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■Ircamtoronro a.«l p ro d u c ala l.o»d of llowor., throe foot and a half in fa n io to r. Tlie hothouse contained
noro extensive collection of Yp ut.p,ic ««„..ro of nil the nrincinal crasses, including
~ - 5 s = S g : l 3 g § | ^ ^
"oMnfstake a 'cm v ^ lS , is .a small systematic botanic garden, representing, perhaps, filty of the Jussieuoan
orde
The I
south,
th e p _ _ ........... ....................... .....................................................
gh. T h e hybrid Si/ringa r
s removed to the
thft K a rd e n bZìvLVarin,' oim of the 'd i r e c t o r s . In 1840 this g a r d e n y -■
M Z i Z l Z Z Z t „ » c o n t a in s -itp^ards of twenty acres ill
^ A«* .-y.-l__..A----re .rei.-cre,>Tr nr,/l is
S - Fr n S e t 0 ^ piece of l^vel ground in the centre of tho garden, in heds
a piece
wi.ii of 3 feet (()5 inches in i
width. There arc two rows ol plants m
5 feet wide, with p .ftis Jussieu,Jussieu, as as modified mod
by tho late Professor Marquis, which is
r I / i l present P r o f iL o rP o u c h e r tT f t r c ft a c
’’"ot t h " ¥ « ( » d ^ 'h l ' s 'h t i e n ' f r n l ^ in tho stove thongl, it had not
I n ihe ». „rpwin a not about a foot in diameter, was crowded by other plants,
it ptodncod frnit on its summit. (GarU. May.,
vol. V. (for 1R29) p. 68.)
967 Among ihe celehrated botanical amateurs in the neighbourhood o f Paris were M.
Ftmlciiiroii, M .n amo lin , M. Boursault, M. Soulango Bodiu and Baron 1 appoulio.m
M Foulchiron devoted his attention to the palms, of which he liad hy far the best
collection in France, and some specimens of a considerable hcig.it and gi-ftt bcimty.
Those palms, in 18,60, wore .sold to the Berlin botomc gardon. M. Hamclin had an
exeollent collection of exotic bulbs, and was partictdarly rich m AmaiyllitiOT. M.
Bounsanlt had by far tho richest collection of exotic plants of any private or public
establishment, unless wo except that of the Jardin des P antos, bnt this collection has
been completely broken up, and tbe finest specimens stod the g-ronncl wliicb was the
garden being now built upon. The eollcetion of M. Soulango Bodm, though chic%
made with a view to commerce, was yet very considerable ; but since the death of the
nronriotor it has been comparatively neglected. Tho Baron Pappcnheim devoted his
attention cliicfiy to acclimatising half-hardy trees and shmbs ; and he succeeded in
forming, on bis o.st.atc of Combe-la-Villc, a collection of more than 4000 .species of
hardy plants, of wliich bo was going to print a very interesting catalogne, when he was
lost to botany. As to M. Boursault, he was a.s well known at London as at Pans, by
his ciilinlitoncd taste and tlie magnificence of his collection. It was m his garden alone
that the Tclòpca speciosissima has been seen in France. Tho ia n r u s Cnmamomnm,
cinnamon tree ; the Garcinia Mangostàna, and the Ardí,sia pamculàta, produced with
him both flowers and fmits ; and ho possc,ssed, without doubt, the hnest Araucana
excidsa ill Europe (.see p. 85.). The large plants of Magnòlia grandiilora, winch bordered
his ivalks, brought their seeds to perfect maturity. ^ , , ,
268 The acclimatising o f trees and shrubs was attempted on an extensive scale by tho
late'Baron Pappcnheim', lit Comhc-la-Villc, on the Yeros, not for from P an s ; and the
nlantations of the father have boon continued by the son. The situation is on a high
hank facing tho north, a,nd sloping down to tho river. TIic late baron commenced his
experiments in 1819, assisted by his vciy iiitelligcnt gardener, Mr. Cappe. On tho
sioping bank he planted all the magnolias, several camollias, inclmliiig tlic green tea ;
micinm lloridànnm, Odea cnroptc'a, Andrómeda arbòrea, Arauearta, Cimmnghamia,
Photinia Briobótrya, and a mimbcr of similar trees ami shrubs ; all of which had, wlicii
wo saw them, in 1828, re.sisted the severity of the preceding nine winters, with no other
protection than dry loaves laid about the roots, .straw tied round the stems and with
the branches in some cases wrapped up in mats. It may here be ohsci-vcd, that though
the climate o fth e neighbourhood o fl'a ris is more sovore than that in the neighbourhood
of London, yet, tho air being drier, plants enveloped in leaves, straw, or mats, arc much
less apt to'damp oft; when so treated, in the former district, than in the latter.
269 The floriculture o f Prance is decidedly inferior to that of Britain ; and it is still
more so wiion compared with that of nollan d or Germany. The cause, however, is
not to be found in any deficiency of skill in the practical gardeners of France, but iu a
want of demand for first-rate florieuUnral productions. The great wcaltli of the landed
proprietors of England has called forth extraordinary exertions in the forcing department
of fioricultnre ■ and tho commerce of Holland has occasioned similar exertions to be
made in that country in the culture of bulbous roots. The German gardeners have been
compelled to cultivate tlic art of producing flowers in the winter season, to satisfy the
demand created by the fondness displayed by many of the German princes for gardening
and botany ; ami this, considering the diflieultics of climate to be contended with,
requires perhaps greater skill than forcing flowers in lingland. The germs of the same
skill exist among the gardeners of Paris, who supply the flowcr-markct, and they will
be gradually called forth as the citizens increase in wealth and taste.
2G0. The system o f botanic gardens in France is superior to that oi‘ every otlicr countiy.
The Paris garden is intended to serve at once as a perpetual school of botany and
vegetahlo culture, and as a reservoir for the reception of new discoveries in botanical
ami liorticultural science, and of new plants from every country in the world. In every
department of France there is a botanic garden, situated iu or near the largest town ;
winch serves the same purpose for the department tliat tho Paris garden does for tlic
whole of France, and, indeed, for all the rest of the world. These departmental gar-
den.s receive whatever it is thought can be of use to their department from tlic garden
of Paris, as soon as it has been rendered sufficiently abundant there ; and have eacli
a director, who gives lectures on botany and general culture, and whose duty it i.s to
solve all the botanical, horticultural, and agricultural difficulties of the district. This
.system is at all events very perfect iu theory, and we ai'c not aware that it has been
yet found defective in practice. The cause of the slow progi'css of science in rural
matters in many of the departments of France is to lie attributed to tlie general ignorance
whicli prevails among cultivators, ratlier than to any defect iu the system itself.
261. 7'he improvement which an English gai'dener may derive from the study o f the flo riculture
o f Fi'ance is chiefly, wc think, in the preservation of plants through the winter.
Nothing can be more striking in this branch of the art, than the shutting up of orange
trees, camellias, and other evergreens, not even excepting some descriptions of heaths,
in barn-like bxiildings, or even, cellars under ground, for tlircc or four montlis, witliout
once admitting air during tho whole time ; with little or no light, with no artificial heat,
and Avithout water. Tho plants remain during this period in a completely dormant
state ; and when gradually inured to light, air, and Avater, in spring, they appear to sufler
no injury whatever : hut, if too suddenly exposed to the influence of these agents, they
arc a.jit to drop their leaves. The secret of this perfect preservation, under such n])-
parently unfavourable circumstances, lies in tlic dryiiess of the air of France, and in tlie
gardener liaviug previously, by withholding water, matured the gi'OAvth of tlic leaves,
and ripened the wood ; in short, in his having reduced tlic plants to a dormant state bcibre
liousing them. We arc persuaded tliat more might )jc done in this way in England
than is generally attempted ; thongli our moist atmosphere will probably ever prevent us
from ciirrying it to the same extent as is done in Fi-ancc. Wc certainly thinlc that provincial
botanic and liorticultural gardens, connected with a central one in London, Avould
bo u.scfnl in Flngland, as they a vo uU I tend to diffuse both a taste for and a knoAvledge of
botany and vegetable culture ; though they a.ro less wanted in a country like England,
possessing a Avcalthy aristocracy, with ricTi and extensive gardens at their countiy residences
all over the empire. Were the landed property of Britain more equally distributed,
and were tlie laAvs relating to it simihu- to fho.se of France and America, Ave .should then
say that tlie system of botanic gardens adopted in Fi'ance would be of essential value
in England. In the mean time the an'aiigement of the plants in the French botanic
gardens, according to the natural system, dcsciwcs imitation in those of England.
262. Herb or physic gai'dens arc more common in France than in Britain. Plants
form a inucli more important part of the materia medica of the hospitals and French
physicians tlian in this country, and their use is very popular among the lower orders.
Tlie herhoi'ists of Paris occupy a particular lane, wliere they offer a great viu'icty of dried
plants for sale.
StiBSKCT. 3. French Gardening, in respect to its Horticultural Froductions.
263. The hardy fru its o f France exceed in mimbcr those of Britain, by the olive, the fig,
the jujube, the pomegranate, and afcAv others little cultivated. Nature, Professor T'houiu
observes (Essai sur l’Exposition, ^c. de l’Economie Rurale, p. .55.), has only given to
France the acorn, tho chestnut, the jicar, the Avild aiijile, and some otlier inferior fruits.
“ EA'cry thing else Avhich we liave, agreeable or useful, is tlic product oi'foreign climates,
and Ave owe them in great part to tiie Plioeniciaiis, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, and
Saraccn.s.” The less ancient acquisitions arc tliose of the crusadc.s, or of accidental
travellers. The vine, the peach, the fig, the mnlberry, the cherr}'-, niul tlie olive aa'ci'c
doubtless introduced to France by the Romans ; the orange by the Italians ; and the pineapple
hy the Dutch. Apples, pears, and })lums arc the fruits recommended for (mltivatiou
by Charlemagne, in his Capit. dc Villis, &c., prepared about the end of tlic eighth century,
and referred to by Montcsiinicu as a chef-d’oeuvre of prudence, good administration,