HORTICULTURE IN PARIS. 



87 



Fig. 2012. Mr. Robt. Hamilton, 

 Superintendent of Horticulture for Canada. 



Eastern plane. This is a very interesting' 

 tree witii its innumerable little seed balls 

 tangling- by a slender thread. Along the 

 River Seine and the canals the black poplar 

 is everywhere met with. Rare specimens of 

 linden and locust were seen and also the 

 Salisburia or Maiden-hair tree. 



In private grounds that may be seen from 

 the streets, the variety of trees is, of course, 

 very much greater than in the streets, inas- 

 much as there is no restriction as to size, 

 character, &c. , so that one sees weeping 

 trees of all kinds — maples, willows, elms, 

 birches, cherries, ashes, beeches, mul- 

 berries, locusts, lindens ; cut-leaved trees 

 of as many families — crimson and purple 

 leaved trees, variegated leaved trees; 

 conifers ; cedars of Lebanon, hemlocks, 

 balsams, spruces, Wellingtonia gigantea, 

 &c. Trees with round heads, fastigiate 



trees — that seem to wish to hold communion 

 with as few as possible of their fellows and 

 aspire heavenward, Lombardy poplars and 

 BoUeana poplars, pyramidal birch, monu- 

 mental elm ; small flowering trees like the 

 Golden Chain (cytisus), the Japan lilac, the 

 Crimson Double Thorn, magnolias, mul- 

 berries, and double-flowering apples. Of 

 flowering shrubs the variety is practically 

 endless. Rhododendrons are seen ten feet 

 high and fifteen feet diameter, a solid 

 bouquet and kalmias almost as large ; 

 euonymus, hibiscus, hydrangeas, silver 

 bells (halesia), azaleas, ceonothuses^ 

 Azalea mollis, &c., to say nothing of the 

 Weigelias, Philadelphus, honeysuckles, 

 spiraeas and lilacs that we know so well 

 here. 



HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITS. 



One feature of the Horticultural Concours 

 that struck us as somewhat strange was the 

 fact that all the exhibitors were profession- 

 als. There were no exhibits from private 

 gentlemen's grounds, nor did there seem to 

 be anything from market gardeners. Large 

 establishments, syndicates, and horticul- 

 tural societies were the only concurrents or 

 competitors. 



The Horticultural Society of France is 

 said to be very rich. The building where its 

 members meet for the transaction of busi- 

 ness — a large magnificent aff'air, said to 

 have cost a half million francs, and which 

 yields an annual revenue of twenty thousand 

 francs — is the property of the Association. 

 The two horticultural pavilions of the late 

 exhibition, two magnificent structures, are 

 also said to belong to this association. 



Yet, when all is said of the grandeur of 

 the late exhibition, it must be admitted that, 

 when we consider the wealth of France in 

 everything horticultural, together with, its 

 population and wealth, our Ottawa, Toronto, 

 or Montreal exhibitions, are comparatively 

 much better. 



Grenville, Que. Robert Hamilton. 



