4-24« Notes made during a Professional Tour 



the new and the old conservatories into one. If this were done, 

 it would produce, I should say, one of the finest conservatories 

 in Europe ; the magnificent orange trees behind, and the hand- 

 some specimens of New Holland plants in front, would have a 

 fine effect. The garden and grounds seem to be in a very 

 neglected state; and the want of evergreens in the park and 

 pleasure-grounds gives these places a meagre and cold appearance, 

 as compared with Claremont and other country seats in England. 

 Mr. M'Intosh has been endeavouring to remedy this defect by 

 planting a great number of evergreens of various sorts ; and I 

 hope they will succeed ; but former experience nearly proves 

 that they will not. Some years ago, when I lived in France, I 

 have known them thrive well for several years ; but, when a sharp 

 winter set in, they all died ; and the larger the plants were, the 

 sooner they perished. Few persons, except those who have 

 lived on the Continent, would believe how cutting the easterly 

 winds are : it is from that quarter the severest weather generally 

 comes. However, now that a beginning of planting evergreens 

 has been made at Lacken, I hope that the planting of them will 

 be followed up ; for much is still wanted to render Lacken a 

 place of much importance in the way of gardens or grounds. 



At Enghein, a few miles from Brussels, there is an extensive 

 nursery, belonging to M. Parmentier, who has a very large 

 assortment of exotic plants ; but they are not by any means in a 

 good state of cultivation, if I except his species of palms, of 

 which there are some fine and very clean plants. His New 

 Holland plants are in a very bad state, resembling those in the 

 botanic garden at Brussels. His collection of Orchidese is very 

 extensive, and contains many rare and valuable species ; but the 

 plants are not well cultivated : they seem, as it were, starved for 

 want of a sufficiency of heat and moisture. 



The Duke d'Aremberg has here a large garden, which con- 

 tains two fine ranges of houses, principally for stove plants, of 

 which there is an immense number ; and many of them are of 

 esteemed species, though not of newly introduced ones. In the 

 orangery there are some of the largest specimens of orange trees 

 I have ever seen ; and they are mostly in good health. There 

 is not a chateau here, it having been burnt down some years ago. 



From Brussels to Louvain the country is slightly undulated ; 

 but it is not so well wooded as on the other side of Brussels : it 

 is, nevertheless, of considerable interest. At Louvain there is 

 not any nursery worthy of notice ; but there is an excellent 

 botanic garden, which contains an extensive collection of rare 

 plants, especially of stove plants ; and these are in the highest 

 state of cultivation of any I have yet met with. The garden is 

 not large, but it is well laid out ; and the whole is in a good state 

 of keeping, and therefore reflects great credit on M. Donkellar, 



