FOREIGN NOTICES. 



95 



pcct to see StraM'berries produced in great abund- 

 ance and in perfection in Shanghae. The ground 

 about the town is too low and wet for the growth 

 of the Potato, and hence no one has succeeded in 

 rearing what would be called a good crop of this 

 desirable vegetable. In the course of time, how- 

 ever, when the cultivation is attempted in the 

 higher parts of the country, we may expect to get 

 better Potatoes here than at Macao, although the 

 latter are usually most excellent.* Mr. Hether. 

 ington fell a victim to a fever of a very fatal kind, 

 which prevailed in the autumn of 1848. He was 

 a true specimen of the old English gentleman, 

 and was deeply regretted by all who had the 

 pleasure of knowing him. 



The English Consul, Mr. Alcock, has also a 

 good vegetable garden on the grounds attached 

 to the consulate. There is a noble plant of the 

 Glycine sinensis in this garden, which flowers 

 most profu.sely, and becomes covered with its long 

 legumes or pea-like fruit, which it ripens to per- 

 fection. 



The two first ornamental gardens are those of 

 Mr. Beale and the Messrs. Mackenzie. Mr. 

 Beale's house — a fine square building of two sto- 

 ries — is placed in the centre of the garden. In 

 front is a fine grass lawn, which extends from the 

 house to the boundary wall near the river. Be- 

 hind the house there is another lawn surrounded 

 with a dwarf ornamental wall. A wide gravel 

 walk leading from the entrance to the back part 

 of the garden divides the house from the business 

 part of the premises. This garden is rich in plants 

 indigenous to China, and also contains many which 

 have been introduced from other parts of the world. 

 On entering the gate the first thing which stikes a 

 botanist is a fine specimen of the new Funebral 

 Cypress nearly six feet high, and just beginning 

 to show its beautiful weeping habit. This has 

 been obtained from the interior, and does not grow 

 in the neighborhood of Shanghae. Mr. Beale in- 

 tends to plant another specimen on the opposite 

 side of the gate, and when the two grow up. a 

 very striking and pretty effect will be produced. 

 In the same border there are fine specimens of 

 Weigela rosea, Forsythia viridissima, Chimonan- 

 thus, Moutans, LagerstrcEmias, Roses, &c., and 

 nearly all the new plants sent home to the Horti- 

 cultural Society from 1843 to 1846. In this part 

 of the garden there is also a nice plant of the new 

 Berberis japonica, lately obtained from the interior 

 and described in my last letter. 



The American Magnolia grandiflora has been in- 

 troduced here, and promises to be a very orna- 

 mental tree; its fine green leaves and noble flow- 

 ers are much admired by the northern Chinese. 

 Several plants of Cryptomeria japonica are sue- 



* I have made a great many inquiries about the Potato dis- 

 ease in China, but it does not seem to have made its appear- 

 ance. The Macao Potatoes have always been good and sound. 



ceeding admirably, and will Soon be much more 

 beautiful than any the Chinese have in this part of 

 the country.. The garden has been raised with a 

 large quantity of fresh soil considerably above the 

 level of the surrounding ground, so that all the 

 family of the Pines succeed much better tlian in 

 those places where they are usually planted by 

 the Chinese ,• besides the latter generally spoil all 

 their trees belonging to this family by lopping off 

 the lower branches for firewood. 



Large quantities of the Olea fragrans — the Qui 

 Wha of the Chinese — are planted in difterent parts 

 of the garden. These succeed much better here 

 than in the south of China. In the autumn when 

 they are in bloom, the air is perfumed with the 

 most delicious fragrance. Another most fragrant 

 plant is the new Gardenia (G. Fortuniana,) now 

 common in English gardens, to which it was intro- 

 duced by the Horticultutal Society in 1845. In 

 Mr. Beale's garden many of the bushes of this 

 charming species are 10 or 12 feet in circumfer- 

 ence, and in the season are covered with large 

 double white flowers, as large as a white Camellia, 

 and highly fragrant. Altogether this is a most 

 interesting garden, and promises to be to Shanghae 

 what the well-known one of Mr. Beale's father 

 was to Macao. 



The Messrs. Mackenzie's garden here is also 

 well worthy of notice. It resembles some of tlie 

 neat suburban residences near London. The 

 shrubs are arranged with great taste in groups and 

 single specimens on the lawn, and consist of all 

 the species and varieties common in this part of 

 China. The collection of Azaleas is particularly 

 fine. During the summer time, when these plant.s 

 are in bloom, they arc placed on a stage, and 

 protected IVom the sun and rain. They flower in 

 great profusion; the individual flowers are larger, 

 and the colours are more brilliant than they are at 

 home. Here, too, are gorgeous specimens of the 

 new Viburnums (V. plicatum and V. macrocepha- 

 lum) sent home to Chiswick in 1845. The first 

 English Apple tree fruited in this garden about a 

 year ago. 



The gentlemen connected with the London Mis- 

 sionary Society have a village of their own about 

 a quarter of a mile back from the English town. 

 Each house has a nice garden in front of it, full 

 of interesting Chinese shrubs and trees. Ur. 

 Lockhart has the finest collection. 



These short statements are sufficient to show 

 your readers what has been done since the last 

 Chinese war. Chinese plants have not only been 

 introduced to Europe and America, to enliven and 

 beautify our parks and gardens, but we have also 

 enriched those of the Celestial Empire with the 

 productions of the west. Nothing, I believe, can 

 give the Chinese a higher idea of our civilization 

 and attainments than our love for flowers, or tend 

 more to create a kindly feeling between us and 

 them. R. Fortune, in Gard. Chronir/f 



