in August and September, ISS 5. 223 



is called a taproot. This the plants in pots will most assuredly 

 do, if not checked, through the hole in the bottom. I therefore 

 recommend that, in November or December annually, a trench 

 be dug by the side of the pot, which must then be turned on 

 one side, and every vestige of a root which may appear through 

 the hole cut off with a spade. In the course of a few years, a 

 bunch of fibrous roots will be formed, that will require no other 

 trouble than being annually disturbed ; that is, the pot turned 

 completely on one side, to prevent their giving too much luxuri- 

 ance to the tree by spreading into large feeders. 



At Versailles are numerous small nurserymen, who principally 

 grow plants for the flower-markets of Paris. In these gardens I 

 was much struck with the superiority of climate. Grapes were 

 ripe, fastened to stakes in the open quarters, Sept. 6. The 

 Magnol/« tripetala was ripening its seeds ; and pomegranates 

 were blooming in the flower borders. Hundreds of yellow 

 China roses, budded on short stems, were covered with flowers, 

 and nearly ripe hips. The plants grown were principally 

 Kalmm latifcMia and glauca, common white and pink azaleas, 

 rhododendrons, and other showy plants, crowded in beds in 

 immense numbers; but not sold so cheap as in our Surrey nur- 

 series for American plants. 



In the Jardin des Plantes at Paris, the inflated and brilliant 

 seed-vessels of Kolreuterm paniculata had a most pleasing effect. 

 In England, this tree is very ornamental in July, with its fine 

 panicles of yellow flowers ; and, in fine seasons, it bears seed 

 abundantly in the neighbourhood of London, particularly at 

 Syon, Kew, Ham House, and in the Fulham Nursery, where the 

 trees are old and of a large size. Sophbra]w^6n\cQ., of which there 

 are many large trees, was covered with its pale straw-coloured 

 flowers. Sophbra japonica pendula, that most pendulous of all 

 trees, was originated from seed in 1816. Cydonia sinensis was 

 in fruit, which was exceedingly curious, but not edible. I should 

 think, from memory, it was from 6 in. to 8 in. long, conical, and 

 of a vivid green. Madura aurantiaca was also bearing fruit, 

 but not yet ripe ; in its green state, it was much like a middle- 

 sized green orange with a very rough rind. Virgilia lutea is 

 here in fine perfection, forming a large tree of 3 ft. in girt, and 

 full of seed-pods : it blooms abundantly every summer, and 

 bears spikes of pale sulphur or yellowish white flowers. 



The original plant of ^'sculus rubicunda raised here from 

 seed by Michaux, in 1812, is now a fine specimen; and, as the 

 plants from its seeds do not vary in the least from the parent 

 plant, M. Camuset, the pepinieriste en chef, thinks it a distinct 

 species. I saw young plants with every character of the 

 original. The double-blossomed sloe (Prunus spintisa flore 

 pleno) was raised from seed here by M. Camuset, in 1817. 



s 2 



