98 The Public Gardens and Parks of Paris. 



horticultural way about Paris better worth notice than this collection 

 of pears. 



Remarking that they have a graceful way of commemorating 

 great naturalists by naming the streets in the immediate neighbour- 

 hood of tlie garden after them^ I will pass on to the more important 

 featare of the garden ; that isj its very extensive and well-named 

 collection of hardy plants. 



The only species of Pelargonium that ventures into IJurope (P. 

 Endlicherianum) is grown here, and it is quite hardy. Space pre- 

 vents me from naming the many interesting hardy plants seen here 

 and elsewhere about Paris, but I do not intend to forget them, and 

 have already introduced some of the most important. 



The first of the principal arrangements of these plants is a curious 

 and distinct one. It is simply two large and wide spaces planted 

 with masses of first and second-rate species 5 and looks pretty well, 

 though far from being arranged in a way to develope fiilly the beauty 

 of its contents. Edgings composed of the several varieties of Iris 

 pumila, looked very well in early spring, and many plants are used 

 for edging which we are not accustomed to see so employed in 

 England. Thus the good double variety of Lychnis Viscaria has 

 been very pretty as an edging, and so has the neat, bright, and pure 

 white Silene alpestris, an alpine plant not half so popular as it ought 

 to be, though I observe that some seedsmen, while not offering it, 

 vend a pretty free proportion of the weeds that belong to the 

 genus. 



Then there is a large space devoted to plants used for the deco- 

 ration of the parterre, all or chiefly tender plants or annuals. This 

 is not so successful or useful as some of the other arrangements. 

 Let us pass on to a large division devoted to the culture of plants 

 used as food, and in commerce. It is at once successful, useful, 

 and complete. The chief varieties of all garden crops, from 

 Radishes to Kidney Beans, are to be seen j the various species of 

 Rhubarb, aU important varieties of Lettuce — in a word, everything 

 that the learner could desire to see in this way. It is not merely 

 the plan of the thing that is sensible and good, but its carrying out. 



