486 Domestic Notices : — England. 



exception of rank. Fetes of this kind used to be common in the neighbour- 

 hood of St. Petersburg, during the time of the Empress Catherine ; and we 

 have been present at two or three given in May, 1814, in the neighbourhood 

 of Moscow. Of course, the idea of admitting the great mass of society in- 

 discriminately into an English pleasure-ground will startle a number of our 

 readers. They would destroy every thing : and, after all, what is to be gained 

 by it ? To these objections we reply, that the Enghsh public is not quite so 

 bad as it is represented to be : but, granting that it is at present rather rude, 

 admitting it to scenes of beauty and refinement will prove the most effectual 

 manner of educating its feelings. As to the question of what is to be gained 

 by the proprietors, we answer, the noblest and the greatest of all gains, either 

 earthly or heavenly — that is the consciousness of making a great number of 

 people happy. No doubt, there are some who are not accustomed to take 

 this view of the subject; and to others, the horror of coming in contact with 

 so many common people will absorb every other idea. The exclusiveness 

 produced by wealth and rank is not favourable to the cultivation of general 

 sympathy ; and it shall not be our business here to say much on the subject. 

 We merely throw out the hint, as we would drop a seed of a favourite plant 

 by the road side, or on a piece of waste ground, for a chance of its taking 

 root. We will not let slip the occasion, however, of stating that by far the 

 greater number of landed proprietors in this country are most liberal in 

 showing, not only their grounds, but houses, to all the public, without excep- 

 tion, certain days in the week throughout the year. Exhibitions of this kind 

 must have a decided tendency to humanise the feelings and raise the taste. 

 This desirable result will also be promoted in the highest degree by Mr. Buck- 

 ingham's admirable proposal, which, though it may be defeated in the present 

 parliament, must ultimately be successful : we mean that of having public 

 gardens, literary institutions, and museums, to every town and village, or 

 parish, supported by all, and for the benefit of all. 



Perhaps we shall be one day gratified by seeing such noblemen as the Duke 

 of Devonshire, the Earl of Mansfield, and others who have villas in the im- 

 mediate vicinity of London, throw open their grounds for the admission of 

 all persons on a Sunday afternoon. The former nobleman has already fre- 

 quently shown the most praiseworthy liberality in permitting his princely 

 grounds at Chatsworth to be open, on grand occasions, to the public of Shef- 

 field, without, we believe, ever having had his plants injured by the persons 

 thus admitted ; and we have no doubt the London public would be equally 

 careful not to abuse the kindness shown to them. We say this with more 

 confidence, from seeing the manner in which the flowers, &c., are spared both 

 in the Regent's Park and Surrey Zoological Gardens, even on the days of 

 the horticultural fetes, when any person can obtain admittance to the latter, 

 who can command a shilling. Were our suggestion acted on, we should 

 advise every proprietor whose grounds are thrown open to place placards at 

 the gate, &c., recommending his plants to the care of the public, as is done 

 in the public gardens at Frankfort, and other places in Germany. 



A public Pleasure-Garden at Lichfield is now beginning to occupy the con- 

 versation of the citizens, the influential party of whom are not without hopes 

 of procuring the establishment of one worthy of the extent and the celebrity 

 of that ancient city. — J. G. Lichfield, July 13. 1836. An interesting letter 

 on the subject of establishing an arboretum in the neighbourhood of Lichfield, 

 by J. G., was published in the Staffordshire Examiner of July 6., which we shall 

 probably copy into a future Number. — Cond. 



Cereus speciosissimus. — There is at present growing against the back wall of 

 a vinery belonging to Mr. Peter Pequin of this island (Jersey) two plants 

 of Cereus speciosissimus, one of which extends 22 ft., and the other 24 ft., in 

 length, by about 6^ ft. high ; both plants being trained horizontally. They 

 have been planted out in the border about ten years, and have borne a con- 

 stant profusion of flowers every year. They have at present upwards of 200 

 flowers and flower buds on them ; from 30 to 40 of which are expanded, and 



