Notes of a Visit to North America. 271 



was a tract of boggy ground covered with Arbor-vitge, 

 called cedars in America, from 30 to GO feet high, hem- 

 lock spruces, white birches, and the like. Underneath, the 

 shade was not dense, and we were quite buried in masses 

 of sun-flowers, Gaillardias, and other composites. 



After the British Association meeting at Montreal, I 

 went to Philadelphia, and there I had a rare botanical treat. 

 In company with Professor Asa Gray and a number of 

 distinguished American botanists, I visited the Pine 

 Barrens of New Jersey. The flora of this State includes 

 many southern plants brought thither by the Gulf Stream. 

 We collected some forty even at that late season of the 

 year, amongst them the extremely interesting fern Schizcea 

 picsiUa, a cleistogamous grass — Amphicarpon,an Eriocaulon 

 which wanders as far as the Hebrides, Drosera JtUformis, 

 ]\[imosas, and Desmodiums ; and my delight was great on 

 finding Sarracenias in great abundance. 



Later I visited the prairies in the north-west of Canada 

 and Yellowstone, but the flowers by that time had dis- 

 appeared. Subsequently 1 went to California, and paid a 

 visit to the magnificent redwood trees on the coast ; and 

 Yosemite, where the flora was most interesting. 



Two or three days were spent amongst the vineyards 

 and orangeries of Los Angelos. I never tasted finer out- 

 door grapes than here ; they were muscats. The best for 

 wine making are the ordinary kinds which produce good 

 wine in France. 



My visit to the St Gabriel AVinery Company I must 

 mention, because it was thoroughly American and repre- 

 sentative. It has been only a few years in existence, and 

 it has become the " boss " vinery of the world. All its 

 arrangements were admirable. Fifteen hundred acres were 

 covered with vines. Every acre yields on an average 4 tons, 

 and as grapes were being sold at from $18 to $22 per 

 ton, the gross profit per acre may be put down at from £13 

 to £15. Chinamen do the work of vignerons at a dollar 

 a day. The ground is first ploughed about 18 inches deep, 

 by two ploughings, and the little cuttings are stuck into the 

 soil ; there are generally only about 3 per cent, of deaths. 

 Those planted in the previous April looked very vigorous. 

 The contrast between the continental mode of crushing 



