Inner Circle^ Regent's Parle. 323 



and though the Inner Circle appears to me too much in the 

 smoke of London for the cultivation of a large proportion of the 

 plants which are necessary to form a tolerably complete botanic 

 garden, and though the soil is one of the worst that could be 

 found for this purpose, being a stiff clay on a wet bottom, yet I 

 consider the situation excellent ; and I think that an orna- 

 mental botanic garden might be formed, which would prove a 

 most agreeable scene of recreation, and a source of useful in- 

 struction, to a great proportion of the inhabitants of the neigh- 

 bourhood. I say this from a knowledge of what can be done in 

 the stiffest clay soils by an effective system of under drainage ; 

 and from the additional fact, somewhat remarkable, that many 

 plants which require to be grown under glass, and more par- 

 ticularly tropical plants (being in an artificial climate), can be 

 grown almost as well in the immediate vicinity of London, and 

 other large towns, as in the purest air in the country. As a 

 proof of this, I may refer to the palms and other tropical plants, 

 and to the camellias, in Messrs. Loddiges's hot-houses and 

 green -houses, at Hackney. I do not say that Cape or Aus- 

 tralian shrubs, such as' heaths, proteas, banksias, &c, can be 

 grown as well in the Regent's Park as in Kew Gardens ; but I 

 again refer to the glass structures of Messrs. Loddiges, to prove 

 that they can be grown there tolerably well. With respect to 

 hardy trees and shrubs, the point as to how far the more 

 delicate species will thrive in the Inner Circle of the Regent's 

 Park, may be ascertained in a satisfactory manner by ex- 

 amining the arboretum of Messrs. Loddiges. This admirable 

 collection contains specimens of all the trees and shrubs in- 

 digenous or introduced, that will endure the open air in Britain. 

 Messrs. Loddiges's collection has been planted nearly 20 years ; 

 and hence, to ascertain what trees will bear the London smoke, 

 it will be only necessary to look through it, and to observe what 

 kinds are thriving, and what merely live and look miserable. 

 With respect to herbaceous plants, all the commoner kinds, 

 and, perhaps, many of the more rare species, will thrive, or at 

 least live, in the Regent's Park ; and a number of delicate 

 alpines and European orchises, which would only last a year or 

 two there, could be renewed from their native localities, or by 

 exchange or otherwise, with botanic gardens in the country, 

 where the air is purer. 



I state these particulars, to show what I meant by saying that, 

 notwithstanding the disadvantages of the Inner Circle, I think it 

 might still be made a most delightful and instructive garden. 

 I object to both the engraved plans for laying out the Inner 

 Circle, as I think that they are not calculated to attain this object, 

 from attempting a great deal more than can be carried into 

 execution, so as to have an efficient effect in a space containing 



z 2 



