468 Calls at the Ijondoti Nurseries, 



found to be durable, and therefore verj' appropriate. The names of 

 many of the plants were repainted with very thick black oil paint, on 

 Wright's porcelain tallies ; thin black paint will not do, the oil separating 

 from it, and discolouring the whole surface of the tally) : this mode has a 

 much better eiFect than writing with black-lead pencil, which is neither so 

 clear nor so durable, unless, indeed, it be varnished. In the camellia- 

 house (which is a complete wood of this shrub, so much so that black- 

 birds have repeatedly built their nests and reared their j'oung in it), a 

 Wistaria! Consequa?za runs along the roof in two horizontal lines, and has 

 now its second crop of flowers. We were glad to find Mr. George 

 Loddiges of opinion that this plant (now sold by retail at from Is. 6d. to 

 3s. each, according to size) would soon be on every cottage front in the 

 kingdom — a result which, our readers are aware, we have been desirous 

 to bring about ever since this plant was introduced. Many of the heaths 

 and New Holland plants were beautifully in flower. 



The arboretum looks better this season than it has ever done since it 

 was planted. Even the roses have not a leaf or a flower injured by 

 insects, and the other plants have escaped equally well. The more loft}' 

 trees suffered from the late high winds, but not materially. We walked 

 round the two outer spirals of this coil of trees and shrubs ; viz. from 

 ^'cer to Quercus. There is no garden scene about London so interesting 

 to us as this arboretum, and we only wish we could induce the planters of 

 parks, shrubberies, and pleasure-grounds deliberately to examine it. To 

 us it is perfectly astonishing that thinking men among gardeners, who 

 know the contents of these eight acres just as well as we do, should 

 continue to plant the commonplace and monotonous mixtures in 

 shrubberies which they now do. We wish the ladies of gentlemen's 

 femilies would visit this arboretum. We should like to see mothers who 

 have a taste for plants take up the subject; for with mothers, we are 

 persuaded, must commence all great and lasting improvements, not only 

 in human conduct, but in matters of taste. Let the panorama of Niagara, 

 now exhibiting in London, be examined, and then let those who set any 

 value on the rich colours of the trees constituting the woods in the back- 

 ground of that magnificent picture say whether they would not desire to 

 have such trees in their parks and pleasure-grounds. These trees consist 

 of oaks, birches, liquidambars, acers, and a few others; and all of them 

 may be seen named in Messrs. Loddiges's arboretum, and young plants of 

 them may be purchased there, or in other nurseries. The acers, which 

 furnish the yellows in the American forests, ai'e in great luxuriance at 

 Messrs. Loddiges's. The birches, which furnish the reds, yellows, and 

 browns, are also very fine. Nearly twenty new species or varieties have 

 been added to Cratas'gus ; now forming, in all, between 70 and 80 sorts. 

 What a treasure to those who are capable of estimating the opportunity 

 of procuring such a collection ! But how few are there who have this 

 capability, and who have, at the same time, sufficient ground to allow the 

 different sorts to attain their full size, and to display their separate 

 natures ! Again we say, that the taste must be originated in youth ; but, 

 when once called into action, what a paradise this island will become, 

 displaying, as it will do, all the trees and shrubs in the world which will 

 grow in temperate climates. The time is just commencing for the esta- 

 blishment of public parks, and gardens adjoining towns, in which the deau 

 ideal of this description of scenery will be realised, at the expense of all, 

 and for the enjoyment of all. The whole of the Regent's Park would be 

 required to plant one of each of the species and varieties contained in 

 Messrs. Loddiges's arboretum, at proper distances, varied by suitable 

 glades ; Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens would form another scene 

 for a similar plantation ; and a third might be formed of Greenwich Park. 



