REVIEWS.

ART. I. The Gardener's Magazine and Register of Rural and Domestic Improvements. Conducted by J. C. Loudon, F. L.S., H. S., &c. In Monthly Numbers. 8vo., 1s. 6d. each. No. LXVI and LXVII, for September and October.

THE first article in the September number is a continuation of "Notes on Gardens and Country Seats," by the conductor, and contains an account of the celebrated Fonthill Abbey, which occupies eight or nine pages. This place, when occupied by Mr. Beckford, several years since, was one of the finest in Britain. He spent immense sums of money upon it, stated to be, on good authority, £1,600,000, (about $7,000,000). Since his time, however, it has been fast declining, and suffered to run to neglect, so as hardly to be recognised for what it was formerly.

Article II is the fourth of a series of designs for laying out a flower garden, to which is appended an improved design, with remarks by the conductor-of no value to our readers, without the accompanying plans.

The third article is also a plan for a flower garden to this the following excellent remarks are added, which are deserving of a careful perusal, by those who have small gardens, and wish to embellish them in a high degree:

"In laying out a mixed or shrubbery flower-garden, much may be done in a small space, to give variety and effect, particularly if a small stream of water can be led through it. In this case, close planting is necessary, in order to give as much variety to the walk as possible, by preventing its being seen in long distances: a rustic erection or two placed in the line of the walk, to walk through, and covered with creepers, with a recess in the centre, furnished with a seat and table, may be appropriate for such a garden; and the streamlet, if it can be brought in, flowing over a small cascade, or issuing from some figure, it will be all the better; and then it may be conducted to a pond for gold and silver fish, or for an aquarium; and at some distance, towards the extreme end, it may be widened, to afford an apparent necessity for a bridge, which may be thrown over it with the assistance of the roots of large trees, on the sides of which creepers may be introduced. A mass of rockwork, in an appropriate situation, will add to the effect, also a few vases, with other embellishments. These, with the walk around properly arranged through the shrubbery, with beds of flowers here and there in the openings placed on its margin, and a few clumps, with shrubs in the centre, with a few dotted upon the grass, will make a very engaging retreat, and may be accomplished in the space of a half or three quarters of an acre, which, if of an oblong shape, is all the better."

Article VI is a description, with engravings, of a mosshouse erected at Murtle, in Aberdeenshire. We extract the following account of the same :

"The ground plan has nine equal sides, with a portico all round, supported on nine rustic pillars, each one foot in diameter, with capitals one foot two inches square, and four inches thick; and on which rest four courses of rustic planks, six inches thick each, laid horizontally, which connect the whole of the pillars."

"The floor of the cell is laid with broken bottles, with their bottoms upwards, and the hollows filled in with Roman cement and sea shells. The space below the portico is paved in star and diamond forms, with small stones of various colors from the sea beach."

"The joists are four inches thick, and five inches deep, and on them rests the roof, which is slated next the timbers, with a coat of heath nine inches thick above the slates; this being considered as corresponding better with the rustic work than either slates or tiles. The wall of the cell is nine inches thick, and consists of nine upright posts, on the inside of which are nailed horizontally, the upper edge standing out about an inch from the posts, strips of wood three fourths of an inch square, and one inch apart. In the interstice at the upper edge, and in those between the strips, the moss is rammed in with a wedge-shaped piece of wood. The ceiling is done in the same manner, and has the form of a star in the centre, pointing towards each corner: this star is made of Cenómyce rangiferina. The cornice is made of the cones of the Pìnus sylvestris var. rùbra, three rows being laid horizontally, and one row set on end, and projecting a little outward. The door is made of rustic work, and has a Gothic window in it similar to the two windows in the wall, filled in with stained glass."

We hope to be enabled, in the course of the present volume, to give one or two plans as models to build by.

Article VII, on the management of grass lawns, is an excellent paper. The author recommends frequent waterings in dry seasons, particularly when placed upon dry soils; which should be commenced on the first appearance of any change in the color of the grass; manure, he also advises, should be occasionally used; the richer the better, as the less quantity will be required: it should also be very fine; and should be as free from the seeds of weeds as possible. Soot, the author observes, will impart a greater degree of energy to the soil than any other manure it produces a beautiful verdure, and is an antidote against worms. In laying down lawns, the soil should be of an equal depth over the whole, and of equal quality; otherwise the grass will be of unequal growth.

The first article in the October number is an account of some of the residences and nurseries near London. The planting of Arboretums, at most all the principal nurseries, as well as at all the fine country seats in England, is becoming very general, and it was more immediately with a view to collect information in regard to many of the fine specimens of trees at the different places, that the remarks in this article were made. We hope this subject will interest many of our amateurs, especially those who have plenty of land, and induce them to plant trees in this scientific method. We believe this to be a high species of embellishment, and cal

culated to afford much gratification to the scientific mind. The following we extract, as it may be useful to nursery

men :

"Among the nursery practices which were new to us here, is that of buying in seedling birch trees which have been pulled up out of the copses. These are found to root much better than seedlings of the same age and size taken out of a regular seed-bed; doubtless because, in the latter case, a greater proportion of the taproot requires to be cut off. In the case of the young birches pulled out of the copses, the taproot, which could not get far down into the hard soil,has its substance in a more concentrated form, and is more branchy; hence little requires to be cut off, except the ragged fibres; and it may be considered as acting as a bulb to the upper part of the plant. The tops of the seedling birches are shortened before planting; and the plants, Mr. Young informs us, make as much wood in one year, as regular nursery-reared birch seeelings will in two. It is found, in this part of the country, that the downy-leaved blackbarked seedling birches stole much freer when cut down as coppice wood, than the smooth-leaved white-barked weeping variety. The plumleaved willow is here grown to a great extent for planting in copses, as also are the common ash and the sweet chestnut."

In the Epsom Nursery, Cliánthus puniceus, Deùtzia scàbra, Benthamia fragifera, Bérberis Aquifolium, and various other rare shrubs, are for sale by the hundred. The collection of climbing roses is stated to be beyond all praise.

Article II, is the first of "a series of designs for laying out suburban gardens and grounds from one perch to several acres in extent." Designs 1 and 2 are for frontages of houses, containing one and a half perch each. The author remarks :—

"The series of designs which I propose for your acceptance will consist of what may be terined "designs for suburban gardens," and such as, perhaps, may be useful to some who may be about to commence the laying out of gardens to the extent of any of the designs that this series will embrace. I have begun at a low scale, namely, that of mere frontages to houses that are attached or joined together; the first of which consists of four frontages, of one perch of ground to each; and the second also of four frontages, consisting of about one perch and a half to each. The ground to these being of small dimensions there is not room for much display of taste and variety; but it may not be amiss to offer a few hints upon them; and first, with regard to the walks :- these I should prefer being laid down with stone, with neat kerbs, about 2 in. high at the sides; and, where there are clumps that do not join the walks, I should prefer them to be surrounded with grass rather than gravel, as I consider the latter to be in bad taste, though it is frequently employed in the vicinity of the metropolis.

"With regard to the plants and shrubs proper for gardens of this description, I should recommend their maximum of growth to be in proportion to their situation, as by this means a greater variety may be introduced. I have seen instances where a single tree has overshadowed nearly a whole garden of this description, and thus rendered void the possibility of anything else growing therein. I would recommend, also, that the partition fences of the frontages, of whatever material they may be constructed, should not exceed the height of 6 feet, in order that as free a circulation of air as possible may take place, as this is highly ne

cessary for the health of the plants, and particularly in situations of this kind, where, under the most favorable circumstances, they will be much confined. With regard to the choice of shrubs, I should introduce as great a variety of evergreens as possible, of those kinds which, from observation, I have seen to succeed; an enumeration of which, including also deciduous shrubs and flowers, would be very acceptable from any of your correspondents who have had experience in the management of suburban gardens. Among the common evergreens that appear to flourish in these situations, I have noticed the common and variegated hollies, the common box tree, the Chinese arbor vitæ, the Aúcuba japónica, the red cedar, the evergreen privet, and the giant ivy. The latter of these, (the ivy) which grows luxuriantly in most situations, might not only be used to cover walls and fences, but might be trained up in pyramids, or any other form which taste might point out, by having a frame work fixed in the ground for training it to; and if jasmine, clematis, or some other light climbers, were intermixed with the ivy, they would, I think, give a relief, and, at the same time, add to its beauties during the summer months. As it respects deciduous trees and shrubs, I should make use of the lightest and handsomest flowering kinds that would thrive, and such as, by an occasional and judicious pruning, might be kept within bounds. Decorations might also be introduced upon a limited scale, consisting of ornamental vases and other tasteful designs."

Very useful papers, but the plans annexed are too expensive for our work.

Article V, contains "simple and expeditious modes of ascertaining the heights of trees; by the Conductor, and Richard Varden, Esq. These modes are illustrated with engravings, which we shall endeavor to insert in a future number.

The following is a simple method, and answers very well in the cases mentioned :

"Trees are either crowded together, or standing singly, or so as to be clear from other trees on at least one side. In the former case, they are best measured by sending up jointed rods, formed of deal, or any other light wood. First one rod (say 5 feet, or 10 feet in length, and half an inch in diameter) is pushed up the side of the trunk, and held there by the left hand; and a piece of tin tube, about 4 inches in length, and of the same diameter in the clear, as the rod is put on the lower end of it about two inches. One end of this tube being firm on the rod which is held up alongside the trunk with the left hand, insert another rod in the other end of the tube with the right hand, and so on, till you have pushed the jointed rod so formed to the top of the tree. Then take it down and count the number of rods, &c., putting each piece of tin tube, as it is taken off, in your pocket. This may seem a tedious operation; but a man and a boy, with fifteen rods, and fourteen pieces of tin tubing, will measure more than one hundred trees in a day."

Another method is as follows:

"The height of single trees may also be taken with expedition during bright sunshine by their shadows. Set up a rod, say of six feet in height above the surface, and measure its shadow; then measure the tree's shadow, and find the height by the Rule of Three."

Among the reviews we find our Magazine very favorably noticed, and numerous extracts made from our article of "Calls at Gardens and Nurseries;" the original articles

are said to be "very interesting." We are sorry, however, to learn from this, that the second article, in our February number, by our much respected correspondent, Grant Thorburn, Esq., is merely a reprint of a passage in the Encyclopedia of Gardening, second edition, $7710, to § 7722, written by Mr. Loudon long since. The words "America" for "Europe," and "American" for "European," being all the alterations from the original copy. The article we much valued, and its excellency is none the less for being an extract; but we do not wish ever to insert an article as original, however interesting its contents may be, which is not decidedly so. We supposed this, as we have every communication that has appeared in our pages since the publication of our Magazine, to be original. We think that no other articles will be found not to be so; if, however, they are, we have unknowingly been led into such errors by our correspondents.

Short extracts are made of the country seat of the Hon. T. H. Perkins, at Brookline, Belmont Place, Oakley Place, the garden of J. Lemist, Roxbury, Hawthorn Grove, &c. In relation to the practice of cultivating vines on the coiling system of Mr. Means, which we have ever considered as visionary, the conductor very judiciously remarks:

"With due deference to all the parties concerned, we think Mr. Mearns's mode of growing grapes, let it be ever so successful, singularly ill adapted for America, where the price of labor is so high. Instead of hearing of the energies of gardeners being directed to forcing by the coiling system, we would rather hear of their attempting a high degree of order and neatness in their pleasure-grounds; of their having smooth, close, dark green turf; smooth, even, firm gravel; and neat and delicate edgings to walks, beds, and borders. Forced flowers are a very allowable luxury in a country having long winters, and so are forced fruits; but we think that it argues a want of judgment to go a roundabout way to attain either of them."

Now we believe this in a great degree to be true, in relation to gardening generally. We have already often touched upon the subject of landscape gardening, the ornamenting of lawns, parks, &c., the planting of shrubs with a view to render the garden a more finished specimen of art than it is at present; and we acknowledge, in part, the truth of the above remarks: true, our natural scenery is an object of admiration, but we have as yet few specimens of that refined appearance which is the most attractive feature in English gardening, and which has commanded the astonishment of every observer. We may be thought too foreign in our opinions, but with all due praise to the exertions of our friends in the advancement of gardening, we must confess that we are but yet in its infancy, and have much to acquire before we shall arrive to any degree of eminence.