Domestic Notices : — Ireland. 87 



about a mile and a half in length, and not quite a mile in breadth, we have 

 more than one half of the natural orders, as 61 to 104; not quite half the 

 genera, as 214 to 503; and rather better than one fourth the species, in the 

 ratio of 406 to 1500." {Morning Clironide, Jan. 6. 1837.) 



New KitcJien-Gardens, witli Flower-Gardens and Shrubberies attaclied, are 

 now forming at Carclew, the seat of Sir Charles Lemon, Bart., M.P., under 

 the direction of Mr. Beattie Booth. Mr. Rutger, who has lately returned 

 from that part of the country, and has visited these gardens, speaks of them 

 as among the most interesting which he ever saw. We hope Mr. Booth 

 will favour us with a plan and description of his improvements, with all 

 the various details of execution, planting, &c., for this Magazine. — Cond. 



IRELAND. 



Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin. — The following extract from Mr. Niven's 

 report is alluded to in our preceding Volume, p. 620., and was intended to 

 appear in that Volume ; but, like many other miscellaneous articles, has been 

 deferred from want of room. Mr. Niven, after enumerating the different con- 

 tributions of plants, seeds, &c., which had been made to the garden, proceeds 

 as follows : — 



" Gentlemen, I feel it especially my duty to suggest how important it be- 

 comes, for the further credit and respectability of the garden, that some dis- 

 posable sum of money should be placed at your command, for the purpose of 

 contributing to the support of, and participating in the importations sent home 

 by, foreign collectors, as does almost every similar institution in Britain ; for, 

 without some such arrangement, it will be almost impossible for me to keep 

 equal with such establishments, or be able to act upon that reciprocal prin- 

 ciple of interchange so essential to the well-being and respectability of the 

 same. 



" The several hot-houses are now, I am happy to say, pretty well stocked 

 with plants; still, however, there are great deficiencies in several interesting 

 genera, such as the ^riceae and parasitical Orchideae, without which no botani- 

 cal garden, at the present day, can be considered complete. They are also in 

 excellent repair, and will, when the repairs and alterations on the large round- 

 house are completed, present accommodation of the most respectable descrip- 

 tion. A commodious potting-shed has also been erected, and an office for 

 keeping seeds, as well as transacting the business of the garden, is also being 

 fitted up in one of the gate-houses. 



" During the ensuing winter and spring, I am most anxious to proceed to 

 the formation of a natural arrangement of plants, on the portion of ground 

 partly prepared for that purpose ; without which the garden remains compara- 

 tively vacant and incomjilete. To accomplish this, I hope to exercise all the 

 economy in my power as regards the labour part of the work ; but, in fiUing 

 the said arrangement with plants, it will be impracticable for me so to do, 

 without making considerable exertions in the way of collecting, by personally 

 visiting such nurseries, botanic and private gardens, as will be most likely to 

 assist in the work. 



" In that portion of the garden appropriated for the culture of agricultural 

 specimens, I am happy to inform you that a fair beginning has been made, in 

 the way of grasses, grains, I'oots, &c., which, if properly followed up, will, I 

 hope, be found of much importance to the agriculture of Ireland, as far as 

 the introduction of the best and most approved varieties of such things is 

 concerned. To follow up this most useful and important branch, it becomes 

 highly requisite that I should be afforded some opportunity of personally 

 examining the state of the agriculture, as well as the foresting, of the country; 

 all which could be accomplished whilst in pursuit of botanical objects. 



" In connexion with the above, I beg leave to annex the following report, 

 respecting the produce of three mangel wurzel potatoes committed to m}' care 

 last spring, two of which, it was stated, had produced so much as 14 st. 101b. 

 The three potatoes I received were cut into thirty-two sets, and planted about 



G 4 



