632 Vieiso of the Progress of Gardenijig, 



whole, the interior improvement of Spain is going on much more 

 rapidly than we in Britain could have conceived, from the pre- 

 judiced views of some travellers, and from the statements in the 

 newspapers. Capt. Cook has given an account of the forest 

 vegetation in Spain, which is of extraordinary interest; and he 

 has introduced into this country the true Quercus australis and 

 Q. hispanica, the true Pinus hispanica, and the true P. un- 

 cinata. He has also brought a beautiful variety of (Sambucus 

 racemosa from the Pyrenees. Copious extracts from Capt. 

 Cook's work, made with his permission, will be found in our 

 succeeding volume; and some, relating to the architecture of 

 Spain, in the Architectural Magazine. 



Of the State of Gardening in Portugal^ Sardinia, Greece, and 

 other Portions of Europe, we have nothing particular to record. 

 At Constantinople improvement has commenced with the go- 

 vernment; and, as there are scarcely any vested interests to 

 oppose it, when once a general system of education is esta- 

 blished, it will, in all probability, proceed with great rapidity ; 

 and the Turks, in another generation, will be received into the 

 bosom of civilised Europe, and will complete that system of 

 mutual good understanding and harmony that will render all 

 future wars in this quarter of the world unnecessary. It will 

 then become a duty to civilise the barbarians of Africa and Asia, 

 to prevent them from overrunning us, as the Goths did the 

 Romans of old. 



In Africa there is a margin of civilisation along the southern 

 shore of the Mediterranean Sea : and, since the French have 

 been in possession of Algiers, they have introduced gardening 

 and agriculture there to some extent. Campbell the poet in- 

 forms us, in his Letters from the South, published in the New 

 Monthly Magazine (vol. xlv. p. 278.), that there is a garden of ex- 

 periment and naturalisation of eighty acres in extent, which con- 

 ^ tains 25,000 trees, bushes, and plants, under the care of a director 

 and twenty men. These plants include the sugar cane, cotton 

 tree and bush, and, no doubt, all those species and varieties of 

 useful plants which the botanists and horticulturists of Paris 

 have supposed likely to suit the climate : as, some years ago, 

 when Algiers was about to be colonised, every enquiry was sent 

 forth about Paris for suggestions as to the seeds and plants 

 desirable for, or thought likely to succeed in, the Algerine cli- 

 mate. The operation of colonisation, in short, was set about 

 with that mixture of science and enthusiasm which always dis- 

 tinguishes the French ; and we sincerely hope the result will 

 answer their expectations. Some extracts from Mr. Campbell's 

 Letters, respecting the state of gardening and agriculture at 

 Algiers, will be found in our succeeding volume. The pacha of 

 Egypt is introducing into that country every description of 



