kS ( J! HORTICULTURAL TOUR. 



forward, or at some distance from the wall. The fruit on 

 this ringed branch was abundant, but smaller than else- 

 where ; and it was here green, while in most other parts of 

 the tree it was nearly ripe : the retardation, however, might 

 to a certain extent be ascribed to the removing the branch 

 beyond the influence of the reflected heat of the wall. 



After having viewed the Garden and Nursery, we join- 

 ed the Director and his family at their dejeune a la four- 

 chette. It was completely in the French style, and charac- 

 teristic of the Director of the Roule Nurseries. . Breakfast 

 began with some slices of melon ; then followed veal and 

 mutton cutlets, a cold fowl, and a glass of wine; next 

 came specimens of the produce of the fruit-trees which we 

 had been viewing, peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums, all 

 of excellent quality ; and a cup of coffee closed the repast. 



We afterwards adjourned to the library or study of M. 

 Du Petit-Thouars. It contains a rich collection of French 

 and Italian works on botany and horticulture, and very 

 numerous packages of specimens of dried plants. He shew- 

 ed us 84 unpublished figures and descriptions of orchideous 

 plants, from Isle de France, Isle de Bourbon, and Mada- 

 gascar. The plates have been etched with his own hand, 

 and are adapted to the octavo size ; but the letter-press is not 

 yet completed. He proposes, we find, a new arrangement 

 and new nomenclature for this curious and interesting fa- 

 mily. We strongly urged him to hasten the publication 

 of this work, so desirable to botanists and so important to 

 his own fame. We fear that his sanguine disposition may 

 induce him to undertake too much at once, and that there 

 may thus be a risk of his leaving all unfinished. He pre- 

 sented me with some little brochures which he had issued, 

 but which are not to be found in the booksellers' shops : 

 amodg these was a syllabus of the lectures which he yearly 

 delivers at the Roulc Nurseries. Upon the whole, we both 



