110 AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 
establishment. Equally fortunate is it that the plans and policy of the 
honored father have descended to a not less worthy son, the present 
director and distinguished botanical explorer, Dr. J. D. Hooker. 
To us, as Americans, the main interest in an examination of-suech an * 
Old World establishment is in the advantage it offers of profiting by 
wise experience in direeting similar institutions adapted ‘to our own im- 
mediate soil and climate. Hence the accompanying brief sketch is 
offered under the following heads, viz: The gardens and grounds, the 
green-houses, the herbarium, and the botanic museum. 
The gardens and grounds.—The grounds, located about ten miles from 
the central business portion of London, and accessible by several lines 
of railway three or four times every hour in the day, comprise in their 
whole extent 345 acres. The general surface, in part fronting the river 
Thames, is agreeably diversified by elevations and depressions. The rise 
of the tide here, varying nearly 20 feet, affords ready means of supply- 
ing artificial lakes, thus giving the additional charm of water scenery 
to the varied landscape. <A large portion of the grounds is occupied by 
a heavy growth of native, forest trees, composed mostly of beech and 
oak, while shaded paths in imitation of na tural rural scenery are-bor- 
dered by irregular clumps of rhododendron and holly. In the more 
strictly scientific portion of the grounds, plants, trees, and shrubbery 
are arranged according to the natural orders, either in detached beds, 
groups, or avenues, as best suits the requirements of soil and exposure. 
The plan is to be carried out, as far as practicable, of bringing side by 
side the analogous forms of different countries, and presenting at a 
glance their -peculiar character and special adaptation for local culti- 
vation. Thus an avenue of pines will be set out with European repre- 
sentatives on one side and American on the other. Groups of maples, 
oaks, &c., will be set out on the same general plan, each species being 
plainly marked with name and native locality. In reference to smailer 
shrubbery and herbaceous plants, distinct beds will be assigned to each, 
bringing allied families, as far as practicable, into close proximity. In 
order to carry out these views in detail, much time and labor will be. 
required, but, even in its present imperfect cendition, much useful 
information is embodied, showing clearly the utility of the general plan; 
and in earrying on the necessary experiments useful experience will 
constantly be gained in reference to the peculiar habits and special 
adaptation of particular plants. In passing over the grounds where 
cultivation has been of longest continuance, the eye will be frequently 
attracted by unexpected forms, often in strange combinations. Thus, 
we meet with magnificent specimens of the cedar cf Lebanon, the 
oriental plane tree, and the wide-branching Turkey oak, associated 
with the stiff forms of the Chilian Araucaria, the Japan Sophora, and 
American Magnolia. The Himalayan Deodara cedar stands side by 
side with thrifty grewths of the American giant Sequoia. Douglass 
spruces and California pines vie in luxuriance with native species, 
while here and there stunted forms show plainly the effect of adverse 
conditions on species which we might theoretically expect to flourish 
in such locations. 
To one accustomed to the exuberance of our native forests in Eastern 
North America, in thus seeing how much can be accomplished in less 
favorable localities in muitiplying the forms of cultivated tree growth, 
it is difficuit to resist the conclusion that a more extended experience 
on our own soil will result in far richer and more varied arborescent 
productions. Hence, there is special value to be attached to experi- 
