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items grown on a large and superior scale, but in 

 this we find everythhig grown on a scale worthy of 

 the name of nursery. We hoped to see the Rhodo- 

 dendron in its prime, but they were a little past 

 their best, but still in a condition to make it worth 

 ones' while to take a long journey to see. In a re- 

 cent number of our journal we took occasion to say 

 that we did not think American Horticulturists fully 

 appreciated what was being done here to popular- 

 ize and cheapen the growth of the Rhododendron, 

 but we found that we really did not know ourselves 

 how much they were doing. Waterer and Godfrey, 

 and some other English florists, have probably a 

 larger extent of plants as they raise many seedlings 

 which are planted out and sold as cheap plants ; 

 but in the number of grafted plants^ we question 

 whether any of the nurseries of the old world could 

 make a better exhibit. There must have been 

 between tldrty and forty thousand of these grafted 

 plants, of which ten thousand had been worked and 

 set out the past season. It is very important to 

 the purchaser to have grafted plants, because great 

 numbers of the hybrid Rhododendrons prove tender, 

 but when once proved very hardy, and with other 

 good qualities to recommend it, all these are per- 

 petuated in the variety by grafting it. Most of the 

 varieties in bloom were of the Catawhiense breed, — 

 those of the Maximum race had not yet begun to 

 flower — together they keep the Rhododendron sea- 

 son nearly six weeks in bloom, and make therefore, 

 quite an attraction to the pleasure ground no other 

 plant can do so well. We advise every one who 

 wishes to see how easily the Rhododendron can be 

 grown in the United States, and how cheaply and 

 in how vast a quantity they can be furnished, to 

 pay a visit to these grounds aboat the middle of 

 June next year. Indeed we think Parsons & Co., 

 would do the public a great favor to announce 

 every year through newspapers when they are ex- 

 pected to be in full bloom, that visitors might 

 come and see them in all their glorious beauty. 



The native grape is very largely grown here. They 

 are planted in the open ground, but sash are placed 

 over them in order to protect them from the weather 

 changes, while they are. newly started. There are 

 several acres of glass so employed, entailing a vast 

 expense to the proprietors, but they think it pays 

 them in getting a hardier constitution to the plants, 

 for they very justly argue that a plant's constitution 

 is made for it in infancy, and if by exposure to 

 changes of temperature in early spring, cold rains, 

 and the mp,ny checks it is liable to fi'om unioward 

 circumstances, these injuries become a part of the 

 constitution,which it is the part of wisdom to avoid 



by artificial means. Their principle is "take care 

 of the vine until by age and vigor it is enabled to 

 take care of itself " They adopt this pains-taking 

 rule with all their stock. "Why," we asked, "is 

 that expensive guard placed about the young Rhodo- 

 dendron bed?" "Well, "says Mr. Trumpey, thepro- 

 pagater, "being only grafted last year, the union may 

 not be very strong, and it keeps people from getting 

 in amongst them and breaking them off." The 

 young evergreens which are raised here from cut- 

 tings and seeds by the thousand are served just as 

 carefully, being placed in frames, covered with slats 

 to let in light without too much sun. Such hardy 

 things as Arborvitse, Hemlock, &c., are raised 

 this way, and they say they find their profit in this 

 extra attention. 



Besides Rhododendrons, Grapes and yaung ever- 

 greens, much attention is given to the Rose. Most 

 of the new ones are imported and tested by the side 

 of the older ones, and their characters carefully 

 marked before sending out. The great want of good 

 white hardy Perpetual roses seems in a fair way to 

 be supplied, as we noticed amongst the new ones 

 several quite as good as that rare old summer flower- 

 er Madame Plantier. 



In a former notice of the grounds of Ptirsons & 

 Co., we noticed the many new and rare Coniferre 

 in which the place abounded, but we cannot again 

 refrain from noticing the Picea Pirsonsiana^ as 

 being, we think, the most beautiful of all the Pine 

 tribe. There appears to be three forms of this tree 

 under cultivation, F. grandis^ F. lasiocarpa and 

 F. Farsonsiana, all probably the same species, 

 but yet sufficiently distinct varieties as to make it 

 worth while to reserve a separate name and propa- 

 gation for each. Which is the prior name for the 

 species, we do not now know, though we think 

 Parsonsiana was so named by Hooker in advance 

 of grandis, but the last has come into general use. 

 Parhonsiana differs from other forms of grandis in 

 having tiie leaves curved upwards on the branchlets, 

 giving the plant a Ferny look, which in a tree is 

 always prized. Prom here v/e wended our way to 



Greenwood Ce:\ietery over beyond Brooklyn, 

 to go away from New York without seemg which 

 would, before the Central Park days, have been a 

 great omission in a traveler. It is a place evi- 

 dently designed by nature for a Cemetery ; so well 

 has she furnished the materials for a first-class spec- 

 imen of art, that man seems to have not thought 

 it worth while to do much. Beyond making roads 

 through the natural channels, between the broken 

 ground, there was notaiog to indicate any idea 

 whatever of ceaietery gardening, while the menu- 



