and Suburban Gardens. 331 



sorts of apples, pears, cherries, and plums. The advantage of mixing the 

 dwarfs with the standards is, that the latter are sheltered by the former when 

 in blossom ; and that both standards and dwarfs have more head room. Most 

 of these trees are in a bearing state. 



A herbaceous ground, arranged on the natural system, has been formed in 

 borders exterior to each side of the arboretum ; and it contains, though 

 newly formed, all the species (with one or two exceptions) enumerated in 

 Mr. Donald's very excellent sheet catalogue. 



Mr. Donald has been very successful in propagating most of the trees and 

 shrubs in his collection ; so that the trade, and the public generally, can have 

 no excuse for neglecting to profit by his public spirit and industry. The whole 

 nursery was in the very highest order and keeping. Certain compartments 

 are devoted to stools and stocks for grafting on, and these, of course, are 

 always under plants of the tree kind ; but the greater number of compart- 

 ments in which seedlings are raised, and transplanted articles are kept till they 

 are sold, are subjected to a regular rotation of, 1. Wheat; 2. and 3. Clover; 

 4. Potatoes or turnips ; and 5, to 10. Trees ; or some similar rotation. In 

 this way the crops, both of farm and nursery produce, are most excellent ; 

 so much so, that a crop of clover, in the year 1833, was cut green three 

 times in the course of the season, and produced not less than two loads an 

 acre each cutting. This clover, which grew upon 1J acre, maintained five 

 horses from May 4. till Michaelmas. For the details, see Mr. Donald's 

 account of it in the British Farmer's Magazine, vol, vii. p. 425. 



Godalming. — May 17. We revisited the three gardens mentioned IX. 480., 

 and are promised a view of one, and a ground plan of another, which was 

 laid out by Mr. Varden. The one of which we expect to give a view is, both 

 in itself, and with reference to the exterior scenery, as perfect a piece of 

 garden landscape as can be found anywhere without the aid of a natural river 

 or lake. 



Milford Nursery. — Great alterations and improvements are going on here, 

 and 74 acres are about to be added. We saw numerous new plants, but we 

 shall say nothing of them here, because Mr. Penny has promised us regular 

 monthly lists. In the arboretum we found some new species added, and the 

 whole looking remarkably well. 



Stroud House, the Misses Perry. — We found this place, as usual, a perfect 

 gem of order and high keeping. A bed of peat earth shrubs in front of the 

 house is beautifully covered with Ilydrocotyle vulgaris, which forms a curious 

 evergreen carpet under the azaleas. At Stroud House, the plants of hydro- 

 cotyie sprang up of themselves from the peat earth, but the idea of producing 

 the same effect by art is worth recording. 



Knap Hill Nursery. — May 19. The azaleas here, Mr. Waterer informs 

 us, are about a fortnight earlier than usual, in consequence of which some of 

 those sorts which come first into flower suffered a little from the frost. The 

 time for the perfection of these early varieties was, however, gone by, and 

 we could not have arrived at a happier moment for seeing in perfection the 

 greater number of species. No language can convey an idea of the splendid 

 masses of colour of every shade of red, pink, orange, scarlet, and yellow. 

 Many of the varieties are very fragrant ; some bloom without showing any 

 leaves ; others with a number of leaves ; some are of vigorous growth, and 

 attain the height of 10 ft. or 12 ft., while others seldom reach above 2 ft. We 

 measured the corymb of blossom of one plant, and found it nearly 9 in. in 

 diameter. Mr. Waterer pointed out a great number of very distinct varieties 

 which he has raised from seed, and not one of which has yet received a name. 

 There is no way, therefore, by which a person can make a complete collection 

 of these beautiful shrubs, but by going down to Knap Hill, and examining 

 them while they are in bloom. The magnolias and other Americans pro- 

 mise well. The stock of standard rhododendrons is most valuable, and we 

 are persuaded that if a number of them were taken up, and put into tubs or 

 baskets, and exposed for sale in London, they would be eagerly purchased 



