1S73.] ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. 327 



and rapidly contract or close round the stigma on being irritated. Here also 

 may be noted Arctotes grandiflora, a large-flowered composite from the 

 Cape, also Othonna pectinata, a very profuse golden-flowered asteraceous 

 plant from Honduras. The stems of this plant are terminated by finely-cut 

 foliage of a silvery or glaucous tint, and its flowers are borne on slender pe- 

 duncles about six inches long. This last is a good companion to the white- 

 flowered Chrysanthemum frutescens, a valuable winter-flowering decorative 

 plant, far too much neglected by horticulturists. Hardenbergia mono- 

 phylla was flowering very profusely, trained up the rafters as a climber ; and 

 the same remark applies to Lonicera sempervirens, one of the Honeysuckles, 

 bearing clusters of bright coral-red flowers admirably set off by foliage of the 

 freshest green colour imaginable. Glancing through the Fern-houses, which 

 are in admirable condition, we took our departure to the great Palm-house, 

 where the ' ' princes of the vegetable kingdom " hold their court. These speci- 

 mens are simply magnificent, towering upwards in their \'igour, and in some few 

 cases intimating that the house, large as are its proportions, will soon be too 

 small for them. Here we notice several plants of the noble Crinum ornatum, 

 bearing great white flowers tinged with rose on the apex of scapes, 3 to 4 feet 

 high. This plant has long, strap-shaped leaves, and when bearing its umbels 

 of lily-like blossoms, would form au efi"ective ornament for the conservatory. 

 A plant of Bromelia sceptrum, having long, dark -green, ei)inose leaves, bears a 

 large erect cluster of golden-yellow fruit as large as pigeons' eggs. Another 

 plant deserving of special notice, on account of the striking beauty of its young 

 leaves, is Carapa guianensis. The young foliage is arranged in a plumose man- 

 ner, and is of a bright-crimson colour gradually shading off to bright green as it 

 becomes older. The flue specimens of Encephalartos horrida and E. caffer, 

 together w4th the curious orange - and - purple - flowered Strelitzia reginse, are 

 worthy of notice, being noble ornaments to the plant-stove or tropical conserva- 

 tory. Leaving the Palm-house, we walk through the Temperate House, or 

 Winter Garden in the pleasure-grounds, with its noble specimens of Dicksonia, 

 Cyathea, . Todea, Eucalyptus or Blue Gum-trees of Australia, and Araucarias 

 which tower upwards to the very roof. Here are also some fine plants of Rho- 

 dodendrons from the Sikkim Himalayas, which bloom profusely during the 

 spring months. This house is one of the most interesting in the gardens, and 

 is neatly laid out in numbered oblong beds and gravel walks, most of the speci- 

 mens being planted out. 



Having had a stroll through the Arboretum or Pleasure-grounds, and noted 

 the new operations now being judiciously carried out, we left the garden and 

 seized the opportunity of having a little chat with the veteran ex-curator John 

 Smith, Esq., A.L.S., whose useful life ought to be recorded in extenso, if only 

 for the encouragement of aspiring young horticulturists. Mr Smith is a native 

 of Scotland, and came to Kew during Alton's time. Here by perseverance and 

 ability he rose to the honour of the curatorship — a post which he filled with 

 credit to himself for over forty years. AYith these few remarks, we close this 

 short notice of a two hours' ramble through our National Botanic Garden — a 

 ramble that has once more taught us how much we have yet to learn. 



F. W. BURBRIDGE. 



