82 



JOTJBNAIi OF HOETIOULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Augast 1, 1887. 



for Seaweeds, and then complained that he had not figured 

 Ihem properly, in page so-and-so ; or else grumbled that he 

 called a plant " rare," when they had found it by scores — the 

 it, on investigation, turning out to be something quite different ! 

 It may be even (tor conpcience awakens to a sad keenness alter 

 "it is too late to mend") that near and dear friends worried 

 him occasionally by too frequent applications for help, which, 

 however readily given, added one more weight to the over- 

 weight of bis work. But whether the appeals were justified or 

 not by private friendship or community of interest, or were in 

 themselves wise or foolish, the day never came when Dr. 

 Harvey " answered a fool after his folly." As to the extent of 

 his patience and kindness towards those who had the good 

 fortune to be numbered among his friends, there was no limit 

 to it, or to the amount of trouble he would undertake. The 

 paper on " Coral," which appeared in the first number of this 

 Magazine one year since, was examined and corrected by him 

 on his dying bed ; the short notes, written in pencil as he lay, 

 breathing still the happy humour which was one of the most 

 striking characteristics both of his conversation and letters. 

 Dr. Goulburn might have had Dr. Harvey in his mind when 

 he wrote his fine passages on Wit {" Idle Words," pp. 86, S7) : 

 — " It is pleasing to see in experience'Hhat oftentimes the men 

 of most depth and seriousness of character — the men who in 

 their closets have taken the most earnest view of life, and have 

 cultivated heavenly wisdom most largely — have also been men 

 of lively fancy, sprightly and agreeable repartee — seem to have 

 had within them a spring of joy and merriment bubbling up 

 when the obstruction of serious affairs was removed, and cover- 

 ing with fertility even the leisure hours of their lives." 



A happy marriage, in 18G1, to a lady he had long known, 

 gave Dr. Harvey at last the comfort of a domestic life which 

 his former wanderings had rendered impossible. Our imper- 

 fect account can only touch slightly ou this, and must leave 

 untouched altogether his private friendships, sorrows, and in- 

 terests ; but no apology seems necessary for this, our chief 

 object having been to shadow out a man of learning as he was 

 in this particular case, and as he might be often, did the foun- 

 dation-stones of personal humility and faith in unseen Omni- 

 potence underlie the knowledge acquired in the schools. With- 

 out great advantages or high birth, he stands unrivalled as a 

 master in one particular branch of study : and this is much to 

 say of any man, yet not too much even of the contemporary of 

 Agai'dh, between himself and whom no rivalry but only com- 

 munity of pursuits existed. Such of our young readers as may 

 hereafter wander on English or foreign shores, and toss over 

 the " wreck " at their feet, will do well to think of this, and 

 remember that in the works of God there is nothing " common 

 or unclean " — nothing unworthy labour and attention — nothing 

 which, when studied well, wiU he found to have been studied 

 to no purpose. 



In 18S5 " the silver cord " was beginning to be loosed," and 

 the medical men sent Dr. Harvey to the Pine forests of Ar- 

 cachon, whence he removed later in the season to Biarritz. 

 Arcacbon failed, and Biarritz did no more than give pleasure. 

 " This is a charming place," he wrote of the latter, " and more 

 agreeable to me than Arcachon, for I love the sea, and don't 



soon tire of it You would be charmed with the rock 



pools. Some of them are studded with the purple Echinus, 

 just as at Miltown Malbay ; others are full of weeds ; and one 

 of the commonest is Gigartina Teedii, growing in rich branches 

 — 80 tempting! Taenia is also common, and Ginnania, and 

 dear knows how many more ! It I had but paper and rags I 

 should like to be at them. But we have to go to Bayonne for 

 paper, and are putting it off day by day like lazy folk." This 

 ■was said half in jest, for he brought back a beautiful collection 

 on his return to England in the autumn — many, as usual, for 

 distribution among friends. 



Even at tliat time, to a dispassionate eye. Dr. Harvey's ap- 

 pearance left no reasonable ground for hope of his recovery ; 

 but it was not till a fresh attack of hiemorrbage from the lungs 

 in February, 18(;fi, that the last alarm was given. And even 

 after that, and when a prisoner to his room, his cheerful pa- 

 tience and still recurring playfulness went near to cheat his 

 nearest and dearest into hope. All that affectionate skill and 

 sympathy could do was done to both relieve and soothe him. 

 Beautiful flowers came to him from the Botanical Gardens to 

 cheer his confinement, and friends sent him flower-baskets for 

 growing the commoner spring flowers in a sick-room as if in a 

 garden ; and this was his greatest delight. •' It is quite an 

 amnsement," he wrote, " to watch them from day to da.y. I 

 li^e them better than the grand things that come from the ( 



Botanical Gardens. They remind one of the ' enviable early 

 ays,' as poor Burns calls them." 

 The little flowers he welcomed and watched so affectionately 

 were Crocuses, Primroses, Hepatioas, and some few others 

 grown in a shallow dish in mould. This was in March ; but 

 before it was over he received the last medical order for a move 

 to Torquay ; and what might have been merely a weariness 

 was rendered pleasurable by the fact that the widow of his 

 friend. Sir William Hooker, was living thereat the time. To her 

 house, indeed, he was taken on his arrival, after a harassing 

 sea-voyage which he was but little able to bear ; and he moved 

 no more till he was carried to his grave. She who for more 

 than half her life had been as a second mother to him in affec- 

 tion, now did a mother's part by him for the last time, and 

 helped an afflicted wife to comfort and soothe the weary hours 

 of sickness and weakness which followed. 



" Three cheers for the Magazine ! " he had written just before 

 leaving Dublin, and when the prospect of the Torquay visit 

 bad quite raised his spirits. And he alluded here to the ex- 

 pected first number of this publication. " Three cheers for 

 the Magazine ! Who knows but we mayn't write for it by- 

 and-by ? But the poor old brain is not worth much at present, 

 and dear ' Flora' has not been looked at for a fortnight." 



Alas, no ! The night was at hand in which no man can 

 work; but the dawn shone very bright to him beyond. For 

 let no one suppose his cheerful words implied ignorance of his 

 condition. He knew it even better than those around him, 

 and wrote of it to friends; while to the one most bound to 

 him he spoke frequently and openly of the "joys which he 

 anticipated." 



" There could not be greater peace, more steadfast trust in 

 his Saviour ; his mind clear, and so calm and happy," she 

 wrote three days before his death ; adding — alluding to little 

 nosegays of spring flowers which were sent him in letters almost 

 daily — " He likes the little flowers ; even the new budding green 

 leaves give him pleasure ; his feelings are as fresh as iu his 

 days of health." The child had indeed, and in this case by 

 God's blessing, been father to the man. 



The day of his death he was read to for the last time — the 

 103rd Psalm, the Lord's Prayer, and the Sixth Collect after 

 Trinity. Not that it was the Collect of the season, but he 

 wished for it. And could a more fitting prayer for the dying 

 naturalist have been found? " He died to-day in the greatest 

 peace both of mind and body," was the record of May 15. May 

 it be equally true of us all at the appointed time ! By his owiL 

 request his mortal remains were buried at Torquay. He him- 

 self walks " beside the waters of comfort " 



May this record, slight as it is, of the individual man, have 

 some interest for those who shall meet hereafter, in the fields 

 of literature, the name of Harvey tho naturalist ! — Mi;s. A. 

 Gatty (in Aunt Jtulij's Magazine.) 



EXTRACTS FROM THE REPORT „DN THli 

 BRISBANE BOTANIC GARDENS. 



Tfie Tea-beds are planted to test the climatic effect on the plant ia 

 different sitnations ; and, as recent intelligence infonns us that the 

 several attempts made to rear tlie Tea phiut. both in Victoria and 

 South Australia, have signally failed, it will, I imagiuo, be especially 

 gratifying to all those who take an interest iu the material prosperity 

 of Queensland, to leara that the groups of Tea plants, both in easterly 

 and westerly aspects, never exhibited a more vigorous, healthy, or 

 exuberant growth than now. Some of the other beds comprise plants of 

 Allspice, Tamarind, Chocolate, Crotous, itc, and all are giving evidence 

 which encourage the hope that they can defy the severity of the Queens- 

 land winter. The ground which was set apart last year cbietiy for the 

 culture of Oranges, Vines, Pine Apples, and any other choice fruits 

 which it may be found necessary to produce in a secluded and shel- 

 tered situation, has been considerably enlarged. 



During the year, the botanical treasures have been largely enriched 

 by copious and very valuable contrilmtious of seeds and plants from 

 varicnis parts of the globe, especially from Java. In the collection 

 from J. E. Teijsman, Esq., Director of the Botanic Garden, Buitcn- 

 zorg, Java, was a Warilian case of Cinchona plauts, comprising 

 three of the most valuable species — viz., succirnbra, Calisaya, lauci- 

 folia, and accompanied by a sample of seed of the 0. Calisaya. 

 Amongst the more, and in some respects highly, ornamental of the 

 remainder of the contribntions may be mentioned six Wardian cases 

 of plauts, amongst which are the 'Guinea Oil Palm (Elais gnineen- . 

 sis), which produces the African palm oil ; the Sago Palm (Arenga 

 soccharifera), noted for yielding sago, sugar, palm wine, and fibre 

 for cablcB and cordage ; the Betel Nut (Areca catechu) ; the Durion 

 (Dario ribethinns) ; the Ldtchi (NephdiaiB Litchi) ; the Mangosteeft- 



