The Hammersmith Auricula Show was held April the 19th. The first prize was taken by Mr. Willmore for Metcalf's Hero.

Chelsea Auricula Show was held on the 20th of April. The first prize was taken by Mr. Cheese of Milbank for Grimes's Privateer.

The Dulwich Auricula Show was held April 24th. The first prize was taken by Mr. Goldham, for Grimes's Privateer.

The Newington Auricula Show was held on April the 26th. The first prize was taken by Mr. Goldham, for Grimes's Privateer.

The Lancaster Auricula Show was held on the 26th April. The first prize was taken by William Leighton, Esquire, for Booth's Freedom. At the flower-shows here, green-house and hardy plants, fruits, and culinary vegetables, are exhibited; the premium for the best dish of potatoes was awarded to Lady Houghton, and for the best pine-apple to Mrs. Parker.

Tulips are not generally gathered and shown in competition in the neighbourhood of London, though they are in Lancashire, and other parts of the country, and have been occasionally so near the metropolis. The practice of florists with respect to this flower, is to appoint particular days to visit celebrated collections. A number of connoisseurs then assemble, compare, criticise, exchange, and purchase, and afterwards dine together, &c. Among the principal Tulip-beds in the Neighbourhood of London are the following; Mr. Groom's at Walworth, 130 feet long, and 4 broad; Mr. Strong's, Brook-Green; Mr. Lawrence's, Hampton; Mr. Weltjie's, Hammersmith; Mr. Austin's, Upper Clapton; Mr. Cheese's, Milbank; Mr. Davey's, King's Road; Messrs. Goldham's, Greig's, Edie's, Brookes's, Mortlock's, Franklin's and Mrs. Gable's, Islington; Mr. Brown's, Slough; Mr. Wheatman's, Windsor; Mr. Bartlet's and Mr. Pyle's, Bethnal Green; Mr. Hoggart's, Lower Tooting; Mr. Smith and Mr. Jeffery's, Rotherhithe; and our correspondent, Mr. Burnard's, at Holloway. There are, doubtless, a number of others of which we have not been informed. With regard to the order in which we have enumerated those above, it has little or no relation to their merits; a few of them we have seen; the other names we have heard of, and the whole we have put down as they occurred to our recollection.

Lawrence's Tulip-bed at Hampton, we viewed on the 11th of May. The collection here is said to be one of the most select in the neighbourhood of London. This was a feast-day, and we found a number of connoisseurs, amateurs, and men of leisure, among the last, the Duke of Clarence, inspecting and admiring them. Louis XVI. and General Washington had "come the finest," as the phrase is, of the old flowers. On the 15th we again saw the bed, and Polyphemus, the rarest and most valuable tulip in the bed, was then in perfection. It is a bizard, was broken by Mr. Lawrence, and four bulbs were sold a few years ago for 50 guineas.

Mr. Goldham's bed, Mr. Greig's, and Mr. Burnard's, we viewed on the 20th, and Mr. Davey's on the 23d of May; Mr. Goldham had just been offered 100%. for Louis XVI.; this gentleman has raised a number of good carnations.

The Lancaster Tulip Show was held May 22. The first prize was taken by Miss Dalton, for a black Baguètte, and the second by the same lady, for Dolittle. The finest geranium was presented by Mrs. Crossfield; the finest green-house plant, Elichrysum filiforme, by Mr. Kerr; the finest herbaceous plant, Iris susiana, by Mr. Conolly, and the finest head of brocoli by Mr. Hargreaves. We regret we cannot insert the elaborate account of this show sent us by our valued correspondent, Mr. Saul; by which it appears, that 58 prizes were given away to about 25 different individuals, on the above day; a proof how generally the taste for flowers and for gardening exists in Lancaster.

ART. VII. Covent Garden Market.

April 4th. An abundant supply of broccoli from 18. to 3s.per dish; cucumbers from 48. to 5s. per brace; French-beans from 3s. to 4s. per hundred; onions 7s. per bushel ; asparagus, 8s. and 10s. per hundred; sea-cale 68. per hundred; grapes from 248. to 30s. per lb.; strawberries 2s. per oz.; table apples 24s. per bushel; kitchen ditto from 10s. to 158. A plentiful supply of Spring flowers and common evergreens, with some forced rhododen drons, roses, pinks, &c. April 18th. An abundant supply of all the vegetables common at this season of the year. Broccoli from 1s. to 2s. per bundle; young cabbages 28. to 38. per dozen; asparagus 3s. 6d. to 7s. per hundred; young potatoes from 2s. 6d. to 4s. per lb.; cucumbers 5s. to 6s. per brace; grapes 20s. to 24s. per lb.; strawberries 1s. 6d. per oz. There were still a few pears and apples for sale; of the former we observed, the Colmar, St. Germain, Bonchretien, and Double Fleurs, of the latter the French crab, stone-pippin, nonpareil, &c. Great profusion of pinks, tulips, hyacinthus, narcissus and other flowers, forced and unforced.

May 2. Abundance of tart gooseberries evidently much injured by the late frosts; they sold at the rate of 18. per pottle; young cabbages from 1s. 9d. to 2s. per dozen; asparagus from 4s. 6d. to 7s. per hundred; young potatoes 1s. 6d. to 2s. per lb.; cucumbers from 28. to 38. per brace; strawberries 1s. 6d per oz.; grapes from 14s. to 188. per lb.

May 16th. A good supply of forced and unforced vegetables in the market, and likewise of forced fruits; young potatoes 1s. 6d. per lb.; cabbages 1s. 9d. per dozen; asparagus 4s. 6d. to 5s. 6d. per hundred; broccoli, which is getting scarce, from 2s. to 4s. 6d.; tart gooseberries 2s. 8d. per gallon; cucumbers from 1s. 6d. to 2s. per brace; young peas 30s. per quart; grapes 128. per lb. ; strawberries 1s. 6d. per oz.; cherries from 12s. to 16s. per lb. Abundance of flowers and flowering shrubs.

June 3. Potatoes from 3s. to 78. per cwt, which is about from 18. 10d. to 3s. 9d. per Winchester bushel; cabbages from 44d. to 1s.; and cauliflowers from 4s. to 16s. per dozen heads; horse-radish from 28. to 4s.; broccoli from 8d. to 2s.; asparagus from 18. to 88.; and celery from 10d. to 1s. 6d. per bundle; young carrots from 5s. to 12s.; turnips from 5s. to 6s.; coleworts, or greens, unmarketable; onions from 9d. to 28.; leeks from 10d. to 1s. 4d. per dozen bunches; radishes from 3d. to 6d. per dozen hands; coss lettuces from 6d. to 18. per score; green gooseberries from 23. to 4s. 6d.; green currants from 3s. to 7s.; spinage from 6d. to 10d. per half sieve, about one-third of a bushel; sound sweet oranges from 5s. to 14s.; lemons from 5s. to 12s. per 100; or, the former from 31. to 4l. 10s.; the latter from 31. to 41. per chest of two boxes; Spanish chesnuts from 8s. to 12s.; French chesnuts from 5s. to 10s.; Spanish hazel-nuts from 5s. to 8s. ; French walnuts from 4s. to 10s. per peck; new potatoes from 6d. to 1s. 6d.; cherries from 12s. to 18s. per lb.; forced strawberries from 6d. to 9d. per thumb, about an ounce; natural strawberries from 5s. to 6s. per quart; green peas from 3s. 6d. to 5s. per peck; French beans from 3s. to 4s. per 100.- Prices of foreign fruit, old potatoes (these next to nominal), asparagus, and horse-radish, stationary; those of almost every thing else from 20 to 40 per cent. lower than on this day se'nnight. Supply abundant, and trade more brisk than could have been reasonably expected. Silkworms 4d. to 1s. per dozen, according to their size; garden snails 18. per dozen; gold-fish 5s. to 7s. per brace; English frogs 1d. each; snakes 4d. each; leeches 10s. to 20s. per hundred.

ART. VIII. Calls at the London Nurseries, and other Suburban Gardens.

Sion-House, April 10th. This place, so long neglected or mismanaged, is at last likely to be restored to its characteristic dignity and beauty. Mr. Forrest, who so highly distinguished himself in laying out the grounds at Eaton-Hall, having just been engaged as head manager here. There are few old places where there is so much to do as at Sion, but there are few also where so much effect may be produced by judicious doings. The kitchen-garden requires to be entirely renovated, including even the soil of the borders, the walls, the walks, and the hot-houses. The pleasureground, so rich in exotics, and so incumbered and injured by the commonest trees and shrubs, requires to have the latter entirely removed, to give room and effect to the former; and to render this scenery complete, a great number of new exotics, introduced since Sion was planted, now upwards of half a century ago, require to be added. There are few gardeners more competent to effect all this than Mr. Forrest, and if he obtain a reasonable share of liberty, and is not limited in expence, we may look forward to something which will restore this fine old place to its ancient celebrity.

Bayswater Garden, Comte de Vandes, April 12th. A magnificent specimen of Glycine sinensis is in flower in the green-house; each raceme is as large as a bunch of grapes, of a delicate pale purple at the shoulders of the bunch, where the blossom is fully expanded, and of a dark purple at the pendant extremities, where the flowers are not yet opened. Numerous species of acacias are in full bloom, and also polygalas, correas, heaths, brachysema, cytisus, boronia, &c. Mr. Campbell has been very successful in blooming hyacinths, of sorts that for upwards of seven years have been grown in this garden; a large bed of blues, reds, and double whites are now in perfection, and to all appearance as strong as if the bulbs had been newly imported. The borders here are remarkably well stocked with herbaceous plants and standard roses; among the latter are some of the most magnificent specimens in the neighbourhood of London. The whole is kept in excellent order; and this garden, for many years celebrated for its beautiful collection, was never better worth seeing than it is at present. Perhaps more new plants have been published in botanical works as having first flowered here, than in any private garden round London.

Walworth Florists' Garden, Mr. Groom, April 17th. This establishment is wholly devoted to the culture of florists' flowers, and though the department of floriculture is not now so fashionable as it was in the time of Mr. Madocks, the founder of this garden, and the author of the Florists' Directory, it is still a good deal encouraged. The purchasers of florists' flowers are quite a different class of persons from the purchasers of rare and curious species, or what, for the sake of distinction, we may call botanists' plants. They are chiefly tradesmen, and, in part, even operative manufacturers and mechanics. All these form a distinct class of flowerfanciers, and are as much occupied by the artificial properties and highsounding names of auriculas, tulips, and carnations, as botanists are with the generic and specific distinctions of science. The grand object of the flower-fancier is to gain a prize at some of the flower-shows which are held in different places about London, at the period when auriculas, tulips, and carnations are in bloom. The four principal shows are held at Islington, Dulwich, Hammersmith, and Chelsea, and generally on or about the end of April for auriculas, the end of May for tulips, and the end of July for carnations. We intend in future to give short notices of these shows, in the hope of extending this department among gentlemen's gardeners, by whom, we think, florists' flowers are at present too much

neglected. For example, at the present time, what parterre in any country residence can display 100 sorts of early dwarf tulips, all in bloom together, producing an effect, that for brilliance of colour cannot be surpassed in the vegetable kingdom? How few gentlemen's seats can boast a fine stage of auriculas, or carnations; the last flower highly desirable, as combining both beauty and fragance. The culture of bulbs in general, is at present too much neglected by country gardeners, probably because at the season when they come into bloom, families are generally in their metropolitan residences.

Mr. Groom is an enthusiastic florist, and no man is more liberal in explaining the canons of floral criticism, and even the secrets of the art, to the uninitiated. The first thing he pointed out in walking round with us, was his collection of auriculas in pots in a common hot-bed frame; Mr. G. made out a list of above thirty fine sorts which had flowered this season in greater vigour than usual. We regret want of room prevents us from printing the names.

There is here a large supply of the night-smelling stock, which, Mr. Groom says, begins to diffuse its odour at six o'clock in the evening and leaves off at six in the morning, whether in the open air, under glass, or in a room. Mr. G. has in vain tried to render it odoriferous in the daytime, by placing it in a humid atmosphere, and also in a darkened place. A fine new variety of Viola tricolor raised by Mr. Groom attracted our attention; the flower is not so large as some varieties, but is of a darker purple velvet than any of them. Many plants of Pyrus spectabilis, in pots in full bloom, are very handsome; and in the green-houses are some good varieties of camellia and erica, and a considerable stock of gerania. The next grand feature, at present in this garden, is, the collection of early dwarf tulips, single and double. Of the former Mr. G. has upwards of 150 sorts, and 100 at least are now fully expanded, and very brilliant.

The double tulips are rather later than the single ones; of thirty sorts which are here, about a dozen were fully expanded, including Tournesol panachée and Marriage de ma fille, which are two of the largest and most showy flowers.

There is an immense stock of late tulips of very vigorous growth, but we shall return to see them when they are in bloom. There is a good collection of crown imperials; and the double red, double yellow, crown upon crown, and gold striped, were in great vigour. Various very curious sorts of fritillary were in flower, but less vigorous in growth than usual. Mr. G. has left off growing hyacinths, which, he allows, can be better grown by the Dutch. He frequently visits Holland, and has even gone so far as to import soil from the florists' gardens there, for the purpose of trying experiments.

Among the miscellanea of the garden, we may notice a formidable fence (fig. 63.), which Mr. Groom has made by plashing a tall regularly cut hedge en masse, as to make it hang over deep and wide ditch at nearly a right angle. The fallen part of the hedge is in a

a

growing state, as well as the stumps. Various fruit trees have been deprived of their outer bark, headed down, ringed, and treated with Mr. Forsyth's composition, all with the usual success. There is a Mammoth appletree, which produces very large fruit, and some others, on which he has grafted all the different sorts he could procure. The American blight has cankered most of the apple-trees, but has done very little injury to the pears, though intermixed with them, a proof, as our correspondent Rusticus observes, (p. 153.) that the pear will thrive in a worse soil than the apple. Mr. G. unties his espalier trees in winter, when he prunes them, and leaves their branches dangling about loose till the blossom is set. Their being loose, he considers as promoting the last object, by allowing them to be shaken by the wind. A tank and pump have been recently formed for collecting and containing the drainings of the dung and compost ground, with which the ranunculus beds are watered. A great breadth of ground is covered with the last named flower and with the anemone, both just emerging from the soil. Mr. G. always plants these flowers in spring, but the tulips and most others in October and November. The latter and hyacinths are quite hardy, but anemones, ranunculuses, and most sorts of polyanthus narcissus require to be covered with rotten tan, or litter, to protect them from the frost.

May 19th. The single tulips are now in full bloom, and this day happening to be fine, Mr. Groom's bed of a 130 feet long and 4 feet broad presented by far the most magnificent spectacle of the kind we ever saw. We are persuaded that very few of the wealthy amateurs of gardening have seen such a sight, otherwise the culture of tulips would be more general. This bed consists of upwards of 200 sorts, in seven viewed lengthways, and in rows across at six inches apart; for the names we must refer to Mr. Groom's printed catalogue, not having room to insert the list of select sorts obligingly furnished us by him.

rows

Pantheon, Regent's Park, April 27. This immense building, corresponding in figure with that of the same name in Rome, is preparing for exhibiting Mr. Hornor's Panorama of London, which of itself is an astonishing undertaking; but coupled as it will be with this immense building, and the objects and contrivances within and around it, will surpass all that has hitherto been done in panoramic exhibition in this or any country. The ground around the edifice is now being planted under the direction of Mr. Mackay, of Clapton, and it affords even in its present incomplete state, a striking example of what may be done by selection of large plants, and especially of ever-greens. There are variegated hollies here 15 feet high, and rhododendrons nearly as many feet in diameter, and laurels, yews, box, &c. proportionately large. They have been selected from all the nurseries from within 20 and 30 miles of London, and from the American ground at Wanstead-house, which supplied the immense rhododendrons mentioned, of more than 30 years' growth. The plants were carefully taken up with balls, and put in baskets of suitable size, and in that state conveyed to the pit in which they were planted. In some cases the plants were planted with the basket entire, to admit, if need should require, of lifting them in the course of the summer to fill up blanks from death, or to facilitate alterations; in others the sides of the baskets were cut away and the bottom left; and from the smaller plants the baskets were wholly removed. Every tree or shrub planted was set in puddle, or fixed by water. (Encycl. of Gard. § 2096, 2097), and properly staked. The kinds were planted in masses, especially the shrubs; and the deciduous trees, which are but few in proportion to the evergreens, are planted from 3 & 4 to a dozen in a hole, as suggested by Mr. Price, and adopted by Mr. Repton, Mr. D. Stewart, and others. This at once produces an effect different from that of a young plantation, and gives something of the idea of stools of coppicewood. It would be