens, 

 cocoa, coffee, cotton, and spices. {Hohart Town Courier, July 17. 1830.) 



NORTH AMERICA. 



Barfrani's Botanic Garden on the Schuylkill, near Philadelphia. — Sir, You 

 have done injustice to the memoiy of the first naturalist the United States 

 had, and the first American scientific horticulturist, by not publishing my 

 correction of Mr. Buel's singular omission of this garden in his article 

 " On the Horticulture of the United States of America," in your Vol. IV. 

 p. 193. I am. Sir, yours, &c. — James Mease, April 4!. 1831. 



We ask pardon of our esteemed correspondent for this inattention, and 

 now publish his communication, which has lain by us from the middle of 

 \S2Q. — Cond. 



In his account of the horticulture of the United States, published in 

 your Vol. IV. p. 193., Mr. Buel has omitted to mention Bartram's botanic 

 garden on the Schuylkill ; and Mi*. Gordon in his communication (Vol. IV. 

 p. 463.) barely names it as " Carr's." It deserves particular notice ; be- 

 cause it was the first attempt to establish a garden for the reception and 

 cultivation of native and foreign plants and trees in North America, and 

 because it is still conducted by Mr. Robert Carr with great zeal and suc- 

 cess. 



It is situated on the Schuylkill, about ten miles S.W. of Philadelphia, 

 and is now about twelve acres in extent. The original proprietor, John 

 Bartram, although a man of slender education (for schools were scarce in 

 his youth in Pennsylvania), was an enthusiastic botanist, and of the most 

 amiable disposition. His grandfather Richard came from England with the 

 emigrants under Penn, towards the close of the seventeenth century, and 

 settled in the county of Philadelphia. John was bred a farmer, and 

 laboured in that vocation for the support of his family ; but from an early 

 date was enamoured with the study of botany, and made extensive tours 

 throughout North America, to collect trees, shrubs, and plants, which he 

 transferred to, and cultivated in, his garden on the Schuylkill. Neither per- 

 sonal difficulties nor dangers from Indians deterred him. He explored our 

 highest mountains and the western lakes, and at the age of seventy years 

 embarked for South Carolina, travelled through that and the adjoining 

 states and Florida, ascended the river St. John 400 miles in a boat, and 

 descended on the other side, until he i-eached the sea. His notes on 

 this .great river, its branches and lakes, and the country through which he 

 passed were sent to the Board of Trade, by which they were published for 

 the benefit of the young colony. He was the first person who made the 

 transmission of the vegetable productions of North America to Europe a 

 regular business ; and in this he was engaged for upwards of forty years to 

 a great extent. The gardens of England are filled with trees and plants, 

 the originals of which he sent to their proprietors ; and Linnaeus received 

 many presents from him of curious and interesting plants, and the seeds of 



