one or the other state in the previous embryo? or by what power are they made convertible? The subject is full of mystery; and, perhaps, as in the animal, so also in the vegetable physiology, to call these the actions of a vital energy we are unable to define is all the length we can yet go, and that all our theories will be the better of plasticity. Perhaps, either Mr. Towers or I may have extended Mr. Main's opinions farther than he thinks warranted himself, and, if so, I would be glad to have a proper and correct definition of them. Is the vegetable membrane the liber? or, like central points and axis, difficult of comprehension ?- R. Lymburn. Kilmarnock, May 13. 1840.

Constitutional Changes in Plants by being grown in Climates not natural to them. Did you notice what Mr. Paxton says in his last magazine (p. 80.) about the correas which are impregnated and raised from seeds in heat? He seems to think that this treatment would affect the future hardiness of plants so raised. I once saved seeds from a cucumber which ripened in the open air, and thought that plants raised from these seeds would prove hardier, as a matter of course. I do not think so now, neither do I think that Mr. Paxton's opinion is right on the other side of the question; but he is perfectly right in giving a candid opinion. Nothing tends more to the advancement of knowledge than that those who can think for themselves should avow their opinions, and not pin their faith to the sleeves of others; opposite opinions are thus brought before the public, who may canvass them till truth is sifted out. I am of opinion, reasoning from analogy and from some practice, that an acorn may be vegetated in a stove or melon bed, and the seedling oak grown there for ten years, and if afterwards it is inured to the open air by degrees, it will prove to be quite as hardy as its parent. Yea, if you could follow up your seedling oak till it produced acorns in the stove, and vegetate these again in heat, keeping the seedlings in constant heat for any length of time, they may be afterwards inured to the open air, and will be found just as hardy as if the mother and grandmother had been raised and grown in the highest latitude peculiar to the species; and that this physiological law holds good in the whole vegetable kingdom, whether hardy plants or otherwise. In thus defending an opinion of mine once hastily expressed in this Magazine, I am sure Mr. Paxton will not be the least offended at it. No one can appreciate Mr. Paxton's useful career better than myself. D. Beaton. May 5. 1840.

ART. VIII. Queries and Answers.

ADAPTIVENESS of Trees and Shrubs to Soils. — Permit me to hope to see a few lines from some of your correspondents on the adaptiveness of trees and shrubs (both ornamental and useful) to soils; setting forth, at one view, what would best thrive on clays, on clays with a substratum of blue marl, on Shanklin sand or galt, on firestone, on light soils, on stiff soils, &c.— E. Upper Seymour Street, May 8. 1839.

The Cóccus on the Larch.. The young larch plantations here, near Melton Mowbray, have been infested by the enclosed pest [a branch of larch infested with Cóccus láricis] during the last three summers; and they are now increased to such an alarming extent that we almost despair of saving the trees. Is it the Cóccus láricis mentioned in the Ency. of Gard. § 6595. as seriously injuring most of the plantations in Britain about the year 1805? [Yes.] Sickly plants of the Scotch pine and the silver fir are also infested by a woolly insect, which I should say is an A'phis; however, it is evidently different from the one upon the larch. To apply means for their destruction we fear would be an operation too formidable to encounter. I trust that you, or some of your scientific correspondents, through the medium of your excellent Magazine, will throw a little light on the subject, that we may be able to anticipate their departure in the same mysterious manner as that in which they arrived; and will also inform us whether there is an instance known of larch plantations having been totally destroyed by them.-F. May 6. 1840.

The Plant Naras 66 was growing on little knolls of sand; the bushes were about 4 or 5 feet high, without leaves, and with opposite thorns on the light and dark green striped branches. The fruit has a coriaceous rind, rough with prickles, is twice the size of an orange, or 15 or 18 inches in circumference, and inside it resembles a melon, as to size and as to pulp. I seized a halfripe one, and sucked it eagerly for the moisture it contained, but it burned my tongue and palate exceedingly, which does not happen when this most valuable fruit is ripe; it has then a luscious subacid taste. Some plants of naras are growing in England (March, 1838) from seeds which I brought home; they are 1 ft. high, and beginning to branch, having two thorns at each articulation, and a stipule, scarcely to be called a leaf, between them, on the axis of which is the bud, but no leaves." The above passage is quoted by the Literary Gazette from Alexander's Expedition of Discovery into Southern Africa. Can you give any additional information about the plant alluded to? -J. B. W.

ART. IX. Contributions towards a Life of Lancelot Brown, Esq., the celebrated Landscape-Gardener, and Thomas Whately, Esq., the Author of " Observations on Modern Gardening."

IN the Correspondence of the Earl of Chatham, just published in four 8vo volumes, there are several letters to and from Mr. Brown, by which it appears that he was a great favourite of George the Third, much respected by the Duke of Northumberland and various other noblemen, and above all by Lord Cobham, to whom, at Stowe, he was many years gardener. It is hardly possible for any individual to have a higher testimony borne to his character than is contained in some of the following paragraphs:

The first is a note to a letter from John Calcraft, Esq., to the Earl of Chatham, dated Leeds Abbey, May 17. 1771. The writer, who was just recovering from a severe illness, after thanking Lord and Lady Chatham for their enquiries, says: "Change of air was advised to gain strength, which added to Mr. Brown's' summons, who is really exerting himself [to effect some political changes], brought me for two days to the place, which he will much improve.'

"Lancelot Brown, Esq., eminent for his taste and skill in laying out gardens and pleasure-grounds, better known by the name of Capability Brown,' from his frequent use of that word, in reference to the sites submitted to his arrangement. In the preceding year, he had served the office of high sheriff for the county of Huntingdon, which county his son afterwards represented in parliament. It has been said of him, that he was not only an able artist, but an honest man; for that, on being solicited by the king to improve the grounds at Hampton Court, he declined the hopeless task, out of respect to himself and his profession." (Correspondence, &c., vol. iv. p. 178.) The next passage is a note to a letter from Mr. Brown to the Earl of Chatham, dated May 3. 1777. We shall first give Mr. Brown's letter.

"My Lord, In a conversation I have lately had [with the king], I was heard with attention. I went as far as I durst upon such tender ground. My reason for troubling your Lordship with this, is owing to a conversation I had with the Duke of Northumberland. I told his Grace the state of your Lordship's health; on which he told me he would immediately wait on your Lordship. When he comes I hope your Lordship will be well enough to see his Grace: no man more truly devoted to your Lordship's interest than he is. There was a meeting yesterday amongst the Lords Rockingham, Camden, Shelburne, Grafton, Abingdon, Craven, &c. - Lancelot Brown. 2"

"2" Capability Brown.' This worthy character came into the service of Lady Chatham's father when a boy, in 1737, and rose by his merit to be head gardener at Stowe, in which capacity he continued till 1750, when, at

the recommendation of Lord Cobham, George the Second appointed him to the same situation at Hampton Court and Windsor. He died in 1783. The following pleasant passage is from a letter, written by Lord Chatham to Lady Stanhope: 'I will not fail to obey your Ladyship's commands by writing to Mr. Brown. I do so with particular pleasure, persuaded that you can not take any other advice so intelligent or more honest. The chapter of my friend's dignity must not be omitted. He writes Lancelot Brown, Esq.,. en titre d'office. Please to consider, he shares the private hours of [the king]; dines familiarly with his neighbour of Sion [the Duke of Northumberland], and sits down at the tables of all the house of Lords, &c. To be serious, madam, he is deserving the regard shown to him, for I know him, upon very long acquaintance, to be an honest man, and of sentiments much above his birth. As he lives at Hampton Court, and has many calls upon his time, he may not be at liberty.'" (Chatham Correspondence, vol. iv. p. 430.)

The following note to a letter from John Calcraft, Esq., to the Earl of Chatham, is dated Sackville Street, January 22. 1771. It is extremely interesting, as showing that Mr. Whately was appointed to a situation somewhat analogous to his taste, and as fixing the year of Mr. Whately's death. The passage in Mr. Calcraft's letter, to which the note is appended, is as follows: "Bathurst is chancellor, De Grey is chief justice of the common pleas, Thurlow attorney-general, Mr. Wedderburn solicitor-general and queen's chancellor. Good Mr. Whately, for his services, has the choice either of board of trade or green-cloth."

"I Thomas Whateley, Esq., at this time under secretary to Lord Suffolk, and member for Castle Rising. He had held the office of secretary to the Treasury, during Mr. Grenville's administration, and was that gentleman's private secretary when he was one of the secretaries of state, at which time Sir Philip Francis [author of the Letters of Junius] held a situation in the same office under Lord Egremont: this contiguity of station,' observes the author of Junius identified, affording him frequent opportunities of acquiring all that intimate and oracular knowledge of Mr. Whately," which is evinced in the following extract from Junius: - This poor man, with the talents of an attorney, sets up for an ambassador, and with the agility of Colonel Bodens, undertakes to be a courier. Indeed, Tom! you have betrayed yourself too soon. Mr. Grenville, your friend, your patron, your benefactor, who raised you from a depth, compared to which even Bradshaw's family stands on an eminence, was hardly cold in his grave, when you solicited the office of go-between to Lord North. You could not, in my eyes, be more contemptible, though you were convicted (as I dare say you might be) of having constantly betrayed him in his lifetime. Since I know your employment, be assured I shall watch you attentively. Every journey you take, every message you carry, shall be immediately laid before the public. Tom Whately, take care of yourself. (Vol. iii. p. 310.) Mr. Whately was the author of two pamphlets in defence of Mr. Grenville's financial measures, and also of an ingenious work, entitled An Essay on Design in Gardening." [This is a mistake; the essay alluded to is by Mr. George Mason. Mr. Whately was the author of Observations on Modern Gardening, the first and the best of all the works on landscape-gardening that have ever appeared.] "In January, 1772, he was made keeper of the king's private roads, gates, and bridges, and conductor of his person in all royal progresses, and died in the June following." (Chatham Correspondence, vol. iv. p. 75.)

In the notes to these Letters, the excellent taste of the Earl of Chatham in laying out grounds is repeatedly mentioned, more particularly by Bishop Warburton. The places on which he exercised his taste are the South Lodge on Enfield Chase, noticed in our preceding volume, p. 513., and Hayes in Kent, noticed in one of our earlier volumes as being the place where Brugmansia sanguínea was first raised from seed.

THE

GARDENER'S MAGAZINE,

JULY, 1840.

ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS.

ART. I. Notes on some Country Seats and Gardens in Lincolnshire, Staffordshire, and Middlesex, visited in May, 1840. By the CON

DUCTOR.

HARLAXTON MANOR.-May 20. We had heard much of this place from various architects and amateurs for several years; and an accidental circumstance having brought us in communication with its proprietor, Gregory Gregory, Esq., that gentleman kindly acceded to our wish to see the works going forward on the new site chosen by him for the family residence. Mr. Gregory resides at Hungerton Hall, about five miles from Grantham, and his building and gardening operations are carrying on in a striking situation on the side of a hill, between Hungerton and Grantham, near the ancient village of Harlaxton, as well as in that village. The improvements consist of the erection of a large mansion in the style of James I., the laying out of gardens around it in the geometric style, and the picturesque decoration of the village. As Mr. Gregory superintends every part of these improvements very much himself, both as respects the design and detail, he has been obliged to confine the admission to these works, during their progress, to his own immediate acquaintance; both for the comfort of his own privacy, and on account of the disadvantages that would arise from the interruption of successive visiters.

The parish of Harlaxton would appear to have been the residence of wealthy persons at a very early period. Had there been no other circumstances to prove this, that of an ancient manorial dwelling, called the Manor House, now existing in the village in a state of great dilapidation, although partially inhabited by persons placed there to take care of it, would have been sufficient. It seems to have been a part of a mass of property in this neighbourhood which has frequently been a portion of the jointures of queens of England; and the great natural fertility of the lands around this old mansion, with copious springs of water under its foundations, are additional attestations of its early selection as an abode for persons of wealth.

Antiquarians have mostly united in the notion that it is one of the few remaining early houses of importance that were built apart from towns: they assign it to the period of Richard II., judging from the tracery and forms of the windows, &c.; and this conjecture is in some degree confirmed by some ancient monuments in the church, of a style coeval with that reign.

The grandfather of the present proprietor married the heiress of a branch of the noble family of De Ligne, subsequently to its alliance with that of the Dukes d'Arenberg. Our readers will remember that it was the celebrated Prince de Ligne, chief of this family, who was so conspicuous in the leading royal courts of Europe, at the close of the last century, from his sparkling wit and talents; and that he, owing to his extensive travels, was the first who was enabled to publish a general view of the style, feeling, and taste of gardens throughout Europe, and who created those of his own family seat at Beloeil, in Hainault, which are mentioned in the poem of Les Jardins by De Lille :

"Belœil tout à la fois magnifique et champêtre."

Harlaxton was purchased at the end of the fifteenth century by a younger branch of this family, who, having embraced the reformed religion, came to England to avoid the persecutions of the Duke of Alva, in the time of Philip of Spain. They brought with them great wealth, and made those alterations in the mansion-house which are of the period of James I., and contribute so much to give it the present striking appearance. The family portraits, and the arms of the family in stained glass, with a pedigree written in the French language of the day, are still preserved in the house. It is an interesting family record, showing how many of this house have been knights of the Golden Fleece, and borne many important charges of government, both civil and military, during so long a period in the annals of the Low Countries and the empire.

The parish of Harlaxton, being remote from any public road, has been scarcely at all noticed in topographical works, and there is no county history. As a proof of this, it may be observed, that, notwithstanding the great taste which has prevailed for a number of years past for publications containing engravings of manorial buildings, the unique specimen of Harlaxton Manor-House has not, as far as we know, been either described or engraved. This manor-house is situated in the bottom of a rich valley, close by a small rill of fine water. It is a single house, the hall extending lengthwise, and occupying the whole breadth of the building; while the principal rooms, which extend crosswise, are increased in size by projections of considerable depth, which being carried up, and terminating in gable ends, break the line of roof; and, combined with smaller