JULY 385 



Charlottenburg of 1790 was rough in shape, but beauti- 

 fully painted, clear and clean. The only really ugly 

 china was that of about the middle of this century. 



There were some curious old pictures, interesting 

 rather chronologically and historically than from any 

 artistic reason. A picture of the ' Roi de Rome' at about 

 twelve years old, stated to be by Gerard, was curious, 

 and if authentic would be a joy to a Napoleonic collector. 

 Otto Marcellis and Auger Meyer, two insect and leaf 

 painters of the end of the last century, interested me, 

 as their oil-paintings resembled a curious water-colour I 

 have, on a black ground, done by the well-known flower 

 painter, Mme. Mariani. 



I spent two charming afternoons with the famous 

 Alpine gardener. Monsieur H. Correvon. Though at 

 this time of year his garden near Geneva was almost a 

 dry desert, yet it was full of interest to the true gar- 

 dener. M. Correvon said that gardening, as we 

 understand it, had made but small way on the continent 

 of Europe, and that almost all of his clients were 

 English. Such observations as I have been able to 

 make quite confirm this assertion. A talk with him is 

 alone well worth any trouble, and no garden-lover 

 should fail to visit a man who has done so much to keep 

 together and cultivate the mountain flora of Europe. I 

 still hope I may go some spring on purpose to see his 

 Alpine garden, which is high up on the edge of the 

 snows of the great St. Bernard, a huge rockery cul- 

 tivated under natural conditions. I cannot imagine 

 anything more interesting to plant -lovers. M. Correvon 

 is the author of many charming little books on Alpine 

 and herbaceous flowers — 'Fleurs Colorizes de Poche 

 dans les Montagues de la Suisse,' 'Les Orehidles 

 Rustiques' (very enlightening to the ignorant on the 

 numbers of these plants), and 'Le Jardin de I'Her- 



