January 21, 18G9. ] 



JODBNAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



45 



bash tracks only, over ranges sometimea rising 1000 feet, and 

 when attaining the Bummit deacending again the same. 



After leaving Melbourne we made an excellent passage in the 

 out steamer outside the Heads, and after two-days steaming along 

 the coast we lauded at Port Albert, being the nearest point by 

 which we could reach the part of the country we desired to reach. 



We left Port Albert by a road which at once attracted our 

 notice from the manner in which it is made. From the whole 

 of the country having been inundated by the sea, no stone or 

 materials are available for road-making in this district ; and 

 the roads are formed by first placing a good thick layer of Tea 

 tree (Melaleuca), then placing a couple of feet of burned clay 

 upon it, and finally covering with a layer of the surrounding 

 sand. This during the wet weather makes a tolerably good 

 road, we were informed ; but at this period a strong, hot, north 

 wind was blowing, and we saw a large portion of a new piece of 

 road blowing away in clouds, and the Tea tree forming the 

 base lying in all directions. After three miles of this sand, 

 the walking upon which can be better imagined than described, 

 we arrived at Tarraville, a Government township beautifully 

 situated upon an alluvial flat, where, we were told, we must 

 diverge and take the bush. We here laid in a stock of pro- 

 visions. Many of the houses are of bricks, and have neat 

 gardens. I noticed the whole east side of a house covered with 

 Tacsonia manicata ; I was attracted out of my way to it by the 

 blooms, the whole side of the house being one mass of flower. 

 This plant does not succeed out of doors at Ballarat. 



At six miles on the Lale road we diverged at a Government 

 clearing, one chain wide and seven miles long, as straight as an 

 arrow. Here we passed through five miles of splendid timber. 

 White Gum, perfectly straight, .5 feet through at 4 feet high, 

 and 70 feet to a branch. Here was Bruden's Creek, though a 

 creek only in name, there being no water in it, although in 

 winter to all appearance a stream of some magnitude. We 

 made a fire and had dinner, having travelled sixteen miles. 

 From this point the ground commences to be hilly. Stringy 

 Bark ranges with Gam flats. The divisions of the growth of 

 the two kinds of timber was so distinctly marked, that at the 

 various points at which we crossed we could look along the 

 line, the white bark of the Gum trees affording a distinctive 

 line to the vision as far as we could see upon either side, the 

 line running very nearly north. At twenty-seven miles we 

 camped for the night, having found an excellent spring, the 

 first from Tarraville ; and after a sleep as sound as ever had in 

 London city we breakfasted and packed up, and walked till 

 noon over a varying eoantry of sand hills and Stringy Bark 

 ranges. On the sand hills were some of the finest-foliaged 

 Banksias I had ever seen ; the scrub as usual Epacrises, Cor- 

 reas, Dillwyuias — nothing particularly attractive. At twelve 

 miles we imagined, or could imagine, we were entering Knole 

 Park in Kent, the scenery was so truly English ; the trees, 

 although not good either as timber or specimens, were so well 

 distributed, the country so undulating, and the grass so much 

 like home ; and the illusion was completed by a flock of about 

 a thousand sheep in the distance. Here we suddenly came 

 upon a creek, the water as pure and limpid as possible, the 

 vegetation so magnificent that both of us at once said we must 

 stop here. Although this was in 18Gi, and I have not seen the 

 spot since, and have been through most of the western half of 

 Victoria, I have not seen any place that arrested my attention 

 so much, and so stamped itself upon my memory. From the 

 shepherd we found we were upon Baylis Creek, and that at a 

 short distance was the Station Baylis. This truly, we thought, 

 must be a happy place, with such scenery, such grass, and 

 climate. The stream was running at the rate of a mill stream, 

 and the banks were undulating. The margins, even into the 

 water, were studded with tree Ferns 12 feet high and 20 feet 

 across, various aquatics, and amongst the rushes were wild 

 ducks, native companions, and a pelican or two. After gazing 

 with delight we took off our shoes and bathed our feet, now 

 sore, and camped here for two hours, leaving the spot with 

 regret. We here filled our billies with water, as we fortunately 

 had taken the precaution always to carry them full on leaving 

 a camp, and started. Having delayed so long at Baylis Creek 

 night overtook us, and we lost our track ; but alter some hours' 

 walking, being directed by the bleating of some cattle, we made 

 Eosedale (forty-seven miles), a Government township. This 

 we did not intend to see at all, but as it was it turned out for 

 the better. 



Piosedale, one of the capitals of Gipps Land, consists of two 

 hotels, and about two dozen houses. Apparently one person 

 of each trade is there. The Eosedale Hotel is a very fine 



building, the stables, I was informed by the landlady, had 

 cost £000 in building. We availed ourselves of the hotel for 

 the night, and on the following morning we replenished our 

 stock of provisions, and started again upon the road, or, as we 

 say here, on the bush track. 



At this point we learnt from old settlers that some excellent 

 scenery and splendid country was to be found by travelling; 

 through Stringer's Creeks, and by a new digging about forty 

 miles north of this. We accordingly took a sketch of our road 

 from the description of a bushman, and started for Gabie Town. 

 It being a misty day, and no sun, although travelling by com- 

 pass, we overshot the track we were directed to make, and after 

 walking about five miles through the scrub we came upon an 

 open plain ; in the distance about two miles off, we saw a 

 station, and on going to it discovered it to be the Eidge Mr. 

 McLeod. The day advancing, we took instructions to regain 

 our route, and having returned three miles, found the track. 

 Here wo saw 1400 head of cattle just arrived from New England, 

 having been driven a distance of 1100 miles, the journey having 

 occupied six months, and they were in excellent condition. 

 For several miles the country was very swampy, with coarse 

 Sedges, and scrubby Box, and Gum, with ducks and other 

 water fowls. — James Duncan, Victoria. 



[We hope to hear again from this correspondent, and he will 

 be recognised by many of our readers as being formerly of 

 Messrs. Eollisson's, of Tooting ; then foreman at Dalkeith 

 with Mr. Mcintosh, 1819 ; then foreman at Thomson's nursery, 

 Hammersmith ; and lastly at Lord Overstone's, West Wiokham 

 Park, in 1852.] 



(To bo continued.) 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



January IOtii. 



Fruit CoirarrTEE.— G. F. Wilson, Esq., F.E.S., in the chair. 

 Mr. Tegs, of Clumber, and Mr. Wells, of Holme Lacy Gardens, sent 

 dishes of^Apploa for competition ; the former Bess Pool, and the latter 

 Kibston Pippin, Scarlet Nonpareil, and limdiUck's Nonpareil. Mr. 

 Wells also sent a dish of very handsome Bernamotte Esperen. Sey- 

 mour Teulou, Esq., Tenchley Park, LimpsficlJ, Surrey, sent a dish 

 of handsome Oranjes, which were sweet bnt dry. Mr. Sampson, of 

 Yeovil, sent a seedling Apple of firm texture, good flavour, and very 

 juicy. It is a small conical Apple, yellowish, and russety, with a 

 lirownish tinge on one side. Mr. Edwards, of Easbing, near Godalm- 

 iug, sent tubers of Potatoes that were dug in September, 1867, and 

 had since been kept out of the ground, aud produced a number of 

 smaller tubers from their buds. Mr. Sampson, of Yeovil, sent speci- 

 mens of Telegraph and Victory of Bath Cucumbers. James Bateman, 

 Esq., exhibited tubers of Oxahs crenata obtained in Paris, where they 

 are offered tor sale as a pclile Iripimr. Messrs. E. G. Henderson and' 

 Son exhibited a dish of Pear-shaped Gourds, of the size and shape of 

 handsome Winter Nelis. of a rich lemon colour, and of great beauty. 

 It was awarded a first-class certificate. Mr. Earley, of Digswell, sent 

 samples of a very fine triple-curled Parislev, selected by himself, and 

 known as Earley's Selected. Messrs. Reynolds & Co., of Compton Street, 

 sent a Strawberry-supporter iuvented by the Rev. G. E. MaunseU, of 

 Kettering. It is made of galvanised wire, and consists of a simple 

 ring about 8 inches in diameter, supported in the ground by three per- 

 pendicnlar pieces of wire about 7 inches long. 



Floral CmniiTTEE.— This meeting was well attended, and a very 

 good collection of plants was exhibited. Mr. C. Allen, gardener to 

 Capt. Clegg, exhibited two large boxes of cut Camellias ; the flowers 

 were hardlv expanded. Among them were some handsome -varieties. 

 A special certificate was awarded. Mr. Williams, HoUoway, received 

 a second-class certificate for Lycaste Schilleriana, a singular flower, 

 with olive-greeu wings and a white centre. He also received a special 

 certificate for his collection of plants, in which were several specimens 

 of the Solanum capsicastrum, Aralia peltata, Chammrops humiUs var., 

 the old and almost-forgotten Orchid Bonatea speciosa, and several 

 others. Mr. Helmore, gardener to H. Scrntton, Esq., sent a coUectionr 

 of double white Primula sinensis, nothmg new, bat very neat and oom- 

 imct plants. Mr. Wiggms, gardener to W. Beck, Esq., Isleworth,' 

 received a special certificate for a coUection of Cyclamens; also a 

 special for some fine specimens of Primula sinensis. Mr. Downmg, 

 gardener to Lord Loudesborough, sent a fine spechnen of Oncidinni 

 nebulosum with two long spikes of flowers— a second-class cerfaficate 

 was awarded it— and of Lycaste Skinneri, a very deep rose-colouie4 

 variety. . . 



Messrs. Cutbush, of Highgate, brought twenty-five fine specimens of 

 Hyacinths, which were awarded a special certificate. Mr. Thompson, 

 of 'the South Kensington Musenm, sent a very neat collection of British 

 t'ems, which were a groat acquisition- a spechJ certificate was given 

 for them. Mr. Baxter, gardener to C. Reiser, Esq., Broxbounie, 

 exhibited a box of some of the finest cut Camellias ever seen. One 

 variety, named Kelvmgtonia, was particularly handsome— a white and 

 red flower with extra large outer petals, one of the best Camellias m 



