Agriculture is the most healthful, the most useful, and the most 
noble employment of Man.— Washington. 
VOL. III. NEW YORK, APRIL, 1844. NO. SV. 
A. B. Allen, Editor. 
DOWNING’S HIGHLAND NURSERIES. 
These celebrated nurseries were founded about 
the year 1803, by the late Mr. Downing, and 
at Ms demise was inherited by his sons, Messrs. 
C., and A. J. Downing, the present owners and 
occupants, who were bred to their business, and 
have literally grown up among their own plants, 
and shrubs, and trees. It comprises about 30 acres, 
and is beautifully situated on the right bank of 
the Hudson, just north of Newburg, on a natural 
terrace gently sloping to within a short distance 
of the water’s edge. The soil, generally, is a 
strong loam, varying, occasionally, to gravel and 
sand, and, as well as the fine exposure, is ex¬ 
tremely well adapted to the purpose for which it 
is occupied. We have had great pleasure in re¬ 
peatedly visiting these superior nurseries, but in 
our description of them must be brief, confining 
ourselves to those things mostly which we have 
not spoken of elsewhere. 
The residence of Mr. A. J. Downing is first ap¬ 
proached, and is a handsome Gothic villa in the 
Tudor style, surrounded by well-kept and very 
tastefully-arranged grounds; the lawn, the flow¬ 
ers, the shrubbery, and trees, combining ornament 
with utility. 
Saxton & Miles, Publishers, 205 Broadway 
Mr. Downing says he can not recommend the 
introduction into this country of English evergreen 
shrubs, such as the common hollies, Portugal 
laurels, bays, &c., &c.; north of Philadelphia our 
climate, like that of Germany, being too cold for 
them. But for all the fruits of temperate climates, 
the gooseberry perhaps excepted, our climate is 
much superior to that of England ; consequently, 
many varieties of pears, cherries, peaches, &c., 
which even on a wall there are somewhat doubt¬ 
ful in arriving at maturity, are exceedingly good 
under our sunnier skies, and in our dry soils as 
open standards, and requiring little care. As an 
example, the Bartlett pear, which in England is 
frequently watery, and is ranked in the last edi¬ 
tion of the London Catalogue as second rate, he has 
found one of the finest fruits here. This shows 
that we must not take the English writers as in¬ 
fallible guides for even so small a matter as the 
flavor of a well known pear. The belle de choisey 
cherry he has also proved a valuable sort, the fruit 
being exceedingly luscious. He also pointed out 
to us a new seedling plum, called Downing’s eme¬ 
rald drop, and another called Roe’s autumn gage, 
both valuable varieties, which should find their 
place in every garden. 
The ornamental trees embrace a great variety, 
