Manchester Botanic Garden. 
109 
XoTE.^—The rapid progress of Hort’ciiUure within these few yearf«, 
is strongly marked by this splendid garden. The gentlemen of Man¬ 
chester may well be ])roiid of their Horticultural produqtions, backed 
as they now are, with the best arranged Horticultural gardens in the 
kingdom. The first admirable feature which struck us on entering it, 
was the absence of hedges. Nothing, in our opinion, so completely 
spoils the effect of a public garden, as these unsightly objects ; it gives 
us the idea of a pinfold, or Smithfield Market, rather than the quiet 
habitation of plants. One or two little divisions, (piite out of sight, 
may be necessary for particular purposes, but to chop and cut ground 
up, in the form of so many paddocks, is to us an intolerable nuisance, 
and we trust the time is arrived, when Horticultural taste will remove 
all these obstructions, both in public and private gardens, except, as 
we before said, particular purposes may render it necessary. We 
have only time to notice the excellent manner in which the entrance 
is contrived, and the elegant effect of the houses. The rock-work 
is in the best possible taste; we might fancy ourselves roaming 
in some of the lovely valleys of Derbyshire, with the rivers Wye, 
Derwent, or Dove, rippling at our feet. The situation of the garden 
is admirably chosen for the purpose; the range of houses have a full 
command of an extensive tract of rich level country, terminating with 
a view of the Derbyshire and Staffordshire hills. The situation Mr. 
Mowbray has chosen for the kitchen garden, as well as the disposi¬ 
tion of the arboretum, water, &c., do him the g-reatest credit. Indeed 
we have no hesitation in saying, that it is by far the best laid out 
garden, at present extant. The Garden, we believe, contains about 
seventeen acres. 
COXDUCTORS. 
