on making ornamental Plantations. 555 



Great Britain that is so complete, and so correctly named, as that of Messrs. 

 Whitley and Osborn. There are very large collections, such as that of 

 Messrs. Loddiges, and the nomenclature of that collection is exemplified in 

 the Abney Park Cemetery. Mr. Rivers of Sawbridgeworth has also a very 

 good collection, with many rare kinds, as we have seen, p. 53. Mr. Gregory 

 of Cirencester, and Mr. May of Leeming Lane, have large collections, and 

 there is a very full one at Messrs. Dickson's of Chester. In the nursery of 

 Mr. Masters of Canterbury, we believe, there is a good collection, as there may 

 be in various other English nurseries that we cannot recal to mind. We saw 

 the principal nurseries in Scotland in 1841, and we can vouch for the kinds 

 being comparatively few and wretchedly named, except in Lawson's nursery. 

 George Don, by order of the Commissioners of Woods and Forests, having 

 correctly named all the trees and shrubs supplied by Messrs. Loddiges to St. 

 James's Park and Kensington Gardens, any country nurseryman may bring or 

 send in specimens, and correct their names by these living plants. We mention 

 this, because the first thing that will be said by a certain class of nurserymen 

 will be, that we have some pecuniary interest in recommending Messrs. Osborn. 

 We reject the insinuation and the insinuators with contempt. 



It may safely be stated that there are very few nurserymen, either in the 

 neighbourhood of London or throughout the country generally, that propagate 

 more than twenty or thirty kinds of hardy trees and shrubs j and how, under 

 these circumstances, is it possible that they can supply country gentlemen 

 with much variety in their pleasure-grounds ? The nurserymen, indeed, do 

 not pretend to offer much variety. When a gentleman employs them to plant 

 a pleasure-ground or shrubbery, they plant it with articles by the score or by 

 the hundred, and probably add to these some new Himalayan or Mexican 

 plants, whicli give the idea of something new and rare, and at the same time 

 swell out the amount of the bill. This thirsting after rarity and novelty, to 

 the exclusion of what is good and beautiful, we hold to be in very bad taste. 

 We find in country nurserymen's advertisements at this season of the year, 

 when planting is expected to commence, a large stock announced of hollies, 

 Portugal laurels, common laurels, laurustinus, and other " leading kinds " of 

 evergreen shrubs. Gentlemen, and also their gardeners, are generally anxious 

 to add a plant or two to their pleasure-ground once a year, and some new 

 pine or fir, or other extravagant-priced plant, is generally fixed on, which is 

 often planted in some crowded improper situation, where in a year or two it 

 gets killed and is no more heard of. 



Now what we would recommend to gentlemen or ladies, when they desire 

 to plant a shrubbery or pleasure-ground, is this. First, procure one plant, or 

 two if you have room, of all the low-priced trees and shrubs, or at least as 

 many of them as you have not already specimens of, or as your ground will 

 hold (and an acre will contain at least 500 plants indejiendently of the spaces 

 required for glades and walks) ; then, after procuring the 230 kinds that 

 you can get for 10/., add as many as you can afford from the plants at 1*. Gd. 

 each, of which, by the analytical table, you will find 606 species and varieties, 

 which can be got for 45/. If you have still more room, there are 424 beautiful 

 flowering trees and shrubs that you can procure for 2^?. Qd. each, or 53/. We 

 do not recommend you to go to a higher price, but we insist upon you, if you 

 wish to make your pleasure-ground or shrubbery what it might be at the least 

 posnible expense, to beware of the common stuffing generally sent in for 

 planting shrubberies and pleasure-grounds by nurserymen. Beware also of 

 all high-priced plants, if you wish to accomplish a great deal with limited 

 means, and if you do not intend to run the risk of great losses. 



Gentlemen's gardeners can hardly be very eager for reform in planting 

 pleasure-grounds and shrubberies, except those who have been some time 

 in the Horticultural Society's garden, or in the Fulham Niu'sery, or have 

 studied in the Derby Arboretum ; because, there really is no other garden or 

 nursery in Britain where the kinds are correctly named. 



It is for gentlemen and gardening ladies themselves to bring about this 

 reform ; and, to do so, they have only to insist on planting collections, instead 



