]40 



THE JARDIN FLEURISTE AND OTHEU 



disposal of tlie planters. By selecting ground favourable to 

 each class of plants^ shrubs^ or trees,, the whole of the sub- 

 jects in that particular section could be grown to as gi^eat 

 perfection as by any nurseryman — could be produced at a 

 far cheaper rate than they could be bought ; and the 

 necessity of searching for, bargaining, and selecting would 

 be done away with, the planter having merely to indicate 

 the subjects required. They could be quickly despatched 

 to any given point in vans constructed for the pm'pose. In 

 addition to these advantages, a small portion of each nursery 

 might be devoted to an experimental ground to test newly 

 introduced or imperfectly known plants ; and in this respect 

 each would be of valuable aid, not only to the State, but 

 also to the general public. With our parks and crown 

 lands in which to select positions, the establishment of such 

 gardens would not be expensive, and would in a very few 

 years save the first cost of their construction. Om- large 

 nurserymen would feel a pleasure in contributing their 

 novelties and rarities, as they now do to our botanic gardens, 

 and a system of exchange might be arranged between them 

 to the advantage of both public, private, and commercial 

 establishments. 



The present system is too bad to last. We have, in and 

 around London and our other great cities, numerous public 

 parks and gardens, and it is to be hoped their number will go 

 on increasing from year to year. Let us suppose that the 

 superintendent or designer of a new public park or garden 

 wants many thousand trees and shrubs for its embellishment. 

 He has to obtain them wherever he can, and as the nurseries 

 are arranged chiefly or solely for private use, most probably 

 there will be great difficulty in getting some things even at 

 a high rate. For example, a very important item in town 

 gardening consists of trees for park and avenue planting. If 

 at the present moment we wished to plant an avenue of 

 Plane trees, of suitable size and properly prepared for the 

 purpose, we should no doubt have to send to the Continent 

 for them, as in our own nurseries they are not prepared for 

 street planting; in which case they would cost much more 

 than if bought in this country, and be in far worse condition 



