390 
TOWN GARDENS. 
lie properly, cut off the under part, taking care to leave tlie stamens 
and pistils. In the case of any plant particularly full of sap, a hot 
iron may be passed two or three times over the covering sheet of 
paper. 
When the specimens and paper are arranged, place a heavy weight 
upon them ; after a few hours, gently shift the position of each speci¬ 
men to a dry part of the paper, and replace the weight: repeat this, 
changing the paper, if necessary, until the specimens be perfectly dried; 
then prepare a solution of gum, with a little camphor in it, and secure 
each specimen to a page in a folio of cartridge or whitey-brown paper. 
A little practice will enable the learner to do all this with ease and 
expertness. 
“ Next, write under each specimen the name of the class and order 
to which it belongs ; its genus and species; whether it be a tree, 
shrub, or herb, and the country of which it is a native.”— Stewart's 
Outlines of Botany. 
Town Gardens .—“ In forming a flower-garden, the principal con¬ 
siderations are, to secure a good aspect, a situation near the house, and 
a good soil. In small gardens, and especially in a town, the second 
point is of certain attainment ; but with regard to the first and third, 
there can be but little choice. Much may, however, be done to improve 
an unfavourable aspect by planting shrubs and trees for shelter; and 
the soil, if too light, may be aided by strong loam; if too heavy, by 
lime, sand, or ashes. No soil is more suitable for a flower-garden than 
a light loam. 
“ Draining must be attended to, or the best soil will not ensure suc¬ 
cess. A very common error in planning and laying out small gardens, 
is the want of unison in the different parts. Trees and shrubs are 
planted without any view to the whole ; the flower-beds are so shaped 
and disposed, that any of them may be changed in form or taken away 
without rendering the general effect either better or worse ; and the 
walks wind through the chaos without any apparent object but caprice. 
Thus the garden possesses no other beauty than that derived from the 
separate forms of the plants which it may contain. 
“ The flower-borders should be arranged in flowing lines, and for every 
turn of the walks there should be some object in view, such as to avoid 
the obstruction of a group of shrubs, or to discover some new beauty 
hitherto unseen. 
“ The particular shape of the ground must, of course, depend upon the 
owner’s taste. I shall merely observe further, that I consider the usual 
manner of laying out town gardens anything but good. I would pro- 
