t64 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[August i, 1884. 



would be used up in oxidising the organic matter given 

 off from the lungs of the visitors. The next series of ex- 

 periments were commenced in February, daring which 

 month only an occasional visitor was admitted, and the 

 chief result was that iu the propagating-house the action 

 was found to be greater than in the external air, though 

 even then the coloration was marked as " very slight." 

 He obtained positive evidence that flowering plants atany 

 rate exhale ozone, and it became necessary to repeat the 

 experiments out-of-doors, and to ascertain whether the 

 reactions indicated by the test-papers were really caused 

 by ozone. Accordingly a plant case was removed to the 

 " back yard," where the plants received the sunshine for 

 at least eight hours daily during clear weather, and gave 

 still stronger evidence of their power in colouring the test- 

 papers, probably because the situation was better calculated 

 to enable them to exert their influence, and also because 

 the experiments were of longer duration. A piece of red 

 litmus suspended in the case gave no indication of the 

 presence of ammonia, and peroxide of hydrogen could have 

 nothing to do with the effects observed on the test-papers, 

 because the temperature of the air within the case, which 

 was carefully noted, ' was never found less than 90 ° , or 

 20 ° higher than, the point at which peroxide of hydrogen 

 is decomposed. Dr. Anders satisfied himself by several 

 repeated tests that the reactions were not due to nitrous 

 oxides, and that being the case, the conclusion is inevit- 

 able that flowering plants exhale ozone. A trial with foliage 

 plants having soft thin leaves gave negative results. Seven 

 plants of what Dr. Anders calls asperdisteus (probably 

 Aspidistra), one Fern, and three Dracaenas were placed in 

 the case for a week, the weather being extremely warm, 

 the temperature of the air in the case ranging from 85 ° 

 to 1 00 -* Fahr. The Schbnbein papers gave negative re- 

 sults throughout, and those prepared with guaiacum gave 

 one " very slight reaction." As the first experiment with 

 what Dr. Anders calls inodorous plants did not yield any 

 very definite results, a further trial with seventeen healthy 

 Pelargoniums was made for six days, the observations being 

 taken during ten hours on each day. The Scbfinbeins gave 

 one negative, and two " slight," three " marked " blue 

 shades, the negative result occurring on a rainy day when 

 there was no sunshine whatever. Further observations 

 were made on these plants with similar results, and the 

 conclusion again is inevitable, that flowering plants, even 

 when inodorous, exhale ozone. The experiments also prove 

 th: i sunshine, or at least strong diffused sunlight, is as 

 essential to the generation of ozone by plants as it is to 

 the work of assimilation and transpiration carried on by 

 them. — English Mechanic. 



THE OODEYPORE GARDENS. 



Mi'. T. H. Storey, the Superintendent, has issued the 

 following Report for 1883, on the Gardens of H. H. the 

 Maharana of Oodeypore, ChCSX: — 



The Gardens are situated in a valley bounded on the 

 south by a large hill over which the city wall runs- and 

 dips into the lake on the west side. The hill is very 

 grand, towering above the gardens and clothed with thick 

 jungle which during the rains is very imposing. The only 

 specimens worth noticing on it are Hemidesmus indicus 

 or Indian Sarsaparilla, Adiantum Oapillus Veneris and 

 Actinopteris Radiata. On the north lies one of the most 

 beautiful lakes in the plains of India which gives an 

 endless supply of water to the gardens and is about 

 80 ft. above its level, kept back by natural rocks and a 

 bund. The Palace lies to the North side also and com- 

 mands a fine view, not only of the gardens and city but 

 the lake plains and hills for miles around. The gardens 

 round the palace are very beautiful; plants are growing 

 in rustic baskets made of glass, marble and china, and meet 

 the eye on every side. There are also to be seen garden 

 seats, flower stands and tanks made of fine white marble 

 in which swans made of the same material are gracefully 

 swimming about. A great part of the lake can be seeu from 

 the palace windows, where you can always get, on the 

 hottest day, a fine cool breeze. In the centre of the laKe 

 and about half a mile apart are two islands palaces which 

 vie with each other in beauty. The one nearest the 

 palace has got a lovely garden containing a number of 

 orange trees of the finest description and bearing fruit of 



the finest flavour. On the opposite side of the lake are 

 acres of Lotus, Nelumbium Speciosum which flower during 

 the hot season; some of the leaves appearing like miniature 

 Victoria Regias. The flowers are also much larger than 

 than any I've ever seen before; some of them measuring 

 one foot in diameter. The only other aquatic plants found 

 in the lake are Vallisneria spiralis, Pistia Stratiotes [or 

 water soldier] and Anacharis Alsinastrum, and as the latter 

 is supposed to an American plant, it seems a mystery 

 how it fuund its way to an inland lake without any con- 

 nection or river. It is well known in England as it ob- 

 structs boating in canals and lakes and is commonly known 

 by the name of swan weed. I arrived at Oodeypore in 

 January mid took charge of the Gardens, which had up 

 to that tiine been managed by Mr. Umbaoji, the native 

 Engineer in charge of H. H.'s buildings. But the actual 

 garden work was carried out by Fatteh Singh, Head Gardener, 

 who came from the Government Botanical Gardens, 

 Saharanpure. The first work which I commenced was a 

 carriage drive from the centre to the east side, but owing 

 to want of material was obliged to abandon it for some time. 

 I then commenced a plot of ground at the back of a 

 little palace at the south side of the gardens with a view 

 of laying it out as a flower garden. I had it dug two 

 feet deep, all stones picked and the ground levelled, 

 manured and planted with Cynodon dactylon [Hurryalee 

 grass] roots, cut out handsome flower beds of different 

 shapes and planted them with annuals and also made a 

 rockery iu front of the palace which improved the place 

 very much. "We then commenced planting grass on either 

 side of the drive, which took a little over a month to 

 complete. The greater part of the drive was made with 

 mortar and rubbish from an old temple alongside it which 

 took a long time to clear away, after which we made 

 a temporary nursery for surplus trees and shrubs and 

 also a large plot of ground for hot weather vegetables, 

 which took almost a month to complete. On H. H.'s coming 

 to the gardens and consulting with me as to what should 

 be done with the whole plot over an acre in extent, it 

 was decided to lay it out as a cricket and tennis grounds. 

 The whole plot, with the exception of the vegetable ground, 

 was a complete jungle of useless fruit trees and shrubs, 

 and took a long time to clear away. This being done, 

 the land was ploughed and made quite level and the whole 

 planted with hurryalee grass roots and ornamental trees. 

 Two clumps of foliage and flowering shrubs were also put 

 down, leaving a place for sitting in the centre. H. H. 

 was very much pleased with the plot when finished. The 

 grass was collected from different parts of the garden 

 and planted at a trifling cost. Though unsightly at first, 

 it soon became quite as good as turf brought from the 

 opposite side of the lake. 



The next work of any importance was slopping the sides 

 of the carriage drive and making a curved road leading 

 up to the bird house. After finishing the road we began 

 the other side of the cricket ground about an acre in ex- 

 tent. The whole plot when finished and rolled looked 

 very well. 



As the rose plants were scattered in all parts of the 

 gardens, and it was very hard to look after them, H. H. 

 decided on making a new rose garden to the right of the 

 present main drive. The plot of ground selected for it 

 was very uneven and full of stones, which gave much 

 trouble to clear off. To bring the 60il from the foot of 

 the hill for filling up the holes, would have cost an im- 

 mense deal, so I decided on making a pond in the 

 centre to enable me to get sufficient soil to level off all 

 the plot and make it suitable for roses. The soil has 

 been washed down from the hill for generations past and 

 is very rich, so that a more suitable place could not have 

 been found. H. H. expressed a wish to have three or four 

 coloured roses on each standard, which was carried out 

 very successfully, and when in flower had a very pleasing 

 effect. Tlie kind of roses used for standard was Edouard 

 which seems to be the best I know of for working on. 

 The buds took very well. "We got a collection of named 

 varieties from the Taj Garden, Agra, but on their coming 

 into flower many of them were not true to name; for 

 iustance soinu marked white turned out red. The ground 

 took a long time to get into ruder, owing to stones, holes 

 and jungle. The pond in it looks very well and is intended 

 for Victoria Regi.i. I got ten Victoria seeds from Joseph 



