W Jane 4, 1874 ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



445 



interest in it ; and it was noted at the time as a wonderful 

 example of British pluck, that at the very time when the 

 Directors were gazing on their ruined building, they then and 

 there determined to rebnild it. The result of that determina- 

 tion is now being seen, and in another month's time the 

 Directors confidently hope to re-open it. The plan has been 

 altered, there will bo no dome and no galleries ; the space 

 covered by tlie building, however, will be larger than ever, and 

 {our water towers, with tanks 30 feet square, flanking it at each 

 •corner, will afford an abundant supply of water in case of fire. 



It should be kuovvu to all who care for such matters, that 

 Alexandra Park is very unUke the grounds of the Crystal 

 Palace; that is more of a garden, this, as its name implies, 

 more of a park. There will bo none of those grand attempts 

 at bedding-out which have made the grounds at Sydenham a 

 place to study the effect of colour and the value of various 

 plants ; but the grounds at Muswell Hill will be equally in- 

 structive, as showing how effects may be produced by trees 

 and shrubs, while the undulating character of the ground, and 

 the shady nooks and corners, will make it, I doubt not, a 

 ■favourite resort for picnics. It may give some idea of the 

 manner in which ihe Directors are carrying out their plans, 

 and how little they regard expense, if I refer to what I believe 

 will be one of the most instructive parts of the grounds — the 

 Japanese village and garden. It is situated at the upper part 

 of the park, near the railway station, and consists of three or 

 four cottages, a joss house, garden, &c., and everything in 

 connection with it is Japanese. The day that I was there I 

 saw a number of bags, just delivered from the railway trucks, 

 containing the small round stones used for pavmg courtyards. 

 On examining them I found them to be of a curious kind of 

 stone, and was informed by Mr. McKenzie that they, too, had 

 been brought from Japan ! The wood of which the cottages 

 are built is that of the!;Cryptomeria japonica, and it strikes 

 me as very beautiful, and likely to be very useful where 

 polished and varnished deal is now used. The grain is very 

 beautiful, .and the wood seems durable. The village stands in 

 the midst of grounds laid out by a Japanese landscape gar- 

 dener. There is the little mound, the bridge, the stream with 

 which we are familiar on the Chinese and Japanese plates and 

 dishes ; — we seem only to want the Weeping WUlow tree to 

 make it complete. All this has been carried out by workmen 

 Irom Japan, and I believe it is intended that these houses 

 should form a sort of emporium, where the very beautiful pro- 

 ducts of Japanese manufacture shall be sold by Japanese 

 tradesmen. Wo shall thus have quite a Japanese colony 

 located in this part of the grounds. 



All who know anything of Mr. McKenzie will readily believe 

 that in his department of the Palace everything will be carried 

 out in correct style, and an in'peition of the range of houses 

 where he has his plants will at once testify to this. I have 

 seldom seen a more compact and thoroughly efficient set of 

 huildings, and all the plants in them were in a most thriving 

 condition ; and as a large and handsome conservatory will 

 form part of the building, we may expect to see a permanent 

 collection of fine plants ; while out of doors there will be 

 sufficient bedding-out to give brightness to the gardens. 

 There is one cherished project chat Mr. McKenzie would like 

 to see fulfilled, and that is the establishment of a school of 

 horticulture, which he would be so well able to preside over, 

 and for which he would like to allocate a portion of the ground 

 admirably suited for the purpose. There can be little doubt 

 of the desirableness of such a scheme, and we may hope some 

 day to see it realised. 



There can be but one wish — that the Alexandra Palace and 

 Park may ultimately be a success. I believe there is no under- 

 taking in which Sir John Kelk has been engaged in which he 

 takes so deep an interest. The property is now in the hands 

 of a few wealthy capitalists; they have surrounded themselves 

 with an efficient stalj — Sir Edward Lee, who won such universal 

 goodwill at Dublin when he presided over the Exhibition 

 there ; Mr. Embden, who was his Secretary ; Dr. Dresser, 

 whose taste in art is well known to all ; and Mr. McKenzie, 

 form a staff which commands every element of success. 

 There is ample room for both the Alexandra Park and the 

 Crystal Palace, and the inhabitants of the north side of London 

 will have placed within their reach an attraction similar to that 

 now enjoyed by the southern side of our great metropolis. — 

 v.. Deal. 



Fdnoi as an Akticle op Commekce. — Throughout the con- 

 tinent of Europe, plants of this tribe are eagerly sought 



after by all classes of men, and form the chief, if not the 

 sole, diet of thousands who would otherwise be but scantily 

 provided with aliment. But Fungi are not only the tolerated 

 food of the poorer classes, they are also highly prized by 

 the rich man and tlie epicure. In Italy and fiermany im- 

 mense numbers of the various species of this tribe are sold 

 in the markets, and produce au almost incredible amount of 

 income. In Home, so important are the Fungi as an article of 

 commerce, that there is a public officer appointed to test the 

 species exposed for sale, and superintend this branch of the 

 revenue ; for in that market a tax is laid on all quantities of 

 Fungi presented for sale exceeding 10 lbs. in weight. All Fungi 

 brought into Rome are supervised by this officer, weighed, 

 sealed-up, and all destined for that day's consumption sent to 

 a central depot. If, among the contents of the baskets offered 

 any stale, maggot-eaten, or dangerous specimens are found, 

 they are sent under escort, and thrown into the Tiber ; and 

 another remarkable circumstance is the law that it any speci- 

 men of our edible Mushroom (Agaricus oampestris), is found, 

 it also is to be thrown into the river ! So says an unpublished 

 letter of Professor Sanguinetti, " Ispettore del Funghi " at 

 Rome. It is certainly singular that the only Fungus which is 

 freely accepted in all English kitchens, and considered as the 

 sole common kind that is honest and trustworthy, and pos- 

 sessed of no murderous properties, should be the one thus 

 protested against, whether in a state good or bad ! — (^From 

 '' CasseU's Poindar Educator "for June.) 



EOYAL GARDENS, KEW. 



In the herbaceous ground the Rheum officinale, Baillon, is 

 in flower, which from a scientiflc point of view, so long as it 

 remains in bloom, will perhaps be the most important plant in 

 the garden. It is the first time in England that botanists have 

 been able to examine the flowers on the living plant. In Dr. 

 Hooker's "Le Maout and Decaisne," we are given the informa- 

 tion that " the botanical histoiy of the Rhubarb is obscure. In 

 the tenth century the Arabs received it from the Chinese, and 

 spread it through Europe; but the Chinese only vaguely indi- 

 cated its habitat, and botanists have long doubted to what 

 species it belongs." In notes by Dr. Hooker we are further 

 informed that Rheum Rhaponticum " furnishes the English 

 medicinal Rhubarb, and is extensively grown both as*a sub- 

 stitute for the Oriental and also to adulterate it. Within the 

 last two [now about seven] years the true Rhubarb plant has 

 been introduced into Franco by the Chinese missionaries in 

 East Tibet, and named R. officinale, Baillon." It is quite dis- 

 tinct from every known species of Rheum, and conspicuously 

 by the thick dwarf stem developed above ground, which is the 

 part used in medicine. It is hardy and decidedly ornamental, 

 but, from its early growth and liability to be disfigured by 

 spring frosts, will not perhaps be largely used as a decorative 

 plant, requiring even more care than the Gunnera. 



Among the plants of beauty in this department are Polygonum 

 alpinum (P. polymorphum), a species of good habit, with an 

 inflorescence much like that of Spirica japonica; Omphalodes 

 liniflora, a dwarf white-flowered annual with glaucous folia^je ; 

 Onosma taurica, indispensable to every collection ; Achillea 

 umbellata, good for its dense white foUage, but here very pretty 

 in flower; HemerocallisDumortieri, nearly resembling H. minor, 

 but the flower is of darker colour and the foliage less flaccid, 

 it is the better of the two, though far less frequently met with ; 

 Delphinium triste, more curious than beautiful, and for which 

 a more suitable name could not be found — the flower is almost 

 black, slightly shaded with diugy yellow. Lovers of the genus 

 Iris will find much to admire. Iris (Xiphion) lusitanica, a 

 golden self, is now in great beauty ; others in flower are 

 I. variegata, I. neglecta, I. flavescens, I. pallida, I. squalens, 

 and I. sibirica. They are known under a variety of names, but 

 the last mentioned may always be distinguished by its hollow 

 flower stems; it varies in colour from a dirty white to a deep 

 blue. On the adjacent wall, worthy of note, are the white- 

 flowered Himalayan Rosa sericea, interesting on account of 

 its flowers with four petals, five and even more are sometimes 

 to be found ; the Mexican Habrothamnus corymbosus, bearing 

 a profusion of red flowers ; and the light yellow Lupinus 

 arboreus. Near the Orchid house Buddlea globosa forms a 

 conspicuous object. It is unique as regards the globular heads 

 of orange-coloured flowers, is liable to be cut down in severe 

 winter, but a rapid grower ; so when killed plant again. It 

 was formerly refeired to Scrophulariaceaj, but now with greater 

 propriety to Lo^aniacea'. 



