ROUEN. 497 



would be accounted large in Britain ; and there are many 

 others, of small size, but in a flowering state. M. Vallet 

 makes a good deal of money by means of the blossoms, from 

 whicli he distils orange-flower water : but we found that he 

 was willing to part with the largest plants, if he could get 

 a suitable price ; and he mentioned that he had sent some 

 very fine ones to England *. Certainly, any Englishman 

 wishing for a fine collection of the Citrus tribe would do 

 well to resort to Vallet's ; the intercourse by sea being easy 

 and direct. The citronier-poire was still in blossom ; and 

 we were told that this variety is scarcely ever without flow- 

 ers. A few of the plants had been allowed to form some 

 of their fruit, producing a pleasing effect. There is also a 

 tolerable collection of double-flowered pomegranates and ne- 

 riums, in small square boxes ; and these appear to be sold 

 very cheap. We entered a hot-house of the old construc- 

 tion, having the slated part of the roof projecting consider- 

 ably over the front glass. This projection, Vallet himself 

 condemned as unmeaning and hurtful ; adding, that it could 

 be of little use in warding off hail, for that the heavy hail- 

 showers generally came from the south. The hot-house 



• On revisiting Vallet's nursery in the beginning of August 1821, I 

 found that he had, in the intervening years, disposed of a considerable num- 

 ber of his large specimens, and that most of these had also gone to England. 

 Still, however, a rich collection remained. 



I may here notice, that, since 1817, Calvert and Co. (Englishmen) have 

 established a nursery at Bonne Nouvelle, near Rouen, in which they devote 

 as much attention to the Rose tribe as Vallet does to the Orange. Their 

 catalogue enumerates near 900 varieties of roses ! Yet they possess very few 

 of the " Scots roses," and Messrs Austins of Glasgow could furnish about 300 

 varieties of these alone. Without intending the slightest disparagement to the 

 laudable zeal of florists and cultivators, we concur with those who think that 

 it would be better not to have more than a tenth part of the number of roses, 

 and that each variety should possess such marked and permanent charac- 

 ters as might render it easily recognised.— N. 



I i 



