49G HORTICULTURAL TOUB 



plant of the Persian lilac. It was raised from seed about 

 thirty years ago, by M. Yarin, then head-gardener: it was 

 propagated by layers, and sent to Paris and Versailles, 

 where it was called Syringa Rothomagensis. From thence 

 it reached London, and, having been multiplied there, it is 

 now found in almost all the gardens of Britain. The leaves 

 are shaped like those of the common lilac, but are smaller ; 

 the branches are slender, like those of the Persian lilac ; 

 the bunches of flowers also resemble those of the Persian, 

 but are larger, and of a darker hue. The original bush 

 of varin has only once yielded prolific seeds, and there is a 

 single seedling plant from it in the garden. The cut-leaved 

 lilac is here regarded as a sub-variety of the varin ;* a 

 plant with cut leaves having repeatedly yielded seeds from 

 which true varin lilacs have sprung. A trifid leaved va- 

 riety has also resulted from the sowings made here : this 

 last is hitherto unknown in our Scottish gardens. 



VallcCs Collection of Orange-Trees. 

 Crossing the Seine by the famed bridge of boats, we 

 proceeded to Rue d'Elbceuf in the Fauxbourg St Sevre, 

 and, at the sign of the pomegranate-tree, No. 23., entered 

 the nursery-garden of M. Vallet. It was not without some 

 feelings of surprise that we here beheld so magnificent an 

 assemblage of orange- trees, that we pronounced it to be 

 surpassed only by the royal collections. We cannot doubt 

 that many of the large trees must have been bought up, at 

 low prices, at the time of the general emigration of the no- 

 blesse of France. The orange- trees of large size are not 

 fewer than eighty in number. Of these one venerable spe- 

 cimen is regarded by Vallet as above 400 years old ; and 

 there are several which must have seen at least two centu- 

 ries. About 150 more are of such dimensions, that they 



