OF the various enterprises of the West, identified with ornamental gardening, the most prominent which we have seen in our travels is that of Shaw's Gardens, St. Louis. As a botanical garden it is perhaps the very best in the West, as pains have been taken to gather a large number of the best specimens of eaeh class of plants. But its celebrity has come mainly from its popularity as a pleasure resort for the citizens of the city. It bears the same relative position in St. Louis among pleasure lovers, as the Central Park in New York city, or Woodward's Gardens in San Francisco. Originally known as the Missouri Botanical Garden, it was founded in 1858, by Henry Shaw, Esq., a wealthy citizen of the city. Possessing a love for rural ornament and gardening, as well as being the owner of an immense landed property on the outskirts of the city, measured by the square mile or more, he began the formation of the garden, both for personal amusement and yet with benevolent purpose - to afford a good example in the encouragement of rural taste. It has grown in his hands from small beginnings, until at last it fills a space of no less than 110 acres.

The city has grown out to it; its finest avenue now skirts his property, and like many other places of like beauty, it has passed from its beauty as a private place to its form as a favored resort for the public, and some time since was presented by him to the city, and now is the most acceptable place of enjoyment in the vicinity. It is surrounded by a very high and strong stone wall, and after passing the porte, the horticulturist will, in makingbis tour of observation, notice first the profusion of shrubbery, which gather mostly in the beds at the back-ground, near the wall. The place inside is divided up into beds, paths and small avenues, with an idea mainly to convenience rather than picturesquenese or attempt at geometrical gardening. Tall arbor vitas stand , singly up and down the paths, from 15 to 20 feet high, and Norway spruces, 30 feet or more, are exceedingly frequent. Immediately in front of the gate, and in the center of the principal garden, is the large conservatory, and in front of this is a plaza of perhaps 200 feet square, surrounded by a raised turf embankment of two feet. Each side has an entrance of descending steps, and on each side of the steps are large tubs with noble specimens of agaves, usually five feet in height.

Within this plaza are grouped not far from 20 flower beds, each containing a different arrangement of plants. One bed contained in the center a tail spruce, the ends each a juniper, and the intermediate spaces were packed close with standard roses. Another bed, circular, had an arbor vitro, six feet high, in the center, and completely surrounded with the Cineraria maritima. A third bed had a juniper in the center, and the rest filled with a solid mass of petunias in bloom. A fourth had an arbor vitro in the center, surrounded by the Lemon Verbena. The center bed, star-shaped, contained two vases with agaves, mounted upon stone pedestals, and the rest of the bed was filled with scarlet geraniums. Four junipers, eight feet high, graced the corners. Another year, when visiting there, these beds were filled with vincas only. Two small oval beds contained in the center an immense colocasia, and the rest was filled up with caladiums. These beds were each duplicated exactly opposite each side of the center path.

One of the most striking scenes was a long hedge, reaching from this plaza to the tower or pavilion, consisting of Japan quince, smoothly cut and very symmetrical, four feet high. Between this and the turf-covered walk was a row of striking cinerarias, and backed with the still more showy flowers of the Phlox and Geranium.

A special feature we noticed here in the use of flowers, is the frequent use of popular flowers, easily grown, and which most people know. Annuals, perennials, verbenas, geraniums, vincas, roses, etc., are used in the utmost profusion, and few others. There is really little attempt at the fashionable garden diversion of the present day - subtropical gardening - for indeed the place is so full, there is little room for it, and there is absolutely no lawn until we pass beyond the wall into the immediate ground of Mr. Shaw's own residence.

Around the plaza extends a grand walk, and along this are laid long beds of infinite varieties of flowers, and curious plants. A good feature is, that each plant or bed has a stake designating the name. Thus people see and learn, without asking troublesome and needless questions. We noticed in juxtaposition the Fountain Plant (Amaranthus solid-folius), echeverias, verbenas with scarlet eyes, portulaccas, perpetual roses, geraniums, etc., etc., alternating with each other. Outside of this walk, the gardens are made up of successive strips of lawn, evergreen, hedges and flower borders. At one part of the garden, all paths and beds converge towards the tower; then back of the conservatory all are arranged to meet the gravel walk, which passes close to the wall. One border we remember was devoted entirely to paeonias, coleus and zinnias. Another and very large border, say 50 feet wide, contained specimen plants of cannas, ricinus, low-growing shrubs, spiraeas, magnolias, arranged in due order back of each other, according to height, from lowest to highest. Even the Sunflower was not despised, but hung its huge head modestly, as though it knew it were in the presence of more brilliant society.

Stretched along the wall, 10 feet high, is a large trellis, covered with a mass of the luxuriant Trumpet creeper, whose blossoms show such a dazzling glory above the dark green of the leaves. Close along this wall is a long row of roses, each named. In another part of the wall is a long space devoted to a trellis for climbing roses. In fact, from the opening of spring to the end of summer, every day can show something in bloom, and the visitor can always come each week, and see something new unfolding its delicate blossoms. In blooming time the gardens are a wilderness of roses. They grow everywhere, and in one bed it was a delight to me to see a real hedge of them, all kinds mixed, and very strong and healthy. Farther up the large wall we meet other climbing plants - the old familiar Cottage Honeysuckle; then the American Ivy, or Virginia Creeper; then a bewildering, yet bewitching mass of grapevines; then figs trained against the wall, and nearly in fruit. Standard altheas are everywhere in blossom, and clipped spruces add another feature of novelty.

One of the prettiest beds was of a semi-tropical character, consisting of ricinus, cannas of all sorts and colors of leaves, bordered with scarlet geraniums.

The tower is a most charming place for a view. From here you look down upon all this loveliness, and behold the general effect far better than from any other point. It is octagonal in shape, with handsome portico and pillars, with stairs leading to second story, and surmounted with curved roof, painted blue, and an ornamental vane. From here can be seen the beds of quarter circles, with the rose hedges and borders of long rows of lilies, tritomas, yuccas and ornamental grasses.

A little turf-covered border to,a walk is lined with box single plants, and alternate plants of the Achyranthus, Geranium and Lemon Verbena. A common feature is the frequent hedges of different material. One hedge consisted of the Spiraea prunifolia, or plum-leaved spiraea of China. Then there are hedges of Juniperus sabinus, the Osage Orange. In the back part of the garden is a succession of stone mounds, whereon either trails some pretty vine, or are gathered ferns, such as the Osmunda interrupta, Onoclea sensibilis, Dioscorea veilosa, and over forty others. One little bed contained nothing but varieties of the Cornus florida, sanguinea, ser-rica. Even the Tobacco Plant (Nicotiana tabacum) was allowed to grow and bloom, and a right pretty object it was. By the side of it was the Nicotiana glauca, of smaller leaves but lighter green. A favorite feature of the garden was to gather plants into groups, as many specimens and varieties of each genus as possible. The Solanums were gathered in one group by themselves, the most noticeable specimens of which were dulcamara, warcse-wiczoides, discolor, sieglinge, malongena.

Throughout the entire garden were beautiful specimens of Juniperus virginiana, glauca, which seemed to be a favorite plant for corners and borders, Among other fine plants in the garden were noticeable the cembra, from Siberia; Biota orient alls nova, from China, 10 feet; Cupressus Lawsoniana, Cypress, Oregon, Abies nigra, Black spruce.