62 THE PARKS AND GARDENS OF PARIS. [Chap. III. 



these die down be awkward blanks left. By placing them singly 

 or in groups on tlie grass this would not occur. 



For the information of those taking a botanical interest in 

 curious plants, I may state that Cuscuta major is luxuriantly 

 grown here upon the Nettle, C. Epithymum upon Calliopsis 

 tinctoria, C. Engelmanii upon a Solidago, and Orobanchc grows 

 upon Hemp. 0. minor has been grown upon perennial Clovers, 

 and 0. HederfB upon Ivy at the bottom of a wall ; so that 

 there ought not to be the difficulty which botanic gardeners 

 find in growing these curious plants. Orobanche ramosa is 

 also grown here upon Calliopsis tinctoria. The best way with 

 the Orobanches is to scrape the soil away to near the root of 

 the plant on which it is intended to be parasitical, and then 

 sow the seed. A very old and fine pair of dwarf Fan-palms, given 

 to Louis XIV. by Charles William, Margrave of Baden- Durlach, 

 are usually placed in summer one at each side of the entrance of 

 the amphitheatre. They have straight clean stems, and are more 

 than twenty feet high. They escape the notice of many visitors, 

 but are well worth seeing by all plant-lovers, both on account of 

 their age and their exceptional height. 



Should any visitor to the Garden of Plants wonder at the 

 poor external aspect of its glass-houses and various other 

 departments as compared with those at Kew, he would do 

 well to bear in mind that money has a good deal to do with 

 such things ; and that the grant for museums, lecturers (the 

 lectures are free), the expensive collection of animals, and every- 

 thing else in the Garden of Plants, is miserably small. On the 

 other hand, the gardens and plants of the city are j)lentifully 

 provided with means, the municipality of Paris often spending 

 prodigious sums for the purchase of plants, and even for the 

 plant decoration of a single ball. One ball at the Hotel de Ville 

 during the festivities of 18G7 cost considerably over £30,000, 

 while the Garden of Plants gets from the state not more than 

 one-third of that sum for a whole year for museums and all. 



Although the Garden of Plants is the very opposite of a model 

 of what a garden ought to be, it may be noticed that the public 

 have free access to it at all hours of the day. This is a rule very 

 much to be desired in all such cases. There are one or two small 

 departments in this garden shut off from the public except at certain 



