But there are many quiet, snug little gardens and delicious retreats, scattered here and there, through the city and its suburbs, giving a little variety to the ungainly masses of brick and mortar that constitute our squares, for except in public buildings, New-Orleans possesses no architectural beauty. As the city becomes Americanised, more and more taste seems to be developed. The houses are built back from the street. Trees are planted. Shrubberies unfold their sweets, and an idea begins to prevail, that there are other pleasures besides the gathering of dollars, and filling the stomach with dainties from the market.

The markets here are poorly supplied with vegetables. Celery is brought from the west, as are cabbages; every boat that comes down in the fall being literally covered with the latter. Strawberries are very scarce, and very acid, as a general rule. I have, however, seen fine ones in the gardens upon the coast. They are just beginning to find out how to cultivate them. I was on a visit last year, to a plantation not far from the city, the proprietor of which took me out one fine morning to admire his strawberry beds, which were white with blossoms. He remarked that it was singular he never could raise any, though his plants seemed to bloom well, and had the greatest attention paid to them. He had tried to raise them for five years, and was about giving them up in despair. I examined his plants, and found they were nearly all males. I explained to him the distinction, which, though he had heard of, had never been pointed out to him before. It appears he had purchased his plants from some dishonest nurseryman in the west, who had taken advantage of his ignorance on the subject, and got rid of his barren plants at a high price. This year he will have a fair crop, as will many of his neighbors, who have heretofore been in the same predicament as himself.

While on the subject of strawberries, I will correct an error of the great Linnaeus, who has said that strawberries were good for the gout. A friend of mine tried the experiment, and literally "put his foot into it,9' for he was rewarded for his indulgence by a very sharp fit of that by no means pleasant disease.

Within the last year or two, I have seen very fine Cauliflowers in the market. The Artichoke,, which, when properly cooked, is a delicious vegetable, is here a great favorite, and very common. Every garden, of course, contains a space devoted to Okra. Water-melons will grow here, but are very insipid, while the green fleshed Nutmeg Melon, is nowhere more delicious. Figs and Oranges are abundant, while the Pear, Cherry, and the Plum, (except the wild kinds,) do not thrive at all. Bannanas grow and bear readily in the open air, but in very cold seasons are apt to be killed to the roots, when it requires two years for them to bear again. They are, however, imported in profusion from Havana, with Oranges and Pineapples, and other tropical fruits. The Olive will stand the winter here, and bear well, and might be made a source of profit; but I have only seen it grown on one or two plantations', and then only as a curiosity.

As I have before stated, there is not much true horticultural taste here, or much knowledge of trees and shrubs, either in town or country. Perhaps one reason is, that there are no large nurseries, from which trees and shrubs may be seen and procured. There arc several nurseries on a small the most common sorts of trees, flowers and shrubs, such only as meet with a ready sale; such as Peltisfurmus,[?] Magnolias, Arbor Vitaes, Cedars, Oleanders, Tallow trees, (introduced only within the last few years,) and any quantity of roses. The most beautiful tree I have yet seen in the south, is the Date Palm. It resists the cold weather, grows with remarkable rapidity, and yet is rarely planted, or to be found in the nurseries. The largest here, is one standing in an old stable yard, and receives no care or protection. It is supposed to hare been planted by the Jesuits some sixty years since. It is from thirty to forty feet in height, and perhaps eighteen inches in diameter. I have seen it in flower, but of course, standing alone, without a male, it bears no fruit. There are one or two others in the city; one is now in sight from my window as I write.

Though planted only about twenty years ago, it is thirty feet high, and ten inches in diameter.

The Mespilus Japonica has become quite a favorite tree here. The fruit is no addition to our stock, but the tree is beautiful, and withstands the cold even better than the Magnolias, native though they are. But alter all, no tree is more deservedly a favorite than the Magnolia grandiflora. It is almost the only tree from the woods that is thought worthy of being transplanted into the shrubbery - a great mistake, by the way. In the city during winter, it is rather meagre, and suffers more from the cold than it does in the woods. There, however, it is always beautiful. I once traveled up the Mississippi during the season of its bloom. Occasionally our boat would sweep in sight of a forest of Magnolias, which, covered with their beautiful and fully expanded flowers, presented one of the most beautiful sights I ever witnessed. As we neared the shore, the whole air seemed laden with fragrance, and to add interest to the scene, a flock of bright-winged Paroquets were glancing amid the green foliage and the luxuriant undergrowth of the forest. The Magnolia glauca grows freely in the swamps, but it is seldom seen in the gardens. It may be considered here, as much an evergreen as the grandiflora. The Sweet Gum is another common tree here, and in my opinion the most beautiful.

When it has attained any great size, it is covered with a peculiar corky excrescence on the branches, that, when it sheds its leaves, gives it a singular and not uninteresting appearance.

The deciduous Cypress is the most common tree of the swamps and woods, but it is rarely applied to any ornamental use, beautiful as it is. Both Loudon and Michaux fall into the error of supposing the timber of this tree to be durable. It decays sooner than that of almost any other tree, and is peculiarly susceptible to the attacks of insects, when employed in the construction of houses. It grows to an enormous size, and presents a remarkable appearance with, (as is almost always the case,) its branches covered with the huge green moss peculiar to this climate. In walking through the forest, one is struck with the singular excrescences called Planter's or Cyprus Knees, that rise in every direction from the roots, from two to five feet in height. They never vegetate.

I have not been able to find either the Gordonia lasianthus or pubescent in the nurseries; nor, indeed, have I found a single nurseryman here that knows them even by name. Yet they are natives of. the south, and from their habits of flowering very early, are well worthy of any shrubbery. Until it attains great age, the Live Oak is far from being a beautiful tree. A collection of them looks exactly like an old apple orchard. In the spring of the year, the Water Oak is far more beautiful. Its bright green leaves, which put forth very early, are really beautiful.

The grape-vine does not produce well here. Higher up, at Natchez, there are several vineyards. The principal grape cultivated is the Scuppernong or Roanoake. It is said to make a palatable wine. In a small yard in Natchez, attached to the residence of Mr.

believe to be the original of the fur-famed Ohio, or Cigar-box Grape, of Mr. Longworth. The leaves and growth of the plant are the same, and no difference exists in the taste of the fruit or the formation of the bunches. It is there known by the name of the Jack Grape, so called from an old Spaniard of the name of Jaques, who introduced the vine. I do not think it a native grape. The vine, when I saw it in 1840, was trained to a small arbor, and had on it more than two thousand bunchss of grapes, many of them a foot in length. Mr. C. imformed me that many years previous he had sent Mr. Longworth the cuttings from this vine, on several occasions as opportunity offered, but had never heard of their being received. There are other matters in and about Natchez, in the horticultural line, worthy of notice, but as my notes have already exceeded what I intended, I must conclude for the present. Sylvanus.

New-Orleans March 20,,1851.