November 26, 1891. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
445 
W HEN the opportunity was afforded late in the past summer 
for a journey to Switzerland it was gladly seized, and a 
portion of the annual holiday tour, which has for some years been 
■devoted to gardening explorations in various directions, was at 
once allotted for the purpose of what appeared likely to prove the 
most novel and delightful yet enjoyed. As soon as the needful 
preparations were completed the journey was commenced, and the 
route chosen for the first stage, London to Paris, was via New- 
haven and Dieppe, not only on the ground of economy, but 
because another glimpse might be obtained of the charming 
scenery of Normandy, to which reference was made on a previous 
occasion. Unfortunately, time did not permit the acceptance of 
^an invitation to spend a few days among the orchards in this part 
of France, though undoubtedly such an inspection would have 
yielded considerable interest. However, it is a pleasure deferred, 
•and Paris offered so much of horticultural importance that thither 
we sped without undue delay. 
Some of the leading features of Paris that concern “Journal ” 
readers have been noted several times, and it is not my intention 
to refer to them here now, but when the pages are less crowded 
than at present a few ideas that were gained on the last visit may 
form the subject of a chapter or two. 
Probably the majority of tourists from England proceed to 
•Geneva from Paris by the night service, but I elected to journey 
by a morning tram, as I especially wished to see something of the 
land cultivation in the large part of France through which the 
line passes by way of Dijon. Judging gardening or farming from 
the windows of an express train is not, perhaps, the most satis¬ 
factory method of arriving at accurate conclusions, but it is 
•surprising how much may be learnt even in this way with a 
little knowledge of what to look for. After passing the forest 
of Fontainebleau the open country is entered, and then for some 
hundreds of miles, until, in fact, the Yine growing districts are 
reached, the system of “ petite culture ” can be studied to the 
heart’s content. On both sides of the line can be seen a succession 
of narrow strips of land, varying slightly in size, but rarely assuming 
the extent of our British fields, devoted to different crops, Maize 
and Sugar Beet preponderating largely, and striking a stranger 
from our side of the Channel more particularly. They were indeed 
the only crops that appeared to be flourishing ; most of the others, 
and especially the grain crops, seemed to be suffering from soil 
•exhaustion, due no doubt to continuous cropping and few or scanty 
manurial applications. As regards the actual working of the land 
and the general cleanliness there was little cause for dissatisfaction, 
much less than I had been led to expect, for I have seen thousands 
of acres of farm land in the south and west of England in far worse 
condition. Much labour is expended upon the land, but the results 
•do not seem to be in due proportion, at least that is the only judg¬ 
ment I could form from a hurried inspection in the way described ; 
but the characters were so well marked, and repeated with little 
variation over so large a tract of country, that the conclusion was 
inevitable. 
Dijon was at last reached, and we looked in vain at the station 
or near it for any representative of the celebrated Rose so 
popular at home, and which bears the name of this ancient town. 
A good chance has been missed there to produce an effect that 
No. 596 .—Vol. XXIII., Thibd Sebies, 
would have been most interesting to the numerous travellers who 
pass through Dijon to other parts of the Continent, and if some of 
our horticultural station masters had been in charge there—and I 
know several who are devoted rosarians—it would not be difficult to 
imagine the good old “ G-loire ” in possession of every available 
space for the display of its floral charms. The horticultural taste 
which imparts many attractions to country stations on some of the 
leading lines in Britain is singularly deficient in such portions of 
France as I have had the chance to visit. 
To enable us to reach Geneva, however, and to say something 
about the special object of my visit within the limits allowable 
this week, we must hurry on, as we did after leaving Dijon, into 
a delightfully picturesque country with Yine-clad hills in every 
direction, and even the precipitous sides of the elevations of 
mountainous proportions were similarly covered to a great height, 
and surprise was excited as to how the Yines were reached for cultiva¬ 
tion or gathering the fruit. The Yines themselves presented a 
pleasing effect in their abundant foliage, but little could be seen 
of the Grapes, which were not fully ripe or were nearly concealed 
beneath the leaves, and the vineyard at Castle Coch, near Cardiff, 
which I had seen a short time before, was much more luxuriant 
and attractive, possibly more so than the Grape growers of this 
district would appreciate. Large quantities of wine are produced 
in the country around Macon, which gives its name t) a kind of 
mild claret or Burgundy, extensively used in Switzerland, and 
really a pleasant beverage when of good quality. 
After running along a considerable distance in view of a long 
range of hills on the left, the line turns off rather abruptly, 
gradually ascends, and passes through a series of deep valleys 
and cuttings with towering hills and precipitous declivities, rocky 
watercourses, and all the characters of the Derbyshire scenery as 
witnessed from the Midland line through the Peak district, 
but on a larger and grander scale. About half an hour of 
this most pleasureable part of the journey and the “ shades of 
evening ” began to fall so fast that all was soon buried in darkness, 
and it was an agreeable conclusion to a twelve-hours journey when 
the train drew up at the Geneva platform and a friend was found 
waiting to accord a true British welcome. 
It would be impossible in one communication to relate all the 
experiences gained during my short sojourn in Switzerland, and in 
the present chapter a general survey only can be attempted, the 
details will be filled in another time when opportunity permits. 
First let me say that, surprising as it may seem, all my anticipa¬ 
tions were fully realised, and for a somewhat sanguine tempera¬ 
ment this is saying a good deal. In truth, much was found that 
surpassed all that I had imagined, not only in the glorious Alpine 
scenery and the marvellous lakes about which we have heard and 
read so much that something uncommon was naturally expected, 
but because it was my good fortune to witness some gardening 
triumphs which, with our insular prejudices strong about us, we do 
not look for on the Continent. 
Pregny, the Swiss residence of the Baron and Baroness 
Adolphe de Rothschild, is situated a few miles from Geneva, at an 
elevation of several hundreds of feet above the great lake, of 
which, together with the Alps and that embodiment of majestic 
sublimity, Mont Blanc, it commands a superb prospect. Admirably, 
indeed, has the site been chosen for the scenery it affords, but as is 
usually the case with exposed and elevated gardens, many diffi¬ 
culties have in consequence had to be overcome. Gardening on 
the Continent, too, is very different from what it is in England, 
the fierce heat of summer and the long dry periods with the 
keener cold of winter have to be taken into consideration, and very 
serious obstacles do such conditions present to success. It is, how¬ 
ever, difficult to imagine what more could have been accomplished 
at Pregny ; the garden, park, and grounds constitute what a good 
authority has aptly termed “ une oeuvre complete ,” distinguished by 
excellent taste in design, and by no mean skill in execution. 
No. 2252.— Vol. LXXXY, Old Sebieb. 
