ART. XI. Remarks on the Establishment of a Horticultural Society in the Highlands of Scotland. By Mr. JOHN CAMERON, Gardener, Champion Hill, Camberwell.

THE Gardener's Magazine is one of those useful modern publications which every lover of gardening should support, as it conveys information even to our antipodes. It is true, horticulture has of late years improved to a wonderful height in Great Britain; but while we are lending our aid to Ireland in planting mulberry trees and providing silk-worms to that country, we are totally forgetting that part of Great Britain calied the Highlands of Scotland, namely, Argyle and the western parts of Inverness-shire, in regard to which districts I shall make a few suggestions for public information through the medium of your Magazine.

All the southern counties of Great Britain have provincial horticultural societies, but in the West Highlands there are no such institutions of a public nature. I admit, that landholders are not so numerous of late years in these northern counties, and gentlemen's seats are, therefore, more divided from each other; and, consequently, the number of gardens considerably reduced. Now I would propose, that a Horticultural society should be formed in every county, having experimental grounds centrically situated to landholders. This would prove an important benefit, and, properly supported, such an institution would increase in usefulness. As it would encourage industry among the tenantry, it would also greatly add to the improvement of landed property generally. Many rare alpine plants would be found among the craggy mountains that might be readily exchanged for plants of other countries. The carriage or transportation of these to and fro would not be expensive, as land conveyance would seldom be resorted to of necessity, and water carriage, by the aid of steam, being now so generally in use, the freight would be trifling. If proper encouragement be given towards the management of such institutions, as a natural consequence they will strive to vie with each other in obtaining a good name. These institutions might be incorporated with agricultural societies, and I hope the truly patriotic chieftains will immediately set about the establishment of such among their cottagers and crofters. Prizes might be held out to those who rendered themselves most useful in the support of the establishment by their discovery of plants, &c. &c. and their most successful treatment. These prizes I would propose

to be snuff-boxes, fitly mounted, and distinguished for the purpose, by the following inscription:- "Token of acknowledgment from the Highland Horticultural Society to

As the distribution of these would augment, the consumption of snuff would increase, and the tobacconist thereby benefit. I shall enumerate, in furtherance of my proposal, some very productive orchards in the two counties I have referred to (Argyle and Inverness). At Lochnile, the seat of General Campbell, there is a very productive small garden, enclosed with a stone wall; not far distant from it is another, belonging to the same gentleman, with a green-house, and there are several such gardens belonging to the neighbours. Mr. Macdougald of Dunolie, near Oban, has a very productive old orchard, consisting of cherry, plum, apple, and pear trees, also enclosed by a stone dike and hedge. In Oban there is likewise a small nursery, consisting chiefly of pears and other fruit-trees, also enclosed by a stone dike. At Auchnacalich, again, the seat of Ronald M'Donald, Esq., Staffa, Isle of Mull, there is a very neat garden, enclosed by a good stone wall, and very productive. Mr. Stewart, of Auchadanach, has a very productive orchard, consisting chiefly of apples, pears, cherries, and plums, enclosed by a stone dike. I am informed by a recent letter from Tobermory, Isle of Mull, that Colonel M'Lean, of Cole, is making fine gardens near that village. There is another old garden in ruin there, belonging to Colonel Campbell, now inhabited by owls and jackdaws: the garden was admirably laid out in the ancient style, enclosed with stone walls and a sunk outer fence, but in consequence of the mischievous boys and sailors in the neighbouring village, hardly a fruit tree now remains. Colonel Cameron has a most excellent garden in the very bosom of Ben Nevis near Fort William; this garden is very productive, although for four months in the year the sun never shines on it. There are many other excellent gardens in this neighbourhood, which are now much neglected, and to which the emulation produced by a Horticultural society would be most useful.

If you think any of the observations which I have made are worthy of your valuable Magazine, I shall be happy if you will give them a place, as I am anxious that the matter should be taken up by gentlemen connected with my native country.

JOHN CAMERON.

ART. XII. On an Improvement in the Propagation of the Double Camellia. By Mr. WILLIAM PIKE, Gardener to W. J. Brereton, Esq. of Brinton, Norfolk. Communicated by JOHN CARR, Esq. of Holt.

Sir,

I HAVE lately witnessed the result of an experiment made this summer by Mr. William Pike, on the propagation of double Camellias, which, if new, and he has never heard of its being adopted by any one else, appears to be well worthy the attention of the cultivators of that beautiful plant. The method he has adopted is this: instead of approach-grafting in the usual manner, he first detached shoots of the kinds to be propagated (five different double sorts) from the plants on which 12 they grew, and then inarched them upon the single plant, leaving a piece at the bottom of each sufficiently long to thrust into a phial which he kept constantly supplied with water. (fig. 12.) The whole of these plants have taken admirably, and have many buds formed for flowering: the ends also have formed knobs apparently to emit roots. If you think this communication is worthy of a place in your valuable Magazine, you are at liberty to insert it.

I

ain, &c.

JOHN CARR.

ART. XIII. On the Importance of ascertaining the simultaneous flowering of Trees and Shrubs. By W. T.

THIS correspondent, whose communication want of room compels us to abridge, states that he spent the spring of 1825 in Paris, and that he was much gratified in the gardens of the neighbourhood, with the manner in which flowering shrubs were grouped, so as to flower at the same time, and present masses of colours, brilliant, and at the same time harmonious. The Pyrus spectabilis (fig. 13. a.) he recommends as deserving a place in every shrubbery; the two species of Judas tree, Cercis siliquastrum (b), and canadensis (c), he observed grouped with Laburnum and purple lilac, producing a very

fine effect; Prunus nigra (d), he found one of the earl est flowering trees about Paris; Pyrus spectabilis (a) and white

Lilac come into flower together; Cydonia Japonica, red and blush, and the double yellow Whin formed a fine group; the Snowdrop tree, Halesia tetraptera (e) he found of a large size, and covered with white blossoms; he mentions a number of other trees and shrubs which he found particularly beautiful in the garden of Mr. Boursault; and in the Petit Trianon and some other gardens he observed Cytisus purpureus and austriacus, and white and yellow Broom, budded on Laburnums, and in bloom at the same time. This correspondent suggests that tables of the simultaneous blossoming of trees and shrubs would be of great importance to the ornamental planter; and he thinks that it would add greatly to the value of the "Flora Conspicua" of Mr. Morris, if he would, with every plant figured, give a list of all such as come simultaneously into blossom, with the colour of the flower and height.

A list of simultaneous flowering trees and shrubs, that is, of such as on the average of years come into flower in the same week, would unquestionably be of considerable use to the ornamental planter. Mr. Morris's elegant work (Gard. Mag. vol. i. p. 432.) is discontinued; but perhaps some other person will take the trouble of forming such a list, and whoever does so will find the most complete and easy means which,

as we believe, Europe affords, in the arboretum of Messrs. Loddiges (Gard. Mag. vol. i. p. 318.) The well-known liberality of these gentlemen will, we are sure, afford free access and every facility for making the necessary observations. We shall be happy to suggest what we consider the best plan of proceeding, and of arranging the list, and when completed to publish it in the Gardener's Magazine. In the meantime the nearest approximation to such a list, will be found in our Hortus Britannicus, Part IV. Classification of Hardy Trees and Shrubs according to the time of flowering, the height they grow to, and the colour of the flower. COND.

ART. XIV. On the Propagation and early Fruitfulness of the Fig-tree in Pots. By Mr. JOHN BORROWDALE, Gardener to Mrs. Dent, Wareop Hall, Westmoreland.

Sir,

I HEREWITH Send you an account of some figs, which I have lately propagated by cuttings. I got six well ripened young shoots, having only about one fourth of an inch of last year's wood, at the bottom of each cutting; I cut them across smoothly and at right angles, and planted them on the 15th of March last in the smallest pots I had, one in each pot, filling the pots with very light compost, but rich in manure. I then plunged them up to the rim in the pine-pit, and they very soon began to grow vigorously. As soon as they had made five and six leaves, I pinched out the leading bud. On the 1st of January I shifted them into pots seven inches deep by six inches wide. On the 1st of June I took their balls away, as they readily parted, being composed of such light compost; being repotted, they very soon made four and five shoots each, and when these had got as many joints and leaves, I again stopped them. Each plant has now from fifteen to eighteen fruit, which are swelling remarkably well; I have since removed them into pots ten inches deep by nine inches wide, and I also give them plenty of liquid manure. They are standing on a shelf in the pine-stove, and I think they will ripen the present crop by the middle of October, and they are putting out another set of branches, so that I shall probably get a second crop by Christmas. They are the large white Genoa fig. Should you think this