Belmont Place, the residence of J. P. Gushing, Esq., Watertown. This is one of the most noted places in this neighborhood, remarkable especially for its completeness in all departments, and upon the whole it is a place worthy of something more than a passing notice. The grounds around the mansion, display not much variety of surface, sloping a little towards the highway; very imperfectly, and I would gay rather unpicturesquely raried with ornamental trees; but little judgment haying been exercised in the original distribution of the plantation. The walks about the place appeared to us to be arranged without either utility, simplicity, or effect, more especially the larger carriage drives, which seem to run in upon and parallel to each other, in a somewhat unceremonious manner - exhibiting a very apparent deficiency of that grace and dignity which carriage roads should possess in a demense of the pretensions of Mr. Cushing's. The grounds are laid out in a half park, half pleasure-ground sort of style, and seem to have been done without any obvious leading principle, other than that suggested by the idea of filling the ground with trees, and letting them grow till they destroyed each other.*

The principal feature of this place is the fine range of hot-houses, which are erected within an enclosure surrounded by a brick wall, and finely trellised for training fruit trees on its ample surface. There is a fine range of hot-houses on the southern wall, some three hundred feet long, with inferior ranges on the eastern and western walls for peaches. The conservatory, in the center, is a noble house, though somewhat badly arranged with regard to plant growing; yet the effect is good, where the plants are nicely arranged on the stages, and covered with bloom, as was the case during our visit. There are many fine plants in this house, especially a noble plant of Rhododendron arborea, which we thought altogether out of place, and ought to be standing out of doors, which it would do with a little protection in winter - [not in such winters as this. Ed.] The plants have very much improved since we last visited this place, and many noble specimens are now in full blossom, manifesting great skill in their culture. The gardener pointed out to us a new seedling Abutilon, which we propose naming Shimminii, in honor of its raiser Mr. Shimmin, the superintendent of the gardens. This Abutilon is a hybrid between the A. venustum and A. Bedfordiana, and much finer than either.

We never saw the Bletia Tankervilla flowered so splendidly as here, some pots throwing up more than a dozen large flower spikes. Torenia aeiatica, in large globular masses, the finest we ever saw. We hope Mr. Shimmin, or his foreman Mr. Everts, will favor us with his manner of culture and management for our gardener.

Oakly Place, the residence of Mrs. Pratt, is near Mr. Cushing's, and presents a fine specimen of a small country place, combining the picturesque and the natural - the gar-denesque and the wild, in beautiful harmony together. From one point in the garden a splendid birds-eye view of the surrounding country is obtained, studded with villages, school houses and church spires - constituting the finest prospect we have seen in the vicinage of Boston. The mansion house is approached by a noble avenue of trees, and stands on the brow of an eminence overlooking the whole country around. A beautiful gate house has just been erected, the prettiest thing of the kind hereabouts, and has a fine effect on passing along the highway. The hot-houses here are in excellent order, and a summer plant house was erected last year for arranging the camellias in during the summer months. This novel structure is perfectly unique, having the plan and elevation of a common span roofed green-house, but covered roof and sides with slats (narrow strips of boards) two inches wide, diamond fashion. This is a most useful house, as it shades the plants from the hot sun, yet admits sufficient air and light to enable them to mature their growth and buds.

Everything about this place exhibits a superior skill in culture and keeping, and many things worthy of the imitation of the amateur and practical gardener. Mr. McLbn-nan showed us a lot of Rhododendrons which had been planted out on an open border for a number of years, which looked well, and were quite covered with flower buds. This we consider quite a triumph in this Borealean climate.

* Our corretpoodent hardly does justice to Belmont Place - which is certainly open to criticism in the way in which it has been planted - but which, take it as a whole, including pleasure grounds, gardens, stables, stock and farm, is the most complete gentleman's residence in New-England. Ed.

The residence of Mr. Bigelow, near Brighton, is a prettily situated spot, nestling snugly on the sunny slope of a hill-side. Here we found a pretty good range of hot-houses, consisting of two graperies, with a small green-house in the center; the latter rather small, badly contrived, but containing a nice assortment of green-house plants. We found here the finest specimens of Ericas that we have yet seen around Boston. The E. transparent and metuleflora bicolor, were splendid, and some fine large specimens of the soft wooded kinds. How seldom we see a good Erica, and how seldom any at all, except the few very common ones grown by florists to produce cut flowers. Such plants as those of Mr. Bigblow's, would almost tempt one to build a house for Ericas alone, for surely no tribe of plants in the whole vegetable kingdom better deserves one. This place was under the care of Mr. Brims, a good gardener; and one who apparently prides himself in neatness - for what is something rare just now, every pot was as clean as a dinner plate, and the whole place showed the utmost care and attention on the part of the gardener.

This place is noted for grapes, and from the appearance of the vines, they will satisfy the ex* pectations which we have formed of them, and maintain the high reputation they have formerly possessed.

The residence of Jonathan French, Esq., Roxbury, is a charming little place. The grounds possess no natural advantages, and are almost entirely dependent on art for their interest and beauty. The surface at one time was full of ledges, so much so that scarcely a tree could be planted till a hole had been blasted for it with powder. Yet the grounds are now well laid out, and judiciously planted. A fine green-house has been built lately, the site of which, we were informed, was cut out of the solid rock. This house is filled with a fine collection of plants, including some splendid Camellias, Ericas, Epacris, Asa-leas, Geraniums, Roses, etc., kept in excellent order by the gardener, Mr. Walsh, to whom much credit is due for the present condition of the place, and the healthiness and vigor of the plants and shrubs. On a level plateau between the green-house and the highway, Mr. Walsh has laid out a very pretty flower garden, with gravel walks edged with box, which, when filled with a great variety of summer flowering plants, forms a beautiful object in the grounds.

There are few places in this neighborhood where so much has been done in a small space as here, and fewer still, where everything is kept in such good order. We cannot omit to mention, that the finest roses which have been grown in this part of the country, have been produced at this place, by Mr. Walsh, who grows them in a pit heated by hot-water pipes, by which he can turn on or take off heat, at pleasure; this is a most admirable method, and one that we hope to see more extensively adopted for the culture of plants in winter, as well as in forcing cucumbers, and other early crops in spring, by which the expense and labor, as well as precariousness of dung-beds, are entirely obviated. We left this pretty little place much pleased with our call, and highly delighted with the science, skill,* and neatness, which characterised everything about it, and will return with pleasure to see its beauties under more favorable circumstances.

During our ramble we visited a considerable number of other places, which I shall communicate at some early opportunity Horticola.

Boston, Feb. 8, 1852.