548 Foreign Notices : — Noyway, Italy. 



view to profit. I had 20,000 larches from Edinburgh two years ago, which 

 were planted in grounds belonging to the government ; and it may safely be 

 said that that number is equal to ail that had been planted formerly. The 

 poor soils round Bruges and Ghent would produce excellent larch, which 

 would afford an excellent material for securing the banks of their canals ; as 

 would also much of the barren hills of Limburg and Luxemburg. In the 

 garden at Enghien is a fine specimen of purple beech, which produces seeds 

 freely; and I am informed by the Due d'Aremberg, one of the most spirited 

 and bestof noblemen, that the proportion of purple plants obtained from these 

 seeds is about one in three. The duke is building very extensive additions to 

 his palace in Brussels. The timber was all grown on his own estates, and is 

 chiefly oak. He cuts in winter, and gives his reasons for so doing. 



There are the remains of an excellent arboretum planted by a gentleman of 

 the name of Price, but not an Englishman. The collection at present forms 

 part of the park of Lacken. It is very rich in species; but unfortunately the 

 trees are planted too closely together. The grounds are also laid out in the 

 English style, and are beautiful. The collection of American shrubs is also 

 rich, but the plants are not thriving. Less attention is paid to botanical 

 species than to curious varieties and monstrosities. The very best collection 

 in Belgium belongs to an old lady whose name I cannot think of, and who 

 has a very pretty place between Louvain and Waver. I shall send you the 

 catalogue and descriptive account of her place : it is really, upon the whole, 

 as a park, a garden, and a residence, the finest in Belgium. — C. M. I. 



NORWAY. 



Kaa Fiord, Alien, 70° N. lat., July 25. 1836. — I only arrived here last night, 

 and find a ship sailing for England this morning, so I embrace the oppor- 

 tunity to send you a line. I sowed your Hevacleuvi asperum in an old church- 

 yard at Fugleness, opposite Hammerfest, also Malcomia maritima, Zvupinus 

 nootkatensis, Eschscholtzfo! CTocea, and E. californica. I will also sow some 

 in different places about here. — W. C. 



ITALY. 



Genoa, June 11. 1836. — I have been in Italy many years, but I never 

 recollect so ungenial a season as we now have. Since November last we have 

 scarcely had two fine days together ; nothing but a series of frost, snow, hail, 

 rain, wind, &c. ; indeed, up to this moment, we have had no spring, and fur 

 dothing is still the order of the day. The orange trees are sadly injured ; 

 nevertheless they are not so completely killed to the ground as they were the 

 winter after you were here (1819). The olive trees have been also a good 

 deal injured ; but still the injuries are more of a temporary, than of a fatal 

 nature. Though the weather has been so bad, it has not been very cold, and 

 it is expected that the worst of the injury will be the failure of the crops of 

 the ensuing summer. The Chevalier De Nigro is in excellent health, and his 

 garden is kept in as high order as ever. You will in a very short time receive 

 some drawings, and a description of it, for your Suburban Garderier. The 

 villa of Count Barbi has been sold, and the beautifully trimmed men and 

 horses of myrtle and box to which you allude, have either been cut down or 

 left to reassume their natural shapes. Forced flowers here are now extremely 

 dear ; a hyacinth and a moss rose are not to be got under a franc. — H. M. 



Naples, June 20. 1835. — It is exactly fifteen years since I first settled in 

 this country, and the changes that have taken place in it are very considerable. 

 The greatest of these is a system of cross roads which has been carried into 

 execution in every direction, and which has already stopped the progress of 

 the banditti by employing them, and by giving access to all their haunts. This 

 must ultimately lead to a degree of agricultural improvement, of which the 

 present generation of Italians have no idea. — G. S. 



Monza, Feb. 27. 1836. — An excellent agriculturist of Monza, Signor Paulo 

 Mantagazza, Signor George Compton, and I, regularly peruse your works ; 



