HORTICULTURAL. REPOSITORY. 



[For the New- York Farmer and Horticultural Repository.] 

 ART. 6. — Horticultural Society of Paris. — Com- 

 municated by Dr. Felix Pascalis, President of the 

 Linncean Branch of Paris, and honorary member of the 

 Horticultural Society of JVew- York. 



Following the example of London and of New- 

 York, the Capital of France has lately created such an 

 institution — acknowledging that it was wanted, and 

 should immediately be added to its numerous establish- 

 ments for the promotion of useful arts and sciences. 

 The installation took place on the 30th day of August 

 last, in the great and beautiful garden of the Chev. Sou- 

 lange Bodin, the actual President of the Linnasan So- 

 ciety of Paris. It may be recollected, that for the em- , 

 ployment of a princely fortune, that gentleman has se- 

 lected the cultivation of all that is rare and precious in 

 the sciences of Botany and Horticulture ; and has visi- 

 ted all celebrated gardens of England, Russia and Ita- 

 ly. His ambition has been to cope with, to improve 

 and to perfect all : he has, in fine, much contributed to 

 diffuse the taste and enthusiasm which have pervaded 

 the best and first classes of the city of Paris. There 

 are already no less than 350 founders of the institution, 

 taken from the nobility and most enlightened profes- 

 sions, and professors of the fine arts, under the presi- 

 dency of the Viscount Hericart de Thury, and the Vice 

 Presidency of the Count de Lasterie and Baron de Syl- 

 vestre — Soulange Bodin, Secretary General. 



The administration of the Society is, like that of our 

 Horticultural incorporated body, in the hands of aCoun- 

 cil, select and numerous, with the difference that they 

 are divided into eight Committees : 1. of the treasury ; 



2. the nurseries, the art of culture, and of forwarding ; 



3. The culinary plants ; 4. the economical and medical 

 plants ; 5, ornamental plants, green and hot houses ; 

 6. pleasure grounds and gardens ; 7. the garden of the 

 society, when established ; and Sthly, the editorship of 

 the periodical Journal ot the Society, to which all the 

 merhbers are subscribers. The Society recognizes as 

 yet but three sorts of associates ; the Founders, and 

 the Correspondents, national and foreign. But as H. 

 M. C. Majesty of France, is already a corresponding 

 member of the London Horticultural Society, it is ho- 

 ped that Charles X. will grant a royal title to that of 

 Paris, when H. Britannic Majesty, Sir Humphrey Da- 

 vy, and Sir Richard Smith, President of the London 

 Horticultural Society, will probably be created hono- 

 rary members of the Parisian institution. 



The day of the installation was a truly magnificent 

 but a rural festival ; to form an idea of which, we would 

 beg leave to remind our readers of the two Linnffian 

 celebrations, held at Flushing on the 24th of May, 

 1823, and 1824, in the garden of the Messrs. Prince. 

 That of Fromont may have been more splendid, but it 

 was not, certainly, graced by a greater number of hand- 

 some ladies than our last. The morning was ushered 



in by high mass in the parish church of the village oi, 

 Ris, the music of which had been composed by the first 

 leader of the Royal Chapel, and was executed by eigh- 

 teen celebrated male and female singers of Paris, and 

 twenty-four symphonists. The company were after- 

 wards assembled under the colonnade of the garden, 

 where the body of the musicians executed a cantata in 

 honor of the day ; when all at once a fountain prepared, 

 spouted out, in many curves, from a spring lately dis- 

 covered, but not yet used, which maintained the illu- 

 sion of a genius presiding in the enchanted place. — 

 Having passed through the halls of the building, the 

 groupes divided themselves for the inspection of the 

 garden, like so many flowing waves amid undulating lab- 

 yrinths and amphitheatres, in which and through which 

 hundreds and thousands of pots or boxes of flowers or 

 forest trees and shrubs, were severally examined and 

 admired, during the most agreeable and serene day ; 

 the heat and light of which were equally relieved and 

 diversified by natural shades or occasional clouds. But 

 this was not all : a magnificent and large tent had been 

 observed at an appointed place in the garden, occupy- 

 ing the centre of many avenues, terminated by arcades, 

 and by green and flowery garlands. All the hangings 

 of the tent were raised at once, like the curtains of a 

 theatre, and lost as it were within the ornaments of a 

 richly ornamented canopy, to lay open the view of cir- 

 cular dining tables, abundantly covered with delicate 

 viands and refreshments, sufficient for 250 persons, 

 who, after having partaken of a sumptuous dinner, and 

 been regaled by music, were successively replaced by 

 others. Appropriate sentiments and toasts, after that 

 of the King, were then exchanged, and social feelings 

 from the select guests of all parts of the world, even of 

 ladies of New-York, there present, and from all polite 

 circles of Paris, were then equally experienced and 

 expressed, until, as it grew late, the company were invi- 

 ted to some rest at a delightful concert, and at last to a 

 ball, which was continued till the dawning of the ensu- 

 ing day. 



With great pleasure we have read the address of the 

 President, Hericart de Thury, as delivered at the in- 

 stallation of the Society. It is a very learned and 

 classical performance, on the ancient and modern his- 

 tory of horticulture, as well as of the art of gardening. 

 It is enriched by numerous erudite notes, proving much 

 greater progress in those practical sciences among the 

 ancients, than we were really aware of. The author 

 has also gratified the proprietor of the fine Garden of" 

 Fromont, by a minute description of it ; and the lovers 

 of nature by two exposes of botanical Clocks, indicating 

 each hour by the opening of a flower, which, however,, 

 it would be difficult to realize, in one same climate and 

 latitude. 



The 1st number of the Journal d'Horticulture con- 

 tains all the above interesting matters, and the location 



