i8Si.] JOTTINGS FROM NEW ZEALAND. 227 



wood, and, autumn-like, drop their leaves. June, July, and August 

 constitute the winter and rainy season, during which rain falls more 

 than enough, if it were put to the popular vote. But seeing that it 

 takes the place of snow, and gives to the ground many fertilising quali- 

 ties, we do not get too much of it. Heavy hoar-frosts appear during night, 

 which have often disastrous effects upon the introduced tropical and 

 sub-tropical vegetation. The spring is introduced by September and 

 terminates with November. During this season of the year the gardens 

 may be considered in their best condition of floral beauty — trees, shrubs, 

 perennials, and annuals emulate each other in their display of colour 

 and perfection of beauty. From this short climatic sketch it will 

 be readily understood that to attempt a universal acclimatisation of 

 plants would be rather a diflicult undertaking. The alpine and tropi- 

 cal ones suffer not only from dryness, but likewise *-he latter from frost 

 during winter. 



Not many European or North American forest -trees prosper with 

 us. The Elm, Plane, Ash, Chestnut, and Poplar do fairly well ; while 

 the Oak, Lime, Birch, and Horse-Chestnut do anything but well. All 

 attempts to grow the beautiful Beech-tree have as yet failed. It will 

 therefore be at once seen that our gardens do not present that lively 

 appearance during spring which is one of the grandest features of 

 British gardens — 



" When all the trees, on all the hills, 

 Open their thousand leaves. " 



To the coniferous family this climate offers special advantages, from 

 the fact that the Californian, Himalayan, and Japanese varieties all 

 produce cones in abundance. The trees grow to a gigantic size, and give 

 to a garden a grand oriental appearance. From "the world's flora" 

 we may select freely. The East Indies favours us with many of its 

 beauties. From South America we have the famous Jacaranda, Brug- 

 mansia, Tecomas, and many kinds of Begonias : only one or two of 

 the African Palms prosper in the open ground. The succulent family 

 do remarkably well, and develop to great perfection, especially Yuccas, 

 Aloes, and Agaves. It is a pleasing sight to see Aloe americana and 

 mexicana throwing up their flower-spikes to the height of 30 or 40 

 feet, which they usually do after the eighth year of planting. The 

 growth of perennials generally succeeds well. Phloxes, Delphiniums, 

 and Aconitums make a grand show in their season. Annuals generally 

 grow best during the early spring months, and arrive at great perfection. 

 The China Aster, however, does not equal those at home, for at its best it 

 produces small insignificant flowers ; and, strange to say, all its endless 

 varieties go back to the original type. For summer display we have to 

 depend to a large extent upon Petunias, Verbenas, Zinnias, Zonal Pelar- 

 goniums, Tagetes, Amaranths, and Gomphrenas : these annuals, being 

 deep-rooted, are able to bridge over the dry season. All the bulbous 



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