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country. The native Violet has no scent. A great many plants 

 and shrubs have the pea-shaped blossom, but the Acacias have the 

 Mimosa flower. We have here two or three s])ecies of the Bush 

 Mimosa, and some of them are pretty little shrubs, the flowers being 

 mostly shades of yellow, 



I think I mentioned before the peculiarity of the Zantherrea not 

 sending up its flower-stalk unless a bush-fire had passed over the 

 plant in the previous summer. In the stringy back forests these 

 plants abound. The road to Adelaide passes 

 through ten miles of such country, and in 

 passing along in the winter or following 

 spring, on one side of the road the forest 

 which was burnt the previous summer will 

 exhibit these plants all alive and flowering, 

 while on the other side of the way all are 

 dull and asleep ; there is not one sufficiently 

 awake to lift up its head; and they will 

 remain in this condition for years, unless the 

 fire awakens their dormant energies. I sup- 

 pose the real state of the case is, that they 

 are too much asleep to be able to flower, 

 and in throwing up fresh leaves after their 

 tops have been burned off, they send up a 

 blossom-stalk too. The latter resembles a 

 tall bulrush ; it is eight or ten feet high, 

 and is thickly set at the top with small 

 white flowers. 



Our garden now (June 1) looks win- 

 terly ; the fruit-trees and vines have nearly 

 lost all their leaves, and a strong wind to- 

 day has been whirling them all about the 

 garden ; but the weather thus far has been most delightful, more 

 like spring than winter. Fuchsias and Pelargoniums are in flower 

 in the open ground, and have scarcely yet received a check ; the 

 Pelargoniums in particular are as vigorous and fresh as ever. With 

 regard to the Fuchsias, I think a little more frosty weather would be 

 acceptable ; for, flowering as they do from early spring till late in 

 autumn, they seem to need a sound winter's sleep ; with us they 

 have just sufficient frost to make them shed all their leaves, and keep 

 them in sound repose for three or four months. But this season has 

 been unusually mild, and the poor Fuchsias seem lingering out their 

 day's work, but evidently now reluctantly, as if they wished it was 

 over. We, however, much want some finer varieties. The Pelar- 

 goniums do not make sound enough wood to stand much continued 

 frost. The Aloes, and the more hardy species of Cacti, thrive well 

 with us, and they are a handsome and singular addition to a garden ; 

 but they are rather spiny, and their spines being barbed, they re- 

 quire some care in handling. I will now wind up for the present, 

 wishing prosperity to the Florist and its Conductor. 



E. M. 



