262 THE FLORIST. 
gangs of six gardeners each with a tall basket which 1s adapted for 
fitting to the back, and, held..on by straps across the arms, examine 
every inch of border, keep the Ivy flat and the turf smooth as yelvet. 
Hach workman is also provided with a tripod to sit upon, like the 
milking-stools used in our cow-sheds, cushions to kneel upon, and all 
sorts of tools are contained in those capacious baskets, into which every 
fragment of, pruning is put, and, all looks so tidy that, it is pleasant to 
see. . Then gardeners/in their clean white shirts and, blue blouses, not 
exactly in. uniform, yet all, well clad.. After them the waterers follow ; 
pipes are laid on to,a main, and by flexible tubes, they give every plant 
just sufficient moisture... Each, plant is. planted .in_a little hollow, and 
I observed,that when, new, plants are introduced the hole.is puddled, 
that is, filled with water and stirred about and beaten until it is like 
the batter, of which, Yorkshire puddings are made; into this medium 
the naked roots are inserted, the surface, covered with dry earth well 
pressed down; this. is.the general custom in India. Plants under a 
fiercer sun,.and in the driest season, are thus transplanted, and take 
root... Pansies, especially the yellow.and light-coloured ones, are exten- 
sively employed|in the parterres.. Pink Phlox on a border two yards 
wide and 500 yards long had a very handsome effect; the turquoise 
blue Nemophila,and the yellow Cress also told well. Some very large 
beds of scarlet Geraniums are one blaze of colour, a thick base of dark 
green leaves adding tothe effect. . All the plants that fill the geometric 
designs are kept very.low... In front of the Louvre the space enclosed 
by rails from,the public road is not more than fifty yards; I remember 
when nothing was, seen there but rubbish, and after that, when some 
attempt was made, to.grow Grass there, all was very untidy, now it is 
the perfection of order and beauty. A broad stone bench close to the 
base of the Louvre is occupied all day long by nurserymaids, children, 
veterans, and idlers of all sorts; the children play on the gravel walk 
which is kept. perfectly clean, and beyond are the borders of flowers. 
oThe flat.ivy ;, one.does not like to, see a plant, meant by nature to climb 
creeping thus, yet so well is the plant adapted to the purpose. that it 
would be unwise to object to that or the Clematis, which so admirably 
unites the shrubs.to the Grass, and makes a graceful flowing outline, _ 
The Orange trees are later this year by six weeks than usual, the 
coldness of.the spring, has been a surprise to the Parisians ; nothing 
like it can. be remembered, and the fear about the Grapes is quite a 
panic... There has been no good wine for the last two years, because.of 
the Vine disease, and now if the Grapes do not ripen it will be quite a 
shock to the revenue. st ee 
Four years ago the Jardin des Plantes was looking yery seedy. The 
Emperor, gave his, patronage to the Bois de Boulogne, and especially 
to the Society whose scheme was. to acclimatise plants, quadrupeds, 
birds, and fishes; how far success. has attended the efforts of the 
Society is not made known. tothe public, all the proceedings are kept 
secret; the painful, circumstances connected with the awful death of 
» the, late director—our, friend David Mitchell—may haye had some 
tendency to.retard operations. Many scientific men whose opinions. I 
like have come to a conclusion on the subject of naturalisation. I 
