30 
EUROPE/*, 
.^CULTURE. 
European Qlgricultur*. ! 
Arrival at Havre. —I am travelling so rapidly that 
I am only enabled to put together, in a somewhat 
disjointed manner, a few observations on agriculture 
here, which I have thus far made. We had a some¬ 
what rough passage of 24 days, and landed at Havre 
on the 5th December. We were agreeably disap¬ 
pointed in the French Custom-House' officers; they 
merely glanced over our baggage, and dismissed us 
with all civility and politeness. During the two days 
that we spent in Havre, l found much that was new 
and interesting ; but at this dreary season, nothing of 
much agricultural interest 
Gardens in Havre. —About half a mile from the 
Seine, Havre rises abruptly to the height of nearly 
200 feet, and is then beautifully terraced with gar¬ 
dens and lawns, in the English style. Although in 
the depth of winter, and all deciduous trees conse¬ 
quently stripped of their foliage, these gardens were 
exceedingly beautiful. Commencing below, we were 
conducted by the gardener attached to one of these 
residences up the ascent, winding along the graceful 
curves of drives and walks, which were bordered by 
the closely shaved and bright green turf, and clumps 
of rhododendron, Portugal laurel, and the laurustinus, 
with its flowers just bursting into bloom; their rich 
glossy leaves presenting a very lively appearance at 
this dreary season. There were some rich thick 
masses of photinia, and a fine hedge of alaternus. 
In one place, a thorn hedge near a wall was so trim¬ 
med, that its top projected over upon the summit of 
the wall, and formed its continuation. The steep 
sides of the terraces were supported by walls, on 
which were trained pears, peaches, plums, and grapes, 
and occasionally they were covered with the dark 
rich foliage of the English ivy 
It struck me forcibly that this would be a beautiful 
covering for our rough stone walls in America. The 
ivy spreads very rapidly, and planted at distances of 
three or four feet, would very soon cover the whole 
of the wall and, instead of attenuated, irregular 
points and crevices, would then present a mass of 
foliage, forming a living fence, beautiful at all sea¬ 
sons of the year, (a) But to return to the garden. 
In one place successive terraced shelves, about two 
feet above each other, were cut out of the earth, and 
raised as a sort of stage for potted plants, when in 
flower. 
We also visited the estate of M. Boisquard, the 
mayor of a town in the vicinity of Havre. Although 
•.tripped in a great measure of its foliage, this, too, 
was evidently a place of no common beauty. The 
sawn undulated on all sides from the house, and a 
circuitous drive of more than a mile was bordered 
with the lively evergreen shrubs, which formed so 
.arge an attraction in the other gardens. The turf 
was beautifully close and green, and we saw occa¬ 
sionally fine large specimens of the European hem¬ 
lock, balsam fir, Norway spruce, elms, &c. There 
were also some fine hollies, both American and Eng¬ 
lish. At the distance of about half a mile from the 
house were the green-house and stoves, which were 
heated by hot water. The green-house contained a 
good collection of camellias and other plants, well 
known to all amateurs; and in the stove were some 
rare orchidese, ericas and cacti. The whole collection 
was good, although not equal to many I have seen 
in America. 
Norman Horses —In the stables of M. Boisquara 
we found a pair of very fine horses, of the Normandy 
breed. One was got by an English horse, but the 
other was pure Norman, and one of the noblest ani¬ 
mals I ever saw. He was a brown, some 17 hands 
high, with immense chest and quarters, and yet he 
showed fine action. His depth of shoulder was near¬ 
ly three feet, and his limbs were remarkably clean 
and well made. The groom told us he was six¬ 
teen years old, and that he would now travel fifteen 
miles per hour. His owner had refused 3,500 francs 
for him. The cart horses used here are mostly of 
Norman blood, but heavy and of medium size—being 
similar to our Canadians. They are used for carting 
to a distance, and with very heavy loads are driven 
entirely by the word of command, four and five in a 
team. 
Paris.— On the morning of the 7th December we 
took the diligence for Paris, and rattled up to Rouen 
at the rate of ten miles an hour; sometimes with 
nine horses attached to our vehicle, and all at full 
gallop. At Rouen we took the rail-road, and arrived 
in Paris about ten o’clock at night. Here we found 
it cold and unpleasant, and remained merely sufficient¬ 
ly long to have our passports inseed, and to visit the 
Louvre and one or two other places of interest. We 
took the diligence for Marseilles. Although I visited 
the Jardin des Plantes at Paris, it was in so hurried a 
manner, that I shall reserve a description of it until 
I can give it a more thorough examination, on my re¬ 
turn hither in the spring. I paid a flying visit to the 
horse-market, where were collected and exposed lor 
sale about 1,000 horses. There were, however, no 
good ones among them; they were mostly poor 
crosses of the Normandy, a breed in its purity of fine 
bone and muscle; but when crossed with the poor 
French hackneys, producing a set of animals inferior 
in size, and adapted only for draught horses. Yet in no 
city have I seen a greater proportion of fine horses, 
than before the equipages at Paris. 
Road to Chalons. —After leaving Paris we travelled 
at our usual rapid rate; but from our seat in the 
coupe of the diligence, with glass in front and at the 
sides, we could have a very good view of the coun¬ 
try. It was mostly broad table land, slightly undu¬ 
lating, and very highly cultivated. I was pleased 
with the very straight plowing, in which some of 
our farmers might take lessons to advantage. The 
French plow is very rude and inconvenient. 
On reaching Chalons, we took the steamer down 
the Saone to Lyons, and thence by the Rhone to Avig¬ 
non and Beaucaire. The scenery on the -Rhone is 
very fine, the Alps towering in the distance, and the 
intervening hills cultivated with vines to their very 
summits. ~ Occasionally were seen a flock, of sheep, 
with their shepherd and dog. From Beaucaire I came 
to Nismes. And now that 1 am sufficiently far south 
to feel a mild climate, I find much to enjoy. 
Nismes and its Nurseries, Lucerne, the Olive and 
Maddei\ —I have not space on this sheet to give much 
of a description of Nismes and its vicinity. I have 
visited one of the largest nurseries in France, some 
fifteen or twenty miles distant. Tt belongs to the 
Freres Audibert. They have an immense collection, 
but there is not that order and system to which we 
are accustomed on Long Island. The olive is the 
principal article of cultivation here, and is an attract¬ 
ive object in the scenery, when it is planted in masses. 
