BOTANIC GARDEN. 89 



He also gave me an introductory note to M. Audibert, 

 the proprietor of a very extensive and celebrated nursery 

 at Tarascon, a small town situated on the left bank of 

 the Rhone, which he strongly recommended me to visit. 

 A fourth paper contained hints about the best mode of 

 preserving the cuttings from frost and damp; but on 

 that subject he recommended me particularly to consult 

 M. Audibert. Mr. Delisle had also waiting for me, a 

 packet of botanic seeds, which he had put up for the 

 garden at Sydney ; and a packet of seeds of the more 

 useful trees, &c. for myself. 



The Botanic Garden of Montpelier is only second in 

 France to that of Paris. It appeared to me to be kept 

 in very high order. 



The weather has now become piercingly cold. On 

 Friday and Saturday I found it very unpleasantly so in 

 the garden, but on Sunday evening a strong wind set in 

 from the north, and next day all Montpelier was wrapt 

 in cloaks. The sloping glass roofs and windows of the 

 conservatories were now all covered with straw mats, 

 which were not rolled up till the sun had attained a 

 considerable height. 



The road from Montpelier to Nismes lies through a 

 well cultivated country, producing chiefly vines and 

 olives. The vines appear here to be cultivated for wine 

 for the table more than for distillation. Their size and 

 strength were less remarkable than on the other side of 

 Montpelier, and although I saw several parties hoeing in 

 the vineyards I could nowhere observe them digging in 

 manure. Here for the first time I saw the mixed culti- 

 vation of vines, olives, and corn, alternating in rows of 

 different widths ; and the vineyards are also very gene- 

 rally planted with olive trees. This seems to be the 



