Sept. 11th. M. Hertz, who has a small nursery garden in Stuttgard, and whom I had previously seen in Kew gardens, very kindly volunteered to accompany me to the Royal Botanic Gardens here, which are situated at a short distance from the palace, and contain a number of old hothouses, and a good collection of plants in a very healthy state. In short, I was surprised to see the plants looking so healthy in such old worn out opaque roofed houses.
There are also cultivated here many very fine specimens of the Cacteæ. I saw one of the Cacteæ senilis above eighteen inches long, a very fine healthy plant. The Echinocactus cornigerus measured about six inches in circumference, and some other kinds were also nearly as fine.
The pleasure ground belonging to this palace contains about two hundred and sixty German acres; it is tastefully planted, and laid out in numerous drives and rides, forming a pleasant promenade for the public.
A very fine orangery, with dark roof, is situated at a considerable distance from the Botanic gardens, and near it a very complete flower house was erecting, the rafters of which were of metal, and the sashes all wood, heated with smoke flues, that pass under the pit, where an arched cellar is formed, so that mushrooms or other vegetables may be accelerated. I regretted that this house was not heated by hot-water, which would have rendered it very complete. It is intended to remove near to it the kitchen garden, which is situated at a very different part of the town, and in a very dilapidated state. Numerous pits for melons, and pines, are in these gardens, but in this state of intended transition they are not kept in good repair. After going through these different departments, M. Bosch, the superintendent of all the Royal gardens, then returned to the Botanic garden, while M. Hertz conducted me to a small villa garden, containing a very choice collection of Cacteæ, some fine large specimens of the Opuntia tribe and Cereuses were here.
Having called on the Baron de Meyendorff, the Russian ambassador at Stuttgard, his excellency accompanied me to a small nursery garden, which contained some good specimens of plants of the more hardy sorts of the New Holland and Cape species, but little of novelty amongst them. From hence we proceeded to the chateau of General Spizenberg, which has been lately erected on the side of a hill, commanding a most delightful and extensive prospect of Stuttgard and its varied scenery. I was much gratified to find that the old warrior, after undergoing the fatigues of many campaigns, was now devoting his leisure hours to the pursuit of botany and horticulture. Baron Meyendorff informed me that the general acts entirely as his own gardener, and he has certainly succeeded in forming a very choice collection of plants, consisting of hardy shrub, perennials, and exotics. There are grown in this small spot, sixty sorts of Camellias, a good variety of Ericas, and numerous other Cape plants, with some very curious Cacteæ. In a little stove, divided in two divisions, I observed also a few pine apples, but of a very inferior size, and not worth the trouble even of eating, let alone rearing. The other description of plants looked healthy, the peach-trees against the low wall were very well managed and neatly trained. The vines were also judiciously trained to a wooden trellising against the wall. On the whole it is an interesting collection, and well worth the stranger's notice. On my return I proceeded in the afternoon to Rosenstein palace, which is about two English miles from Stuttgard; but his excellency having the kindness to send his carriage, and being again accompanied by M. Hertz, we soon arrived there, and again met with M. Bosch.
This palace is a magnificent building, placed on a fine situation, commanding beautiful views of the Swabian Alps, also of Carstadt, where there are found buildings of the Romans, and large pieces of fossils, particularly of the mammoth. The Necker also forms a fine feature from this palace.
The grounds are very extensive, and the drives and walks well kept; the ground is now formed into beautiful sloping turf, which I understood was formerly in a very unlevel and rough state. It is beautifully diversified with various fine drives, which I could not but admire, being destitute of the fantastic twists, that are so often thrown in without the the least meaning.
At present the grounds around this palace have rather a naked appearance, for want of trees and shrubs, but this defect M. Bosch is rapidly removing, so that a few years will produce a very different effect; much difficulty is however experienced in getting the trees established, owing to the high elevation of the ground, and the general droughts in summer. At Rosenstein, I saw one of the most complete vineyards that I ever met with, formed on the slope of a hill, with wooden trellisses, so constructed as to have the greatest degree of the sun's rays, at that season when the fruit requires it most. These trellisses are arranged about six feet apart each other, and are formed thus, △, so that the vines are laid on an inclined plane, and the fruit appearing on all sides, have really a delightful effect. The trellis is five feet high, and six feet wide at bottom, and the whole constructed something like a parabola, and continued along the slope of ground in a curved line. I did not observe the vine in such a prolific state any where else, and the whole looked remarkably neat. At a considerable distance from the palace, some very extensive fruit terraces were forming on the slope of a hill, near the town of Carstadt; nearly two hundred men were busily employed blasting rock, and forming the terraces, which are intended for the vine, fig, peach, apricot, &c., and from the fine sheltered situation in which they are placed, I imagine the success will be fully equal to their expectations. On approaching these terraces I was at first surprised to observe the workmen surrounded by a number of soldiers, who were stationed at different parts, throughout them. I however soon observed that this precaution was necessary, as many of the workmen so employed, were convicts, and heavily loaded with chains round their legs. I walked over a great part of these extensive grounds, and was much pleased with the different objects I saw, and improvements proceeding with.
Sept. 12th. Started this morning, for Hohenheim palace, which is situated about six English miles from Stuttgard; it is now occupied as an agricultural establishment, and has attached to it a thousand acres of ground, devoted to agricultural experiments. I was much gratified by seeing the granary of seeds, consisting of a great variety of the different kinds used in husbandry, which was said to amount to five hundred sorts. The stock of cattle and sheep, is very fine and extensive. The repository of agricultural implements contains the various instruments used in farming, from every known country, and are all kept in excellent order.
The different domestic apartments in the palace, are occupied by numerous pupils, who congregate here from all parts of Germany. I was happy to learn that the produce of the establishment was sufficient to meet all the expences, attending its cultivation. In the pleasure ground, or rather nursery, a great quantity of the more common sorts of shrubs is cultivated. I observed a fine tree covered with fruit of the Prunus cirrhifera, an excellent plum, quite round, and of a purple colour. I also saw a fine specimen of the Tilia alba, that was planted by Duke Charles the Fraxinus juglandifolia, was a particularly noble plant, as well as the Quercus macrocarpa, and various other species of this genus. There are about sixty arpents of ground here, under young fruit tree cultivation, which are grown for sale.