Holland and the Netherlands, Cape of Good Hope. 55 



in England. That in best keeping was Mailleraie, which was in about as 

 good order as I have generally found Park Place, near Henley on Thames. 

 Landin surpassed everything which I have seen in France. The elevated 

 situation of the house, the noble bend of the river, its richly wooded banks, 

 the extensive prospect over a flat country in front, and the island of fruit 

 trees in the Seine, some hundreds of feet below the eye, all conspire to impress 

 the mind with the most sublime emotions. One enjoys these feelings not the 

 less by their contrast with those excited by the anxiety of the guide to point 

 out seats and summer-houses. I asked to see some of the remains of the 

 plaster of Paris shepherds and sheep ; and a few fragments of the former, 

 collected in the corner of a root-house, were pointed out as all that remained. 

 At Rouen I found Prevost and Vallet in their respective nurseries, which 

 were in tolerable order; but Calvert and Co. were gone. I was disappointed 

 in the botanic garden, but it contains some fine old specimens, and, among 

 these, I was most struck with the size of the Italian reed [Jrundo Z>6nax], 

 which is well worth introducing more extensively into British pleasure-grounds. 

 : — Henry A. Browne. Rouen, Dec. 1833. 



Steam-digging Machine. — M. Wronski, a celebrated mathematician at Paris, 

 has, according to the Paris papers, discovered a new system of applying steam 

 to carriages, digging machines, hoes, picks, ploughs, &c. ; so superior to any 

 thing hitherto known, that a French company has bought his patent for four 

 millions of francs, {he Temps.) 



HOLLAND AND THE NETHERLANDS. 



Agricultural and Botanical Society of Ghent. — The fiftieth exhibition of this 

 Society will take place March 15th next. It is to be celebrated as a jubilee, 

 and prizes are offered to strangers, as well as to members of the Society. 

 Among the prizes are, a gold medal for the best collection of 20 or more plants 

 in flower, and silver medals for the best collections of camellias and of amaryllis. 

 Mr. Maddison of Wondelyem, about two miles from Ghent, who sent us a 

 printed prospectus containing the above and a variety of other information, 

 says : — " As many of the prizes are for strangers, it may, perhaps, be worth 

 your while to publish the prospectus in your Magazine for February next. 

 Should you or any of your friends feel inclined to visit Ghent during our 

 jubilee, I should feel happy in being of service to them. I am known to 

 Mr. William Dennis of the King's Road, to Mr. Gawie, who is now with 

 Mr. Lowe at Clapton, and also to Mr. Knight of the King's Road, Chelsea. 

 I cultivate principally pelargoniums and georginas ; but any plants for the 

 open ground, such as alstroemerias, and such as recommend themselves by their 

 beauty, are what 1 particularly seek after. Independent of my collection of 

 English pelargoniums, I cultivate about 100 foreign ones, which I have re- 

 ceived from Vienna and Paris ; and, after the example of gentlemen in this 

 country, I am always happy to offer them in exchange for other plants, either 

 to gardeners or amateurs. Since residing in this country I have built a new 

 green-house, with a span roof; and, by a very simple contrivance, I can raise 

 the stand within a few inches of the glass. Were my green-house of iron, 

 instead of wood, and warmed by hot water, instead of by fires, I should con- 

 sider it as nearly, if not quite, the very best that could be made. I am, Sir, 

 yours, &c. — John Maddison. Wondelyem, near Ghent, Dec. 10. 1833. 



CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. 



The Government Garden is undergoing various improvements, which, when 

 completed, I shall send you some account of. In general, it may be observed, 

 that a new stimulus to gardening and agricultural improvements has been 

 given throughout the colony since the present governor came into office. 

 Something also must be attributed to the increasing prosperity of Sydney and 

 Van Diemen's Land, which are our principal foreign markets for cattle, sheep, 

 and various descriptions of agricultural produce. {Extract from a private 

 Letter to D. B., dated Cape Town, Sept AS, 1833.) 



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