March 19, 1874. J 



JOURNAL OF HORTIODLTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENER. 



241 



of suoh plants as we are only aooustomed to see dwarfed in flower 

 pots in greenhouses at home. Here were immense plants of 

 Salvia involuorata, quite a great shrub gloriously in flower ; Sal- 

 via splendens, Metlicago arborea, Polygala grandiflora, Lantana 

 verbenaoea, all eiiually large and shrub. like. Under the name of 

 Salvia fulgeus was a handsome tree of lochroma grandiflorum 

 with its fine blue trumpet-shaped flowers. On one of the ter- 

 races was a fine pair of Musa Ensete, the leaves of which were 

 'J to 10 feet long, and in luxuriant health ; and near them, 

 rambling in picturesque natural entanglement, was a brilliant 

 mass of the charming Senecio mikanoides in full bloom. The 

 roof of a shed was completely covered with a Bougainvillrea 

 with a line red flower which wo had never seen before. Dr. 

 Beunet received it under the name of B. Warsewiczii, but 

 whether it is distinct from the species usually grown in English 

 gardens is doubtful, as it is quite possible that the intensity of 



oolonr may be due to the strong sunlight under which it was 

 basking. We saw the same plant grown in-doors under glass, 

 and it was much paler and more of a mauve colour. It is very 

 remarkable the effect that the intensity of light has here on 

 the colour of flowers. Plants of Primula sinensis fully exposed 

 were of the deepest red, while the same when slightly shaded 

 were of the same colour we are accustomed to see them at 

 home. But one of the most gorgeous plants in the garden 

 was one of Tacsonia ignea growing against one of the terrace 

 walls in the most luxuriant manner, and literally smothered 

 with its fiery red blossoms ; one can hardly imagine anything 

 more rich and beautiful than that plant was. Another plant 

 that attracted our attention was a fine tree of Abutilon Duo 

 de Malakoff, full of its large, drooping, richly-streaked flowers. 

 This remarkable garden is a series of terraces one above the 

 other, much in the style of what we should suppose the hang- 



DB. BENHET'S OAUDEN AT UEHTONE. 



ing gardens of Babylon to have been. It overhangs the Genoa 

 road already mentioned, and in front of it lies the blue Medi- 

 terranean, which, on the occasions we visited the garden, lay 

 at its base smooth and placid as a mirror, and the grey outline 

 of Corsica in the distance. The whole extent is about eight 

 acres, all of which will ultimately be included under cultiva- 

 tion, but at present a considerable portion of this is only in 

 the process of being enclosed. Next the Genoa road and on 

 the very brink of a perpendicular rock it is enclosed by a wall 

 — the wall of the ancient castle, and the top of this wall has 

 been utilised by Dr. Bennet as a place on which to grow a rich 

 collection of Cactacea) and other succulents. Instead of a 

 coping, the wall is surmounted by a trough, which is filled with 

 suitable soil in which these plants are growing. This was 

 begun by way of an experiment, and has been perfectly suc- 

 cessful. On the lower terrace is an elaborate piece of rockwork 

 planted with succulents, and among these we observed fine 

 specimens of Opuntias, Cacti, Euphorbias, Aloes, Agaves, Dra- 

 caenas, etc. We remarked Opuntia monacantha, 0. imbrioata, 

 0. fulvispina, 0. Ficus-Indica, 0. mierodasys, 0. Mallisoni, 

 and 0. cylindrioa ; Aloe mitrteformis, A. ciliaris, A. variegata ; 

 Mesembryanthemum echinatum, M. hispidum, M. perfoliatum, 

 M. Echmanui, M. cordifolium, and M. barbatum ; Cereus ra- 

 moBUS, C. pugioniferus, C. virens, C. formosus, C. Martini, 

 C. triangularis, C. serpentinus, C. Paxtonianus ; but these are 

 not a tithe of the collection. 



When the whole of the space which is now being eucloaed 

 yields to the designs which Dr. Bennet intends to carry out, 



this barren grey mountain will become a paradise clothed 

 with luxuriant vegetation gathered from tropical and sub-tro- 

 pical climes ; and when completed will remain a memorial of 

 the genius of one who has done so much not only to ameliorate 

 the bodOy suffering of his fellow creatures, but to contribute 

 to their mental pleasure. 



Our illustration is'taken from Dr. Bonnet's work, " Spring 

 and Winter on the Shores of the Mediterranean," one of the 

 most delightful and entertaining books we have ever read. — R. 



A FEW WORDS ABOUT LAWNS. 

 I BELIEVE the lawns of the United Kingdom, in point of 

 general good management and the lively green which they 

 present to the eye, are not equalled by those of any other 

 country ; and I have heard that foreigners, when visiting our 

 public parks or the country homes of our nobility and gentry, 

 recognise and are charmed with this particular feature of 

 British gardening. Certainly there are few features connected 

 with a country residence which add more to the beauty of the 

 place and the enjoyment of the family than well-kept lawns, 

 affording, as they do at all seasons, that shade of colour so 

 refreshing to the sight, and on which the eye loves to rest. 

 When, as generally is the case, lawns adjoin the house, and 

 are necessarily seen from the windows of the principal sitting 

 and other rooms, it becomes highly important that they be 

 kept in first-rate condition, both as regards the fresh healthy 

 appearance of the grass and the general neatness of the sward. 



