104 My New Zealand Garden 



a shady flower border well away from the baneful 

 influence of Pinus insignis, and there it will brave 

 any New Zealand winter that comes. 



Josephus mentions a grove of these Palms in 

 Jericho, seven miles long, running from Bethany 

 (House of Dates) to the top of Mount Olivet, 

 when Palestine was the land of Palms now a 

 thing of the past. 



A sweet little booklet has just reached us con- 

 taining twelve pressed flowers from that blessed 

 land, gathered and pressed by the Rev. Harvey B. 

 Greene, B.D., with some information regarding 

 and some Biblical reference to each flower. They 

 are most beautifully done, and the colours quite 

 fresh. It is awe-inspiring as well as delightful to 

 look at these real flowers, actually gathered in 

 Palestine, and to think how near our Saviour's feet 

 must have gone to some of them, perhaps even 

 pressed them, and how often His eyes must 

 have rested upon them. Really lovable flowers, 

 stimulating our best feelings and making us feel 

 nearer to Him ; what pleasure they will give to 

 many loving souls ! Flowers and trees are one of 

 God's blessings to us. We read in Isaiah that 

 trees in plenty and luxuriance symbolize God's 

 blessing; the absence of them the contrary 

 desolation and degradation ; and the degraded 

 state of many treeless countries visibly sub- 

 stantiates the fact. Balaam likened the striped 



