240 GARDENS AND ORANGE GROUNDS OF ST. MICHAEL'S. 



formed at the point of every shoot ; and so perfect and full are 

 the buds, that to all appearance they are about to open. They 

 remain in this state until the leaves fall off in December, when 

 they present a very singular aspect. The spikes are regvilar in 

 form, and about six inches in length : the flowers are inclosed in 

 a thick, light brown hairy calyx, which, in any climate where the 

 summer is long enough to allow the Paulownia to ripen its growth, 

 would prove sufficient protection to preserve the embryo bloom 

 during winter. They continue in this condition until the begin- 

 ning of March, when the flowers open a few at a time on the base 

 of the spikes ; and they keep in bloom for the space of a month 

 previous to any leaves being developed. At the end of that 

 period the trees become covered A^th light green foliage, which, 

 added to the pale blue Gloxinia-like flowers, present a most 

 lovely appearance. The leaves of the Paulownia, when fully 

 developed, measure from ten to twelve inches in diameter. It 

 also produces abundance of good seed. 



The forest and ornamental trees that grew and withstood the 

 salt breeze best, are Araucaria excelsa, Pinus pinaster, Pinea, 

 palustris and Canariensis. Many other Pinuses were introduced, 

 but they scarcely survived a year. Eucalyptuses all succeeded 

 well. E. resinifera has been a long time introduced into the 

 island ; and there are some specimens from seventy to eighty 

 feet high. Casuarina equisetifolia and stricta grow in perfection : 

 of the former some plants are twenty feet high, surpassing in 

 elegance of form any lawn tree I ever saw, with the exception of 

 Araucaria excelsa, Avhich I ought not longer to pass over 

 without particularly describing. Our example of this Araucaria 

 was planted in the most exposed part of the garden, without the 

 shelter of a single tree between it and the ocean, yet after some 

 of the severest storms, and when other plants which usually 

 resisted the salt spray best were slightly injured, I could never 

 discover any blemish on the Araucaria, whilst on the other hand, 

 A. imbricataand Braziliana were damaged by the slightest amount 

 of salt winds. One specimen of A. excelsa, in an orange-garden 

 belonging to Mr. Ivens, a merchant of St. Michael's, and 

 situated very near the sea, has attained the height of fifty feet. 

 Another, in the gartlen of Mr. Dabigny, American consul at 

 Fayal, is still higher, and has produced cones, but owing to the 

 absence of male catkins the cones were barren. 



I ought to state here, that the^reat taste for gardening which 

 now exists in St. Michael's has originated with the English 

 residents on the island. The late Dr. Nesbit was one of the first 

 who began to introduce new plants into his garden at Nesbit's 

 Pico, a small hill, so named from his country residence being 

 built upon it. Here, at the present time, are some of the finest 



