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195 The plantations o f trees fo r public walks, whether elms or limes, ai*e admirably
mana«-ed by the Belgians and the Dutch. A judicious writer in the Gardener's Magazine
states^from liis own observation, during a residence for some time at Brussels, that
“ these trees are always planted of a considerable size, from eight to ten feet high, and two
or three inches in diameter ; having been so ordered by previous transplanting, or digging
round them in the nursery, as to have an abundant mass of roots. When planted out,
the gardeners cut off the head, leaving either bare poles, or only a few twigs ; thus at
once insuring the ftitui*e vigorous growth of the tree, and dispensing with all need of
stakes. After suffering the trees to grow untouched tAVO or three years, all the branches
are cut off below the strongest leading shoot, which is left to form the head of the future
tree ; and this in a few years becomes as straight and handsome as one not headed, and
far more vigorous. In cases where it is impracticable to plant trees in their intended site
at the proper season, they are transplanted in autumn in hampers of earth (as is sometimes
practised in England Avith fruit trees) ; and these hampers are then sunk in trenches
in the nursery, the tops of the trees being cut off, as in ordinary planting. When it is
Avished, in the ensuing summer, to transfer the trees thus treated to the place where they
are intended to remain, each is transplanted along with its hamper into its destined hole,
and can thus be safely removed, however hot the weather may he, without experiencing
any check. In this way about 100 lime trees, from six to eight feet high, and about
two inches in diameter, were planted on some ground adjoining the new stables of
the Prince of Orange at Bmsscls, the latter end of June, 1826 ; and these trees, though
not watered, never flagged during the subsequent period of hot weather. A t the
time of transplanting, their tops had made several strong shoots, and the points of the
roots of many of them protmded through tho interstices of the sides of the hampers.
Nothing ftirther was done than making each hole about twice the size of the hamper,
and filling the space surrounding it -with good loamy soil.” (Gard. Mag., vol. ii. p. 226.)
196. In planting public walks, the Belgians do not, as is but too often done in England,
think it enough to squeeze the trees into holes cut out of hard and sterile soil, and
barely large enough to contain the roots, and then to leave them to their fate. Durmg
much of the Avinter of 1826-7, many workmen were employed in digging out the sandy
son round scores of the trees in the boulevards of Bmssels, which, though fifteen
twenty feet high, and thi-ce or four inches in diameter, were not so luxuriant as the
rest and replacing it with rich black surface mould, of which, as the holes were ten feet
square and above two feet deep, each tree had subsequently, allowing for the mass of
earth left round the roots, at least 150 cubic feet to strike its roots into. Equal attention
is p a id in p ran in g thefr trees. AU the branches too crowded, or crossing each other,
are cut off close to the stem, as weU as several of the lateral tAvigs from each branch ; the
whole head of the tree, both branches and spray, being kept tliin and weU balanced,
and particular attention being given to preserve one central leading shoot, by cutting off
the one least upright, when the tree has parted into two.
197. The caterpillars o f different insects are found very injurious to trees of every kind
in the Netherlands ; and an edict is therefore pubhshed annually by government, ordering
all the proprietors of lands to clear off the caterpillars from their trees twice a year ;
viz before the 25th of March and before the 25th of April, under pain of the infliction
of a certain penalty fixed by law. (Gard. Mag., vol. ii. p. 349.) This operation is
effected hy cutting off the spray in March, and in April both the spray and the young
leaves, with what they caU the echénilloir. (Ibid. vol. i. p. 325.) This instrament is very
correctly figured in Van der Groen’s Jardinier des Pays B a s (fig. 43.), and is there
described as being well adapted both for cutting off the nests of catei-piUars and for
gathering peai’s.
S u b s e c t . 5. Dutch Gardening, as empirically practised.
198. Happily the use o f gardens is universal in the Netherlands; and of the Dutch
and Flemings it may be tm ly said, in the words of Sir William Temple, “ that
gardening has liecn the common favourite of public and private m e n ; a pleasure of the
greatest and a care of the meanest, and indeed an employment and a profession, for
Avhich no man there is too high nor too low.” A modem tourist informs us that many
of the artisans and poorer classes of Amsterdam reside constantly on the water, in
comfortable apartments, built on the upper decks of their trading vessels, Avhere they
not only keep hogs, ducks, and other domestic animals, but have little gardens of tulips.
hyacinths, anemones, and vai-ious other flowers. The gardens of the cottagers in these
countries are undoubtedly better managed, and more productive, than those of any
other country : no man who has a cottage is without a garden attached ; often small,
but rendered useftil to a poor family by the high degi-ee of culture given to it. Eveiy
available paiticle of matter capable of acting as manure is assiduously collected, and
thrown into a neat ridge, cone, or bed, which is tiu-ned over fi-equently ; and, when
sufficiently fei-mented and ameliorated, applied to the soil. Liquid manui-e is put into
tanks, and presei-ved there till it undergoes fermentation, in which state it is found far
more efiicacious than when new. The plants in general cultivation in the cottage-
gai-dens are the cabbage tribe, including Bmsscls sprouts, the white beet for the leaves
and leaf-stalks, the parsnep, carrot, yellow and white turnip, potato, the pea, bean, and
kidney-bean ; the apple, peai-, and cun-ant, and in some places, the vine trained over
the cottage, are the fr-uits ; and bulbs, double stocks, rockets, Avall-flowers, pinks, violets,
roses, and honeysucldes are the leading flowers and plants of ornament. I t is ahnost
unnecessary to add, that the gardens of the tradesmen, farmers, citizens, private gentlemen,
and princes, rise in gradation, in extent, riches, and high keeping.
199. The principal nurseries, florists' gardens, and market gardens are in the neighbourhood
of Amsterdam, Haarlem, AntAvei-p, and Ghent. These gardens formerly
supplied trained trees, -vines, and all the most valuable plants, to Britain and other parts
of Europe ; and the florists still continue to monopolise the commerce of bulbous roots.
Justice (Brit. Gard. Direct) gives credit to the Dutch nursei-ymen for accm-acy and
punctuality ; lie mentions Voerhelm and Company as tradesmen whom he could
recommend ; and it is remarkable that the same establishment (Voerhelm and
Schneevooglit, who now, hoAvever, hold separate businesses) is the most eminent at this
day. Garden-seeds, for which Holland has long been celebrated, are chiefly grown by
the market-gardeners and small farmers roiuid Haarlem. Roses are extensively groAvn
at Noordwyck, between Leyden and Haarlem, for the apothecaries, and the dried leaves
are sent to Amsterdam and Constantinople. The sorts are, the Dutch 100-leaved and
the common cabbage rose. A striking characteristic of Dutch fr-uit and forest ti-ee
nurseries, is the length of time the trees are trained in the nursery. They are so often
removed there, as to have a large fasciculus of fibrous roots, and the fmit trees commonly
bear for a year or two before they are sold, at least for local planting. Ready-grown
hedges and shrubs, of various sizes and shapes, may be purchased ; and as they have
been transplanted every thfrd year, like the trees, there is little risk of thefr not succeeding.
A t Brussels, Professor Van Mons established a fruit-tree nm-sery, which he called
Pépinière de la Fidélité, in which Avere groAvn upwards of 1000 new varieties of pear,
raised by himself, aud by M. Duquesne, of Mons, since 1803, besides new varieties of the
other liai-dy fruit trees. lirelage is an extensive hyacinth groAver ; and Perck, near
Vilvorde, and Treloux, near Liege, are celebrated for their fmit trees. A t Ghent, Mr.
Rivers visited twenty nm-series, all of them containing “ good things.”
200. The nursery and seedsmen o f Holland and the Netherlands supply those of Britain,
and indeed the whole Avorld, Avith bulboiAS flowers ; and some of the most celebrated, in
1848, were Makoy of Liege, and Van Houtte of Ghent. We import fi-om Holland and
Belgium various culinary and some flower seeds, clover and other agi-icultural seeds,
orange trees, azaleas, standard roses, and some other shrubs ; occasionally Doucin stocks
for fmit trees, and generally whatever is ncAv and rare.
201. The operative gardeners in Holland are for the most part apprenticed, and sei-ve
as journeymen, before they are employed to undertake the care of gardens where several
hands are employed ; but so general is horticultural kiiOAvledge, that every labourer is
considered as capable of cropping and dressing an ordinary tradesman’s or farmer’s
garden.
202. There are few or no artist gardeners in Holland. Eminent practical gardeners
are employed to lay out AvaUed latchen-gardens ; and artists from Paris arc generally
called in to lay out parks or pleasure-grounds of more than ordinary extent.
SuBSBCT. 6. Dutch Gardening, as a Science, and in respect to the Authors it has
produced.
203. Horticulture, as a science, has been less cultivated in the Netherlands than in
Ita ly or France. The botanists of the country were not among the first to advance the
study of physiology, nor have any of their practical men appeared with the science of a
Quintinie or a Miller. “ The patience and riches,” Bose observes, “ which produced
so high a degree of florimania in Holland, might have been usefully employed in advancing
vegetable physiology ; but science owes nothing to the Dutch in this branch.”
A t the present time, hoAvever, Avhen science is so rapidly and so universally spread, the
learned in the Netherlands are unquestionably on a footing Avith those of other countries.
204. Among the most scientifc gardeners in Europe may be mentioned Professor Van
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