32. Scotland can boast of some first-rate gardens. The Duke of Buccleugh's at Dalkeith contains, within and without the walls, 13 acres. Every thing here is in a princely style : the gravel walks of the place are about fifty miles in extent. Though the soil of the garden was originally bad, and the subsoil is still unpropitious, the whole has been brought to a most productive state by the inge nuity and judgment of his Grace's gardener, Mr James Macdonald, as will afterwards be more particularly men tioned. The Earl of Eglinton's garden at Eglinton Castle, Ayrshire ; the Duke of Montrose's at Buchanan, in Dun bartonshire; thF.Earl of Mansfield's at Scone, it, Perthshire; and Air Ferguson's of Raith in Fifeshire, may also he named.
33. In Ireland there arc many excellent private gardens. In the vicinity of Dublin, the Lord Lieutenant's deserves notice, as well as the Chief Secretary's Lord Castlecoote's, and the Lord Chief-Justice Downe's. The garden of the latter at Meryllie,. two miles south of Dublin, besides pro ducing fruit and kitchen vegetables in pet fection, is dis tinguished for abounding with rare flowers of every de scription, collected with great taste and assiduity. There is bete a separate collection of American natives. At Col lon, in the county of Lowth, the Right Hon. John Foster has the richest aryl most varied plantations of trees and shrubs of every kind, to be seen in Ireland, and pronahly among the best in Britain. Mr Latouche's garden at Belle vue, in the county of Wicklow, likewise deserves to be mentioned as of the first rank, both for fruit and for a general collection of plants. At Castle Forbes, too, in the county of Longford, the Countess of Granard has a fine collection of flowers. Scottish head-gardeners, it may be remarked, are equally prevalent in Ireland as in England. Three out of the four principal gardens in the vicinity of Dublin, above specified, are under the management of Scotsmen.
Villa Gardens.
34. These are innumerable; some of them are kept in the highest style of excellence. They are generally about an acre in extent; but many are nearly twice that size. Under this head, are included all the gardens attached to the country houses of in the middle ranks of life : a few also, belonging to opulent individuals, who devote their leisure to the study of botany and the cultivation of curious plants, must be ranked under this class, though in some respects far excelling the most extensive gardens.' Such is the Count de Vande's garden at Bayswater, on the Uxbridge road, remarkable for a very rich collection of plants ; and Mr Kent's at Clapton, near Hackney, where aquatics, both hardy and tender, are grown in great per fection. The tender aquatics are kept in a stove during winter ; but, in the summer season, the vessels containing them are placed on slight hot-beds under glass frames, where linings of horse-litter can be added at pleasure ; it being found, that in this way they flower more freely. Mr Vere, at his villa at Knightsbridge, possesses a very ample collection of rare exotics.
Cottage Gardens.
35. Under the title of cottage gardens, must be included all gardens of an inferior sort, such as those common about villages and towns. Cottage-gardens, properly so called, are in some places numerous and well-kept, affording not only an agreeable relaxation to the occupiers, but con tributing very much to the comforts of their family. In
South Britain, however, they are neither so useful, nor so well managed, as in some parts of Scotland. While in the former the vine may sometimes he seen extending its shoots over the cottage-roof, indicating a mild climate and a fertile soil, the really useful produce of the ground seems much neglected. In Scotland, on the contrary, too little attention is doubtless paid to ornament ; but the healthy kale and cabbage plants, and other useful pot-herbs, with well-earthed rows of early potatoes, spew that the inhabitants understand the management of their little spots, and how to draw from them the most effectual assistance :o their families.
l'ublic ..A^urseries.
36. The public nurseries, especially near London, are of the first order. These, besides being remarkable for general collections of plants, are usually distinguished for excelling in some particular department. Thus at Lee and Kennedy's at Hammersmith, theKe is not only a most extensive general collection, but more particularly a com plete assortment of heaths and other Cape of Good Ilope plants. Luddige's at Hackney is distinguished for stove plants ; Whitley, Brames and Milne, at Fulham, have a general collection ; as have also Malcolm at Kensington, and Jenkins and G wyther near Paddington. At Thomson's at Mil( besides a rich collection of young plants, are many fine old American trees of the rarer kinds, and a very large gingko tree of Japan, (Salisburia adiantifolia): at Colvilk's, on the King's Road, there is a great extent of glass for the growing of snowy plants for the London market ; in that neighbourhood, is famed for a fine collection of tulips, certainly the first in Britain : Milliken at Walworth excels in ant iculas, ranunculuses and anemones; and Chandler, near Vauxhall, in camellias ; Gray and Wear at Brompton Park (formerly the nut sery grounds of London and Wise) have a great collection of fruit-trees. Mr Joseph Kirke, also at Brompton, has but a small nursery, but it is rich in the newly introduced fruits, particularly those raised by Mr Knight, and those recom mended by the Horticultural Society of London. Ronalds at Brentford, and Wilmot and Lewisham at Deptford, may also be mentioned as excelling in the culture and training of young fruit-trees. At what is called the Botanic Garden at Sloane Street, kept by Mr William Salisbury, the part ner and successor of Curtis, there is a considerable col lection of curious shrubs and plants in general. Several of the nurserymen pay much attention to the production of seeds for the market, either of culinary plants, or of orna mental flowers. Of the principal kinds of the former, such as cabbages, turnips, and peas, they annually raise a small quantity of the different varieties, in their own nursery grounds, and under their eye, taking care however that each variety be as far separated as possible from any similar crop ; they examine the plants when in flower, and reject such as are spurious. The whole seed thus pro cured is kept till next season ; it is then sent to some seed farmer in their employment, perhaps in a remote part of the country, and grown by him. In this way there is yearly procured a large stock for sale, and which in general is not only better saved, but more genuine than what can easily be got in a private garden.