201 



purplish-red saucer-shaped flowers are 3^-5 in. across, and are 

 borne 2 to 4 together at the apex of the tuberculate spiny 

 succulent stem. The specimen figured was sent to Kew by 

 Mr. J. Gossweiler, Curator of the Botanic Gardens at Loanda. 



June, 1906. 



growth 



A Russian estimate of Kew.-Mr. V. J. Lipsky, one of the Princi- 

 pal Botanists of the Imperial Botanic Gardens at St. Petersburg, 



each 



duration 



various European Botanical Gardens, including Kew, published as 

 appendices to the " Acta Horti Petropolitani." These reports are 

 entirely in Russian, but with the help of Miss Olivia Garnett, who 

 is acting as a Temporary Assistant in the Herbarium, we have 

 been able to learn something of their nature and scope. Mr. 

 Lipsky's first visit was in 1900, and in 1901 he published a report 

 on the Botanical Establishments of Vienna, Munich, Geneva, Paris, 

 London (Kew, British Museum, and Linnean Society), Brussels 

 and Berlin. Some 30 pages out of 123 are devoted to Kew, 

 dealing successively with the Herbarium, the Library, the " Park," 

 the North Gallery, the Glass Houses and the Museums. There is 

 an excellent reproduction of the " Key Plan " to the garden and 

 the installation and working arrangements of the various branches 

 of the establishment are described at length. 



The second report, issued towards the end of last year, is a more 

 detailed one, running to 267 pages, though it only deals with the 

 Botanical Establishments of Madrid, Lisbon and Kew ; 190 of 

 those 267 pages are devoted to Kew. In 1905 Mr. Lipsky spent 

 the greater part of six weeks at the Herbarium, examining the 

 Tibetan plants collected by English travellers. His spare time 

 was devoted to the gardens, and 127 pages of this report are 

 occupied with the' living plants, their arrangement, and the 

 housing of the tender ones. He takes successively the collections 

 of Lilium, Iris, Rosa, Rhododendron, Clematis, Ac, &c, giving 

 complete lists of the species, with remarks on their numbers, 

 appearance and condition. The same treatment is given to the 

 collections under glass. 



Mr. Lipsky appeared particularly struck by the gardens as 

 affording a reflection of the social life of Englishmen ; his remarks 

 are enthusiastic and complimentary. He has studied many public 

 gardens, he says, but not only is there not one that can compare 

 with Kew, not even all of them put together. The gardens at 

 Kew are, he thinks, for the people who visit them in tens 

 of thousands with perfect freedom, unhindered by officialdom, 

 educational in the best sense. He describes the grass, explaining 

 how it is cut and kept, and how visitors are allowed to walk or 

 lie upon it. The report is illustrated by excellent views of the 

 Palm Hmifift. tho Tftmnerate House and the North Gallery. 



28065 



£ 



