no 



JOUENAL Oif HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



[ January 15, 1874. 



frost should be carefully watohed and protected from it by straw 

 I or fern. — W. Ke.ine. 



THE BALLAEAT BOTANICAL GARDEN. 



Englishmen and their descendants, and consequently the 

 productions of England, are gradually predominating over the 

 world. We have an overflowing because a prosperous commu- 

 nity, and the overliow goes on to distant lands, and establishes 

 there the language, the industrious habits, and the vegetable 

 and animal produce of their native land. They cling lovingly 

 to these, for they emigrate, not because they cease to love 

 their native land, but because they can thrive and advance 

 their offspring better in the home of their adoption. This is 

 shown by all that they write about, and by their revisiting, 

 "the old home;" and we do not fear to be thought maudlin 

 when we write that our eyes are dimmed when we remember 

 the boat alongside the emigrant ship, and the two larks in an 

 old stocking handed-up as a parting gift to be naturalised and 

 remind of home in the laud across the Atlantic. 



This last-written word reminds us why we now took up our 

 pen. We have had sent to us, and we have had engraved to 

 place before our readers, a corner of the Botanical Garden at 

 I'allarat. Twenty years ago the place had no existence. Bal- 

 larat is the earliest of the large gold-diggings in Victoria, and 

 is about one hundred miles from Melbourne. The digging 

 commenced in the September of 18.51, and in a few months 

 within the space of a square mile seven thousand adventurers 

 were congregated. It is now populous. Nearly four thousand 

 acres of Vines are cultivated, and the produce of wine large. 

 The Botanical Gardens are on the western side of Lake Wen- 

 douree, and are thus noticed by one of the local newspapers — 

 " The lake, formerly called the AVendouree Swamp, is one of 

 the places of recreation of Ballarat. It was foi-merly over- 

 grown with rushes, but by means of a steamer provided with 

 a cutting apparatus a wide and long sheet of water has been 

 cleared for boat races. The assistance of the Government has 

 been asked in clearing the entire basin of weeds. The lake is 

 the head-quarters of the Ballarat rowing and yachtsmen. On 

 its surface are therefore to be seen gigs, out-riggers, and smart 

 sailing crafts. At the eastern end are the boat-houses and 

 landing-stages. On the western extremity of the lake are 

 situated the Botanical Gardens, the taste in which they are 

 laid out and the good order in which they are kept doing credit 

 to the metropolitan gold field. A carriage drive runs round 

 the gardens. Pedestrians can wander amidst shrubberies or 

 feast their eyes on beds rich in flowers, or they can explore the 

 mysteries of the labyrinth, in the middle of which stands the 

 look-out tower. From the top of this building a good view of 

 the surrounding country is obtainable. Our engraving repre- 

 sents the lake in the background, while in the foreground is a 

 reserve, forming portion of the Botanical Gardens. The sward 

 to the right, sheltered by a screen of bushes, is a favourite 

 spot for picnics, and is in summer well patronised." 



We know that the Society are anxious to receive contri- 

 butions of plants from all our European botanical societies ; 

 and none need fear that they are sending hardy plants to an 

 nngenial climate, for we know, from the report of the Victoria 

 Horticultural Society, that it has the following collection of 

 fruits, and that those which have been proved equal in pro- 

 duction to those grown in^Europe[: — 



389 Apples, of which 160 have been proved. 



261 Pears , 33 „ 



33 Peaches 18 „ 



8 Nectarines ,, 4 „ 



80 Cherries 39 „ 



84 Plums , 43 „ 



38 Apricots „ 28 „ 



136 Grapes , SI 



34 Oranges (and others of the Citrus family). 



32 l''igs, of which have been proved. 



32 Strawl-ierries, of which . . 20 ,, 



and collections of other less important fruits. 



Wo have not any recent reports as to the growth of other 

 members of the vegetable kingdom at Victoria, but we have 

 the following from the Proceedings of the Wellington Philo- 

 sophical Society, and this New Zealand neighbour is little to 

 the south of Victoria : — 



" St. John's NunsEnv Gahden, Wanoanni, New Zealand. — 

 This garden is situated at about five chains from the foot of St. 

 John's Bush, a wooded cliff some 'JO feet in height, bounding 

 the town of Wangauni on the north-west. The garden is, from 

 its situation, exposed to almost the whole of the sun's warmth, 



