Villa of Fromonf. 141 



of rounding off too much of the angles of junction in the 

 walks and roads, was less obvious at this place than in most 

 others which we have seen in the neighbourhood of Paris • for 

 example, Madame de Cayla's {seejig. 25.). When we saw this 

 villa in 1828, the whole was in a state of dilapidation ; but we 

 have no doubt that, when it was in complete repair, it dis- 

 played much natural beauty, though with a greater mixture 

 of architectural objects, and with less repose of effect, than 

 harmonises with the British taste in landscape-gardeninc. 



The Villa of Fromont^ on the Seine — M. Soulange Bodin 

 combines, at Fromont, an elegant villa residence with an 

 exotic nursery, and an institution for young horticulturists. 

 M. Soulange Bodin, like M. Vilmorin, is at once a skilful 

 cultivator, a marchand grenetier (seedsman), a scholar, and an 

 accomplished gentleman. As connected with the army, he 

 has been all over Europe ; and having been long (to use the 

 Prince de Ligne's phrase) under the influence of the jardino- 

 manie, wherever he went, the gardens were the main objects 

 of his attention. At one time he had the principal manage- 

 ment of the gardens of the Empress Josephine at Malmaison. 

 On M. Bodin's retirement to Fromont, in 1814, he com- 

 menced laying it out in the English manner, and so as to 

 combine the picturesque scenery of the park with the profit- 

 able culture of the nursery. The grounds exceed a hundred 

 acres of a surface gently varied, and sloping to the Seine. 

 They are surrounded by a walk or drive, which displays 

 varied views of the interior, the main feature of which is the 

 chateau ; and of the Seine, with some rising grounds, beyond 

 the boundary. In various spaces among the groups of trees 

 are formed beds of peat earth, in which seedlings of Ame- 

 rican shrubs are raised ; the more rare kinds being propa- 

 gated by artificial methods. In the walled garden near the 

 house are numerous pits and frames, in which the more 

 popular exotics, such as the orange, Camellm, Azalea indica, 

 and numerous other green-house and hot-house plants, are 

 increased by hundreds. In effecting this, one of the principal 

 modes employed is herbaceous grafting, or grafting on the 

 young wood. The plants thus raised are sent to all countries. 

 In the larger green-houses and hot-houses there is a collection 

 of fine specimens, intended principally for ornament. The 

 object of the institution for the instruction of young gardeners 

 is, to supply French country gentlemen with young men well 

 acquainted with both the practice and the theory of their art 

 in all its branches. For this purpose there are professors, a 

 library, a museum of implements and models, and a monthly 

 journal, entitled Annales Horticoles de Fromont. There is not 



