liJ HORTICULTURAL TOUR. 



Melongena, the purple fruit of which we had remarked in 

 the green-market, where it is sold under the name of au- 

 bergine* Many small crops of flower-seeds had been alrea- 

 dy gathered ; while some of the later plants were still in 

 flower. Amaranthus tricolor was planted in beds in the 

 open air, and had, at this time, a very rich effect. The 

 cockscombs (Celosia cristata) were in a frame ; very large 

 and brilliant, except where they were beginning to decay : 

 i he seed was now quite ripe. A piece of rock-work was 

 covered with the ice-plant (Mescmbryanthemum crystalll- 

 nuni) : at an earlier period the appearance of this rock-work 

 must have been very pleasing ; but the leaves had now in 

 general decayed and fallen off, and the capsules contained 

 abundance of seed, nearly ripe. The plants were all in 

 pots; but these were sunk among the stones, and, when 

 the foliage was perfect, must have been wholly conceal- 

 ed. Spanish potatoes (Convolvulus Batatas) are cultivated 

 in slightly raised beds, composed of stable-dung covered 

 with earth. The slow fermentation thus produced pro- 

 motes the growth ; but the season has been so unfavour- 

 able, that the tubers will scarcely, this year, become fit for 

 use. There are two varieties, pink-coloured and white ; 

 the last having a larger and lighter-coloured foliage. 

 Many varieties of gourds are raised here, and at this time 

 the fruit was beautiful. We also remarked different kinds 

 of melons ; some of them remarkably large, — a specimen of 

 the Coulomier being no less than 3 feet in circumference, 

 and weighing 32 lb. — The perennial bunias from Russia 

 (Himias orientalis) seems to be an object of culture, for 

 the sake of the seed, or of selling in the state of young 

 plants. The gardener told us, that the leaves are used for 

 feeding cows and sheep. This may be worth attending 

 to. — A kind of Savoy cabbage, with a flower-stem which 



