3G0 THE GARDENER. [Aug. 



BOTANICAL GARDENS, SYDNEY, N.S.W. 



Those who visit Sydney's infant turrets, and the new-born glories of 

 the "southern seas," should not pass by the beauties of these Gardens. 

 If they do not impress one with hoary wisdom and the dim associa- 

 tions of the past, which are so inseparable from the name of Kew, they, 

 on the other hand, go very far to demonstrate that our colonies are not 

 wholly given up to " gold-getting," but are intensely anxious that 

 botanical science should flourish among them. For this purpose these 

 Gardens were established, and likewise to furnish a home for those 

 floral beauties which her sons may bring from far. The extent of the 

 Gardens is about 40 acres, and they are bounded on the north by part 

 of the famous harbour, which is designated as one of the most pictur- 

 esque in the world. From this point the sea- view is very fine ; ships 

 ride at anchor within a few yards of a low sea-wall, and give to 

 the whole scene a grand nobility which canvas only could express. 

 We were told that the Gardens were naturally of a rocky, barren nature, 

 so that in many places large quantities of rock had to be quarried 

 away, and vegetation assisted by the introduction of soil. This has 

 been judiciously done ; the natural irregularities of surface having 

 been interfered with as little as possible. The grounds are divided 

 into two divisions, and known as the tipper and the lower garden. 

 The upper division is the older, and gives a fair notion of early efforts 

 at landscape-work. Then they had no time to trouble with curves — 

 straight lines and plenty of them being considered the two things 

 necessary. However, we should not like to hear of it being modern- 

 ised, as it could not undergo such a change without slaughtering some 

 of the finest exogens we have yet seen. Amongst the number may 

 be mentioned three fine specimens of Araucaria excelsa. They are 

 said to have been planted in 1818 ; and from measurements recently 

 made we quote the following : No. 1, 112 feet high, and 13 feet in 

 circumference 3 feet from the ground; No. 2, 111 feet, with a circum- 

 ference of 11 feet a like distance from the ground ; No. 3, 94 feet, 

 and 14 feet in circumference 3 feet from the ground. No. 1 is a 

 magnificent tree, and may justly be considered one of the finest in 

 cultivation. In this division there are also some remarkably fine 

 examples of Palm-culture, Kentia Forsteriana, the noble thatch-Palm 

 Gocos plumosa, the Cocoa-Palm of Brazil, which rears its feathery 

 head fully 100 feet above the lesser forms of vegetation at its base. 

 The Date-Palm is also a striking object, more especially the reclining 

 variety Phoenix reclinata ; as seen in fruit it reminds one of the 

 fabled productiveness of this class of plants. We are now close to the 

 glass department, consisting of Fern-house, Croton-house, and orchard- 

 house. In the Fern-house is a good collection, with many fine As- 

 pleniums lately added from Fiji. The Croton-house had also received 

 many additions from this sunny isle of the south, which is so prolific 



