34 



whilst Eucalyphis globulus only fears winters of 

 more than ordinary severity. Another mile or so 

 to the we'^t, close to Hytbe, itself a warm spot, is 

 Saltwood. a charmino; little village nestling in the 

 hills a mile or two from the sea. Here is an old 

 castle where, tradition says, the murderers of 

 Becket slept the night before they executed their 

 fell purpose in Canterbury Cathedral. 



The gateway as it now exists dates from after 

 Becket's time, and is singularly like, but less 

 imposing than, the fine Westgate at Canterbury. 

 Our business, however, lies with a " chine " haid 

 by, a chine which recalls those in the Isle of 

 Wight, though the sides of this one are clothed 

 with trees — trees native, and trees planted. A 

 valley runs between the banks, a valley cut out of 

 the greensand which is here overlain by alluvial 

 soil, a valley almost alvpays moist and warm, 

 sheltered from every wind that blows, and safely 

 harbouring a variety of trees and shrubs which 

 one might expect to see in Devonshire, but hardly 

 on the Kentish coast. 



Our supplementary illustrations show a bush of 

 Sjnrxa arixfolia in full bloom, and a red*flowered 

 camellia smothered in bloom. For the photographs 

 from which these are taken we are indebted to Mr. 

 Leney, the present proprietor of the " American 

 Garden," as it is called hereabouts, from the pro- 

 fusion of rhododeadrons which have been planted 

 here at one time and another. These are not mere 

 low-groTV'iDg bushes, but good - sized trees, and 

 when covered with bloom, as they were when we 

 saw them at the end of May, presented a most 

 brilliant spectacle. The varieties are many of 

 them old friends, but since the garden has come 

 into the p ^ssession of its present owner, many new 

 and improved varieties have been added. This 

 remirk applies not only to the shrubs, but to her- 

 baceous, bulbous, and other plants, so that this 

 garden will soon become, if indeed, it has not 

 already become, one of rare beauty, aud what is 

 still more satisfying, one of exceptional interest 



Among the more showy rhododendrons in bloom 

 at the time of our visit were, Cynthia, with large 

 trusses of deep rose-spotted flowers ; Old Port, 

 whose rich colour is indicated by it name ; BUndy- 

 anum, a fine trae whose beauty, when covered with 

 its rosy-crimsou spotted flowers was positively 

 startling ; Victoria was another variety with claret 

 coloured spotted floweis; another was Princess 

 Mary, with flowers of a deep lilac colour, the tube 

 being white Huge bushes of veteran white azaleas, 

 are growing side by side, or in proximity to 

 groups of some of the newer varietiesof the Mollis 

 section. 



lllicium anisititm, a handsome evergreen, was 

 ii full bloom, as were also big bushes of fuchsias, 

 Magnolia halleana, a floe specimen of choisya ter- 

 nata, and one of Olearia gu7iniana. Exorhorda 

 grandijlora was covered with its snowy -white 

 flowers that have some special attraction for the 

 Saltwood sparrows, as mischievous as those of 

 other localities. Ilex laUfolia is represented by a 

 specimen of large siae and noble foliage. 



Among the conifers the most remarkable for 

 size and stateliness is a tree of Cupressus macro- 

 carpa, one of the largest, if not the largest of its 

 kind it has ever been our lot to see. We saw no 



cones upen it, so that the identification is uncertain. 

 Cunnrnghaynia sinensis is interesting, but it is not 

 quite happy ; it looks as if spring frosts may have 

 checked its growth. Araucaria imhricata also did 

 not seeuu quite at home, but sequoias {WelUng- 

 tonias), Lawson's cypress, red cedar, Cupressus 

 corneyan{f. and many others, were thriving apace. 

 Bamboos and palms (Trachycari)us excelsus), tree 

 paeonies, and lilies, including L. giganteiim. New 

 Zealand flix and Australian eucalyptus, together 

 with others too numerous to mention, as the guide 

 books say, add to the attractions of this very 

 interesting garden. It is a garden that we have 

 known for m.iny years. It had fallen somewhat 

 into decay; thinniog had been neglected, and 

 some of the shrubs had arrived at a stage of 

 decrepit senility. Since it has passed into the 

 hands of Mr. Leney a great change for the better 

 has set in. Fortunately, the owner is a plant- 

 lover, and appreciates the capabilities of the site, 

 so that constant additions of interesting and 

 beautiful plants are being made to replace the 

 veterans, and afford additional interest to what 

 was always an attractive garden." — Gardeners' 

 Chronicle, October 11. 1902.) 



June 7th, — Wye Collegf. 

 This excursion was arranged for the Congress, 

 and a full account of it is given on another page. 



June 19th. — Elham. 

 Very few attended this excursion, the party in- 

 cluding the President. MibS Holm'-s, Miss Pbill- 

 potts. Miss Cole, Miss Lander, Captain Stead, and 

 the Hon. Secretary. The Vicar at Elham very 

 kindly met us and conducted us ever the curious 

 old church and valuable library of very old books, 

 which are rapidly being ruined by the rain coming 

 through the roof of the church. After a pleasanD 

 tea, a ramble was nude over the hills and chalk 

 pits, and a few interesting flowers were gathered. 



JuT.Y 3rd. — Minster and Walmer. 

 The party assembled at the station included the 

 President (S. Harvey, Esq.), Mr. W. H.Hammond, 

 Miss Harvey, Mrs. Becker {from Berlin), Miss 

 Hurst, and the Hon. Secretary (Mr. A. Lander). 

 As there was an excursion to Walmer it was 

 decided to take a ticket for this place and to breaK 

 the journey at Minster, where we were joined by 

 Mr. Hewitt, from Margate. The beach at Kings- 

 down, near Walmer, proved a happy hunting 

 ground for rare plants of endless variety, some 

 being very rare and only found here. Those found 

 included : Lathyrtis maritimus, Borago officinalis, 

 Symphytum asperrimum, Qlaucium liiteum, Medi- 

 cago lupulina, M. niaeutata, M. denticulata, Tri- 

 folium ngrarium, T. scabium, T. repens, T. minvs, 

 Echium vulgare (two varieties), Reseda lutea and 

 htteola, Carduus crispus and laiiceolatus, Crepis 

 fietida, Centrantkus ruber, Vicia hirsuta and 

 sepiuni,Asperuia cynanchica, Matricaria caniomillaf 

 Chrysanthemum inodorum, Anthemis cotula, Hor- 

 deum muriniim. Poa loliacea, Festuca rigida, 

 Koileria cristata, Brackypodium sylvaticum and 

 pinnatum, Sedum acre and rejlexum, Lepidiim 

 draba, Malva sylve,stris, Ballota nigra, Tragopodon 

 praiensis and minus, Bromits inotlis and secalinus^ 



