BRIEF REMARKS. 173 



selves. It is [only the enthusiastic botanical collector who can form 

 an idea of the amount of excitement and pleasure there is when one 

 fancies lie is on the eve of finding a new and beautiful flower. Captain 

 Hall led the way, and we soon reached the spot where the plant grew. 

 There had been no exaggeration in his description ; there it was, 

 covering an old wall, and scrambling up the branches of the adjoining 

 trees; it bore long racemes of pea-.-haued flowers, and scented the sur- 

 rounding air with its odours. Need I say it was the beautiful Glycine. 

 But it was not found in a wild state even at Amoy, and iiad evidently 

 been brought from more northern latitudes. 



When I reached Chusan, in latitude 30° north, I found a remarkable 

 change in the appearance of the vegetation. Tropical forms had 

 entirely disappeared, or were rarely met with. Although the summers 

 were as warm, or even warmer, than they were in the south, yet the 

 winters were nearly as cold as those we have in England. On this 

 ground, and all over the provinces of Chekiang and Kiangnan, the 

 Glycine seemed to be at home. It grew wild on every hill-side, 

 scrambling about in the hedges by the footpaths, and hanging over and 

 dipping its leaves and flowers into the canals and mountain streams. 



But by far the most beautiful effect is produced when it attaches 

 itself to the stems and branches of other trees. This is not un frequent 

 in nature, and is often copied by the Chinese and introduced into their 

 gardens. You can scarcely imagine anything more gorgeous or beau- 

 tiful than a large plant of this kind in full bloom. Its main and larger 

 branches are entwined round every branch and branchlet of the tree, 

 and from them hundreds of small ones hang down until they nearly 

 touch the ground. The whole of the brandies are covered with 

 flower-buds, which a day or two of warm weather brings rapidly forward 

 into bloom. To form an idea of the effect produced by these thousands 

 of long lilac racemes, you must imagine, if you can, a floral cascade, or 

 a Weeping Willow covered with the flowers of the Glycine. There 

 are some large specimens of this kind on the island of Chusan. One, 

 in particular, was most striking. Not content with monopoli>ing one 

 tree, it had scrambled over a whole clump, and formed a pretty arbour 

 underneath. When I saw it last it was in full flower, and had a most 

 charming appearance. 



The Chinese are fond of growing the Glycine on trellis-work, and 

 formimr long covered walks in the garden, or arbours and porticos in 

 front of their doors. In a former letter I noticed a large specimen of 

 this description in the garden of the British consulate at Shanghae. 

 There is another remarkable one in the garden of a mandarin at Ningpo; 

 growing in company with it is the fine new variety introduced lately 

 by the Horticultural Society of London, and published in the Journal 

 of the Society. In foliage and general habit the two kinds are nearly 

 alike, but the new one bears long racemes of pure white flowers. — 

 Gardeners' Chronicle, R. F. 



[In the garden belonging to W. O. Hunt, Esq., of Stratford-on- 

 Avon, there is a plant now (June, 1851,) which has upwards of 25,000 

 racemes of flowers.] 



Culture oi' Ixoras.— They require to be cultivated in a warm and 



