TOURNAY. 335 



winds, by the rising grounds or hilly ridge called Trinity, 

 and they are further protected on every side by the wood- 

 ed state of the country around. The period of blossom- 

 ing is commonly a fortnight earlier at Tournay than at 

 Ghent or Brussels ; yet the blossom seldom suffers any 

 check. The gardens are very generally inclosed in part 

 by walls, from ten to fifteen feet in height, which is quite 

 sufficient for the training of pear-trees grafted on dwarf- 

 stocks ; and the rest of the inclosure frequently consists of 

 tall hedges of hornbeam. Several of the gardens are im- 

 mediately in front of the ramparts, which are between for- 

 ty and fifty feet high ; and the largest and finest pear-trees 

 are trained against these. Some of the rampart trees 

 are evidently of great age : they fortunately seem to have 

 suffered nothing from any warlike preparations during the 

 troublous period, and they are now in high condition. 

 Though this has been an unfavourable season, they seem 

 to offer a fair crop. The trees are trained chiefly in the 

 horizontal mode, or in a modification of this mode, with 

 the fan style. 



From Tournay to Lille. 



Sept. 14. — The morning having brought no improve- 

 ment of the weather, we were obliged to set forward to 

 Lille, without accomplishing a more minute examination of 

 the Tournay gardens. This is the most serious disap- 

 pointment we have met with in the course of our little 

 tour. 



About three or four miles from Tournay we entered the 

 French territory, the line of demarcation being marked out 

 by posts, and by a ticket on the road-side, intimating that 

 the droits de V entree et de sortie there become exigible. 

 Our portmanteaus were slightly examined at the first vil- 



