arc several other public promenaacs a t Seville, particularly one in the town, which is furnished with
particularly striking by the fine effect of
H,? fn r? 5 th e tow n ; und a t Cadiz th e aliimeda is on the ramparts, which
S c S S wfth f r S ^ a n d command some delightful views. Many other alamcdas and pacsos, in d.iler-
ent parts of Spain, are also well deserving notice.
512 There are few puhlic cemeteries in Spain. That of Bilboa is of modern date, and
is ahnost tho only one planted with trees, and laid out as a garden, wluch is mcntionecl
bv tourists. Bilboa, wlucli has taken the lead of tho Spanish towns m this and many
other improvements, owes its present flourislung state to commerce; and should a more
liberal government givo freedom to tho general trade of Spam, no doubt other towns
would soon follow its example.
tcry
1 tlu
'his public hurying.placo has been enclosed in consequence of a quarrel
.vcut and th e chapter of Bilboa respecting the dues oi h u n a l in a place to
S 30 rn sc riia ié n o raT it. , T b e design of the
c Z f Santo is t h i f ë™ q u a r c area of about six acres ís surrounded hy a covered arcade, supported
h y i o r i c columns; the hack of the arcade is an immense wall of brickwork, m which thm ^
r L s o f spaces for coffins, th e opening one yard l S k
coffin is deposited ; the spaces which are not occupied are slightly closed up,
«hows th a t tliev are vacant. When a coffin is deposited, th e opening is built up with brick and lime,
m X a s S r c or S ^ ^ ^ ^ fitted into it records th e name of th e buried. The cemetery is fitted o
receive 3000 dead—a great number for so small a space; and tho area beyond the arcade is tastclully
out as a garden and shrubbery. T h e inscription P^cr the inner ^tei^^^^^^
and reflect : this gate separates tho dead from th e living ! (Inghb » Spam tn 18JU, voi. i. p. ¿J.)
S u b s ec t . 2. Spanish Gardening, in respect to the Culture o f Flowers, Plants o f
Ornament, and Botanic Gardens.
513. The study o f plants is of great antiquity in Spmn. Tliis study was introduced
by the Arabs ; there was a considerable collection of plants at Seville early in the
eleventh century; aud half the common plants of the country, Harte informs us, have
names derived from the Ai'abic. The succeeding seven centuries present a blank in tins
branch of gardening history. According to Deleuze, the taste shown for botany in Spain
and Portugal, at the beginning of the sixteenth century, declined with the sciences ; and
that country where they had been cultivated when the rest of Europe was in a state of
barbiu-ism, appeared to sink into apathy, after having shone with the greatest éclat under
Charles the Fifth of Spain and Emanuel of Portugal.
514. Botanic gardens. These arc numerous ; but the principal ones arc the gardens
of Madrid, Cadiz, Valencia, and Barcelona.
The botanic garden of Madrid, founded in 1755, and situated on the left bank of the river Manzanares
about a mile and a half from the city, was transferred, in 1788, to th e place where it now is, within the
walls of Madrid. The figure of th e garden is an irregular polygon : it has two principal gates, ot an
excellent style of architecture, as entrances for the public, and four other gates tor the private service
of the garden. Its extent is about forty-two acres, and it is divided mto two unequal parts. The
larffcst of these is divided from east to west into two equal parts by a magnificent walk about sixty
feet broad, beginning a t the principal gate of th e Prado, and terminating at a handsome portico that
loads to the Practical School of Botany. Each of these plots is subdivided mto four equal quarters,
and these into as many other divisions, except the two upper ones, which have only th re e : m the
centre of each there is a small fountain, whose waters are brought through subterraneous pipes from
tlie two principal reservoirs intended for irrigation. Each division is subdivided, by walks a foot and a
half broad, into 280 beds, two feet square, and half a foot deep, in each of which only one species of
plant is cultivated. These divisions are enclosed by fences formed of French rose trees (iíósa galilea
/ .m .) ; ancl between these and th e beds there is a broad walk, with a border about three feetwicle.in
which different ornamental plants, most of them liliaceous, are symmetrically arranged, at equal distances,
in masses. There is externally, between th e fences of rose trees ancl the walks of the garden, a
liorder about four feet broad, boundecl on th e outside by an edging of myrtle or box, about ten inches
high, where large umbrageous trees, generally exotics, are planted, about eighteen feet distant from
eacli other, the shade of which preserves, in summer, the plants of the sciiool from the excessive heat
of the sun, ancl without which they would inevitably perish. T h e spaces left between tree and tree are
occupied bv slirubs or dwarf trees, which may be primed ; as th e yew tree, Eiburnum 7mus, Ccrasus
Lauroccrasus, /iosmarinus officimilis, iWscus aculeàtus, &c. ; or by those naturally of a fine shape;, as
tho Kobinfo híspida and umbracullfera, Medicàgo arbórea, Cytisus austrlacus, and Laburnum, 6partium
Mnceinn, &c.; ancl by various herbaceous plants of ornament, such as in s , wallflowers, columbines,
different kinclsof canclytuftorrock cress,dahllas,pæonies,c.oinmonday-lilyand yellowday-lily, ranunculus,
anemones, upright larkspurs, a great many varieties of common gillyflowers, spccclwells, primroses, sunflowers,
starworts. ivlld marigolds, and various others. The trunks of some robust trees arc clothed with
crccpine shrubs, as ivy, v irgin’s bower, Virginian silk tree, trumpet-flower, Coccqloba sagittifólia, which
flowers and fruits there in th e open a ir; two kinds of sarsaparilla, th e Menispermum canadensc, ancl
someothcrs. The divisions o fth e two plots appropriated to perennial and biennial plants ol the practical
school are divided into twelve parts, each containing twenty-four beds, disposed as already mentioned,
and would hold 8000 species ; a number which will not easily be collcictcd there, considering the climate
ofMadrid, which is excessively cold in winter, and very hot in summer.
The upper plot of the Madrid garden is, appropriated principally to th e cultivation of ornamental
plants and its walks to the reception, during summer, of those plants which, from th e middle oft October
• ‘ - ”----
170 feet long by 30 wide, rum:
the promenade of the Trado.
to the middle of April or beginning of May, require to be kept in th e greenhouses. On each side there
is a small wood planted irregularly, in th e Engnsh fashion; and a t th e upper end are two greenhouses,
170 feet long bv 30 wide, running from north to south, and presenting a handsome vista when seen from
the promenade of the Trado. They are joined by the portico which terminates th e principal walk, and
by two small parterres, situated between the extremities of each, and a vine-bower. Each parte rre nas
a little fountain, which furnishes water for all the squares in its side. In each of the plots Oicre are
four stone scats, placed under th e shade of tho tufted trees which surround them, and which mvitc to
repose thoso visiters who, in th e morning and evening of spring and summer, are attracted thithe r
through Pleasure or curiosity. All round this p a rt of tho garden there is a walk twenty-five feet bfoad,
most of which, in summer, is shaded by the trees jilantod along tho borders; the whole of the upper
plot is embowered bv a beautiful trellis, supported with iron arches, and lormed by about twenty diff(,rent
varieties of vines. At the western extremity of this plot there is a greenhouse, lacmg the south, winch
contains about 4500 llowcr-pots. A sloping bank, planted with resinous trees, among which there is the
cedar of Lebanon, separates it, to the south, from the other p art of th e garden ; and between t e trellis^
work and the wall which separates it from the Buen lletiro to th e east, rises in the centre a bu Iding, in
which there is a hall for delivering lectures, a seed-room, and another apartment similar to the latter^
which was formerly used as a library. On the loft there is a very handsome basm,
and two others, much older, and half ruined; and, on the right, a plot of ground m winch arc prtnar^^^^
th e different soils. Near the principal gate is a house which was formerly
dener, and which now contains all the implements belonging to the botanical expedition of Santa 1 1
^^Se ^iÎMndaJ idsnm lle r division of ihe garden is situated to the south-east..
single division, which is irregularly divided into smaller ones by means of ^ of
those in the Emglish gardens. It is used also for rearing fru it trees, and '7.»
plants which serve for th e demonstrations, and for the medicinal herbs, which are given to the public.
T h e remaining third part, on which formerly stood the lecturing lial , is used now
in which arc cultivated, in small portions, various kinds ot vegetables, such as ^®“ uces, c a ^ ^
French beans, potatoes, onions, love apples, egg plants, cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, /®-’-
and some fruit trees. This department is terminated h y a yard, mwhich manure is / / a
there is a house inhabited by the contractor, who furnishes the manure required for th e l^ rdcn, and
who draws the water from the draw-wclls. The upper part, which is bounded by the f
witli whieh it communicates bv a gate, forms a sinull acclivity, from which a great part of the city and its
environs are seen. In this garden the Chamæ'rops hùmilis bears the open air ; and the Ceratonia sihqiia
li ves when it is sheltered from the north by a wall : it blooms, but it never bears fruit. ,
except a hillock planted with vines, is watered a t the roots ; but previous to the ^®‘'® 5 ®
divisions, which were diflercntly laid out, were watered with a garden engine, with the water o the
fountain. Water is very scarce in the hot months, and even the draw-wells a.re frequently dried up.
lillUim. V» HLUl IB VLHV audlGU tiiik. ..rere ...re..-..re, .. . . . . --- ..
which occasions many pU- plants to perish in the months ol July and August; while
winter there are
many that tlie for want of stoves, ami on account of tho bad contl.t.on
NotwithlO
standing these serious inconveniences, I.a Gasca succeeded, in 1822, m keeping garden a^^
OOOi) filants,plants, a much greater numoer number tnan than had nau been oeeii kept Kupi there inci« before.udiuh-.. In i*, th LL..,a t Lvu..®°/®rerewre..,®“®«’ ...re
S
of which lich there were 000 COO species, excelled the other families, with th e ®^®®l’t‘®« P P/^h/ ®
^»8^
collection of cerealia. the tho ¿families milioa of eomponnd compound _flowers,flowers,_ Umb^^^^
Umbellifera;, C>-ucifcr^, C i s « ^
Leguminbs®, and the genus SilOno. There was also a good collection of
of the genus Cactus and .4'loc. This garden has a considerable l‘br»ry, m which very
Leguminósa,bui
of the genus Cactus and A'ioc.
lishcd d before herbarium before the the
year 1804 are wanting, and a copious herbarium contaming upwards of 30,0W
is moreover increased yearly, with the new or rare plants reared in the garden itsol^^
ivith those sent by th e various correspondents of th e establishment. T h e 8»"*®«
possesses the magnificent collection of drawings from th e botanical expedition ol Santa To de
which during the period of forty years was under the care of Don Jose Cp\®stmo Mutis, whuF
of C9()9 drawings, half of which are in black, and the other hall coloured, but
superior style: there are also several manuscripts by Mntis, and a few by tli® ««fofttuuf c Don ^
Caldas • a great number of spocimens of th e woods which arc found in the kingdom of new Granada,
now Columbia; and some boxes of fruits, seeds, barks, resins, and other vegetali e f
there are 100 drawings of the first volume of the Hortus Madrtiemis of Cavanüles, the plates of wh^h
were begun in the year 1804, and th e incomplete manuscript which he left of that work. {La Gasca m
^^Thè MadfidgaiAm, present, though not positively neglected, is not in such perfect order,
such excellent management, as it was when under th e direction ol ScHor L a P ^ ^ c l There is « [« "o u s
regulation connected with the entrée of this garden._ Every lady, on ®«t®n«8, Tnust throw
m/ntilla, and walk with her head uncovered. She is not even allowed to. let it
must be carried on th e arm. This regulation is ahnost an order of exclusion to the Spanish women,
who consider th e proper arrangement of the mantilla no trifling or casv «?»tter ; and rarely ®h®®sc to
expose themselves to the risk of appearing afterwards on the Prado with th e mantilla awry. {Inghs s
g a i& m L f Cadiz. The special school of surgery and medicine a t Cadiz has supported, from
its first establishment a botanical garden, almost as large as th a t which the Apothecaries Company of
I ondon h ve at to it there is another smaller garden, belonging to the Cadiz
Fconomiclil Society, intended for th e naturalisation of Aincriran
nvonagation of tho valuable insect of th e cochineal, brought over from Oaxaca. I h e breed and pro-
m gation of this insect is chiefly entrusted to the care of Don Antonio Cabrera, who has also made
P rn lnm ^ c n ts in S is branch I this garden is cultivated, in .the open air, a P J « } / S i f S ’
brought over alive from the country of its birth ; » « 1 » species.of downy
■vvliirl? w.Ts brought over with others, from Oaxaca, with the cochineal. I h e first ol these two gamens
was inteiKlcd for the instruction of the physicians of the royal marine ; but ‘« nossc^sS/but
disappeared, the garden likewise declined, for want of funds ; so th a t at present ( 1*^2 7 ) it possesses
1?« C f e a »
S this S m l u n t o D to whom ho afterwords repaid the taste and inehnat.on he imp.red
! ; i ? h í a i a K S f t ! s ‘s?¥S
^ m m m m