VILLA GARDENS WEST OF FUNCHAL 31 



their absence in the landscape of Madeira is keenly 

 felt. The Portuguese see no beauty in them, and 

 only connect them with death, for which reason 

 they are scarcely ever seen except in cemeteries. 

 From the astonishing growth which the young 

 trees at Quinta Stanford have made in a few years, 

 it is evident that the soil is very favourable for 

 their culture, and it seems almost incredible that 

 more owners of gardens, who must have seen what 

 Italy owes to her cypresses, should not have planted 

 them in Madeira ; but it is to be hoped that even 

 now others may follow the excellent example set 

 before them at Quinta Stanford. 



The owner of the garden has much to tell of the 

 successes and failures he has made, not only with 

 imported plants, in the hopes of inducing them to 

 find a new home in Madeira, but he journeyed far 

 and wide to make a collection of the native ferns, 

 of which there are a great quantity. Many of 

 them, removed from the cool, damp air of their 

 mountain homes, pined and died a lingering death 

 in the air of Funchal, which was too hot and dry ; 

 and the atmosphere of a stufa, or greenhouse, is 

 unsuited to the hardier ferns. 



Some interesting experiments have also been 

 made with rock-plants, in order to see whether it 



