he past month, by a reference to Clark and Aram's
stealing flower-roots from gentlemen's gardens to add to the
ornaments of their own. The writer might as well have said that
Clark and Aram were fair specimens of the whole human race, or
that every gay flower in a cottage garden has been so stolen.

The Manchester Garden, we should think, must, by this time, have an
Eden-like appearance. The Committee began fortunately. Mr. Loudon, in
one of his valuable Gardening Tours,[2] refers to "a few traits of
liberality in the parties connected with it; the noble result, as we
think, of the influence of commercial prosperity in liberalizing the
mind. Mr. Trafford, the owner of the ground, offered it for whatever
price the Committee chose to give for it. The Committee took it at its
value to a common farmer, and obtained a lease of the 16 acres (10
Lancashire) for 99 years, renewable for ever at 120l a year." He
describes the donations of trees, plants, and books, by surrounding
gentlemen, as very liberal. Mr. Loudon does not altogether approve of
the plan, and certainly by no means of the manner in which the Garden
has been planted, yet he has no doubt it will contribute materially to
the spread of improved varieties of culinary vegetables and fruits,
and to the education of a superior description of gardeners. He
commends the hothouses, which have been executed at Birmingham;
especially "the manner in which Mr. Jones has heated the houses by hot
water; though a number of the garden committee were at first very much
against this mode of heating. Mr. Mowbray (who planned the Garden)
informed us that last winter the man could make up the fires for the
night at five o'clock, without needing to look at them again till the
following morning at eight or nine. The houses were always kept as
hot as could be wished, and might have been kept at 100 deg. if thought
necessary. A young gardener, who had been accustomed to sit up half
the night during winter, to keep up the fires to the smoke flues
(elsewhere) was overcome with delight when he came here, and found how
easy the task of foreman of the houses was likely to prove to him, as
far as concerned the fires and nightwork."

[2] Gardeners' Magazine, No. XXXIII. August, 1831.

As a means of social improvement, (a feature of public interest, we
hope, always to be identified with _The Mirror_,) we need scarcely add
our commendation of the design of the