ENGHIEX. 325 



Tare plants, is known over Europe. Mr Chatillon kindlv 

 offered to accompany us. 



Mr Parmentier a Gardens. 



We were not so fortunate as to find Mr Parmentier 

 at home ; but, in expectation of his speedy return, were 

 politely invited by his lady to inspect the collection of 

 plants contained in a small garden immediately behind the 

 dwelling-house. The richness and variety of this collec- 

 tion truly surprised us. We certainly never before wit- 

 nessed so much gardening, and so vast an assemblage of 

 exotics, in so small a space of ground. This extraordinary 

 garden is only about 250 feet in length, and perhaps 80 in 

 breadth. Yet in this confined space are contained no few- 

 er than four hot-houses, in one range, extending nearly the 

 whole length of the garden, leaving room only for a green- 

 house or conservatory at the extremity, and at right-angles 

 to the hot-houses. There are, besides, four large pit- 

 frames., with sash-lights, which cross the ground at nearly 

 equal distances ; and between these pits are several small 

 glazed frames, of the usual construction. 



Vegetable rarities of every kind appear to be sought af- 

 ter by Mr Parmentier with the utmost avidity ; from the 

 gigantic Araucaria to the humblest of creepers. So nu- 

 merous, indeed, are the rare plants, that we find it some- 

 what difficult to make a selection of a few, to give the bo- 

 tanical and horticultural reader some idea of the collection. 



The assemblage of tropical plants is peculiarly deserving 

 of praise, being surpassed, as far as we have had an oppor- 

 tunity of judging, only by the royal collection at Kew, and 

 by that of Messrs Loddiges at Hackney. In one of the 

 stoves, the cinnamon-tree of Ceylon, nearly ten feet high, 

 forms a prominent object. Of the old genus Amaryllis, 



