154 



JOURNAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ August 22, 1865. 



clumps of shrubs seated on tlie slopes of the more distant 

 mountains. Sucli extent of ground as there is in these places ; 

 such variety in the disposition of it ; objects of vegetation so 

 interesting in themselves and ennobled by their situation ; 

 each contrasted to each ; every one distinct, and all seemingly 

 happily united ; the scenery so beautiful, of a whole so great — 

 compose altogether a landscape of some magnificence, and of 

 great beauty, which it would be well for our landscape gardeners 

 to try and imitate. These were my thoughts when looking 

 around and entering a New Zealand Bush for the first time. 



The indigenous timber, at any rate, at first sight appears to 

 be grown to a towering height, and in a perfection, I think I 

 may say, equalled by that of few other countries. Vegetation 

 runs riot. Perpetual verdure and freshness is to be seen all 

 the year round, which is very lUft'erent to plantations and forests 

 in the old country, which become deciduous one part of the 

 year. No fall of tlie leaf, but varied and beautiful scenery. By- 

 the-hy, where nature has done the planting, it would be very 

 difficult to find any straight lines or trees in rows. 



If our bushes contained any prickly plants like our briars 

 and brambles at home, or the prickly Melocactus of Mexico, 

 they would be a jungle physically impenetrable ; and even as 

 it is, they present many obstacles to free steps and movements. 

 Here we experience "Supple-jack" snares; and travelling 

 inside is a very slow process, not without two or three falls at 

 most. Such is the closeness of growth, the luxuriance of foliage, 

 that sun and air, in some places, can scarce penetrate. The 

 birds seem to enjoy your company, for in whatever w'ay you wend 

 your steps they follow, and warble melodious notes. In addition 

 to this, r;ee the stumps of cylindrical boles of trees which have 

 been left after the havoc of the axe, some of them measuring 

 20 to 30 feet in circumference, which once reared their majestic 

 heads in gi'audeur. 



As I have already mentioned Supple-jack, I may state that 

 whoever undertakes a ramble in the bush will find that the first 

 plant to be met with is tlio one which I will now say a little 

 about. It is a species of Smilax of enormous size. I found 

 it both in flower and fruit ; flowers white, and hanging in ra- 

 cemes, afterwards followed by red berries, which hang waving 

 in the air. It is a gigantic climber, and most troublesome 

 because most abundant. Its stems are amazingly strong and 

 tough, and well known among us by the name of Supple-jack. 

 There is another Smilax, which accompanies this, twining itself 

 romid tlie trees, which I will name S. aspera, or Rough Bind- 

 weed. I am glad to see two indigenous plants amongst us, 

 belonging to the natural order of Sarsaparillas. 



DdcnjtUnin cuprexxinnm. — This beautiful tree seems to love 

 to grow in the shade. Its branches are more spreading, and 

 begin at a less height from the ground, than tliose of the other 

 New Zealand Pines. Its foliage is remarkably graceful and 

 elegant. Tlie leaves are only like small needles, and very thick 

 on the shoots, and their united weight causes the branches to 

 hang like the 'Weeping Willow. Its beauty is heightened by 

 the liveliness of the colour and denseness of foliage, in com- 

 parison with the sombre hue of most of the other evergreens 

 in the bush. It is in every respect in character like WelUng- 

 tonia gigantea, and its head in sliape like an umbrella. 



It will be as v/ell here to state the difference between our 

 New Zealand Pine trees and coniferous trees belonging to other 

 parts of the world. Cm- Pines here are separated by their 

 fruits not being collected in cones, each growing singly, unpro- 

 tected by hardened scales ; and nothing can equal the elegant 

 apjiearance of their friut, especially the fruit of the Podocarp, 

 of which, when fully ri])e, the drupes are carmine-coloured. 



In the natural order Taxads, to which our Pine trees belong, 

 there are only nine genera, and two of them are indigenous to 

 the Cape of Good Hope. Out of these nine genera only fifty 

 distinct species have been discovered as yet. 



Man is, however, the most active agent in the dispersion of 

 plants, and we must not overlook the important consequences. 

 Sometimes, indeed, the causes are accidental, but more fre- 

 quently intentional, as we have witnessed of late during the 

 last two or three years in the numberless accessions to our 

 gardens of coniferous plants from other countries. 



I fear that the timber trees in New Zealand are by no means 

 so abundant as to justify our regarding the supply inexhaustible, 

 for I am sure it must be incredible the quantity of trees which 

 fall beneath tlie axe at the present time. 



Cahbnqe Trcr. — A more approjiriate name would be Dragon 

 Tree. From a dry fruit which I found and examined, it was 

 very clear to me that it belonged to the natural order Lilyworts. 

 It attains a great height in the bush, more so than in a solitary 



state on the plains. The beautiful creations which constitute 

 the order of Lilies woidd seem to be well-known to all the 

 world, for what have been so long admired and universally 

 cultivated as they ? Nevertheless, in my opinion, there are 

 few great groups of plants which have been more neglected by 

 the exact botanist, or which stand more in need of his patient 

 attention. Even Phormium, our celebrated Flax, with its 

 perennial leaves and panicles of flowers, belongs to this interest- 

 ing natural order. For a certainty, our familiar Cabbage Tree, 

 all over the plains, belongs to the genus Dracrena. 



Edwarikia mirropliylUi. — I notice very fine troes of this, 

 towering up much higher than the rest. The thousands of 

 small pinnated leaves and wiry twigs contrast beautifully 

 with the surrounding evergi'eens. Here it does not become 

 deciduous, as in the old coimtry. Stems equal in circumference 

 any of the other large Pine trees. It belongs to the natural 

 order Fabacere, or leguminous plants. The Locust Trees of the 

 west belong to this order, and have long been celebrated for 

 their gigantic stature ; and other species are the colossi of 

 South American forests. Martens represents a scene in Brazil 

 where some trees of this kind occurred of such enormous di- 

 mensions that fifteen Indians, with outstretched arms, could 

 only just embrace one of them. At the bottom they were 

 84 feet in circumference, and 60 feet where the bole became 

 cylindrical. The tree mentioned is supposed to be older than 

 the era of our Saviour. By coimting the concentric rings of 

 such parts as were accessible, he arrived at this conclusion. 



Fuchsia e.rcorticata — better known by the name of Native 

 Fuchsia. This tree, for so it must be called, seems to shed its 

 leaves ; but stiU I could perceive a great number of leaves push- 

 ing forth, which looked as if when one leaf drops another 

 comes. The tree I saw had three forked strong limbs, and 

 spreading branches in proportion. The bole was 5 or B feet iu 

 circumference, and the three limbs were about 20 or 30 feet high. 

 It was not in flower or fruit. There is a great difference between 

 this dwarf monarch of the forest, as I will term it, and the little 

 pets gro\ni in pots by florists. One can hardly judge which 

 state of growth is to be hked better — a Fuchsia plant in a pot, 

 or a Fuclisia tree in a state of wildness in the bush. This wild 

 species of Fuchsia is more of a botanical curiosity at home 

 than anything else, and is grown in collections for that pur- 

 pose. — WiLLiAii Swale, Avomidc Botanic Garden. — (Lytth'lnn 

 Times). 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GAEDEN. 



GnT, all possible encouragement to advancing crops by stir- 

 ring the surface of the soil, and earthing-up such as require it, 

 and keep a sharp look-out for seed weeds of every description iu 

 order to remove them before shedding their seed : care in this 

 respect will save much weeding and hoeing next season. Basil, 

 to be cut and dried just as it is coming into flower. Carrots, make 

 a sowing for early spring use on a light, dry piece of gromid 

 that is only moderately rich. Caiditioifcrs, if seed was not 

 sowni last week, it should now be done, and another sowing 

 should also be made in about a week ; in favourable situations 

 the latter sowing will be quite early enough, no advantage 

 being gained by having the plants very fonvard before winter. 

 Celery, plant some of the last sowing for spring use. As it 

 wiU not be necessary to earth it up, the plants may be a foot 

 apart. Cuei(inhir.<i, if seed was not sown for plants for house- 

 culture tlirough the winter, cuttings should be immediately 

 put in to produce plants for that purpose ; those in frames and 

 on ridges will now require attention in regulating the shoots, 

 so that sun and air may be admitted to them. Endire, make 

 a last sowing for spring use ; continue to transplant from 

 former sowings when the weather is favourable. Lettuce, if 

 the sowing of the various sorts to stand the winter was made 

 during tlie past week, another good sowing should be made iu 

 the end of the present one ; the former will do for transplant- 

 ing in the autumn, and tlie latter will remain in the seed-bed 

 to be transplanted in the spring. Mushrooms, prepare the 

 materials for making up beds next month. Clear out the old 

 be<ls, and Umewash the walls of the house to destroy insects, 

 and give the whole a clean appearance. Onions, sow seed of 

 Spanish, Tripoli, or Strasburgh to stand the winter. The 

 Welsh may also be sown for drawing in the spring; the other 

 sorts are best transplanted in spring for bulbing. Spinach, the 

 winter crop shoiUd now be sown, if not yet done. Sow a small 

 quantity of Cabbage Lettuce with the Spinach. 



