108 



THE TARKS AND GARDENS OF PAINS. [Chap. YII. 



for eacli mancagor of a public garden, in what direction bis efforts 

 sboubl cbietly tend ; give eacb a distinct aim, and tbereby free 

 bim from puerile rivalry with bis fellows in tbe matter of " bedding 

 plants." He could then take up a Family, Order, or Flora, and 

 develop its beauty and variety to tbe completest extent. In tbe 

 vast expanse of our public gardens, there is not one interesting 



and important 

 branch of arboricul- 

 ture or horticulture 

 which could not be 

 developed in a way 

 hitherto quite unex- 

 ampled. On our 

 botanic gardens al- 

 ready in existence— 

 of which many of 

 the older ones are 

 not large enougli 

 for the proper 

 grouping and ar- 

 rangement of one 

 single family of trees 

 — the system would 

 have the best results. 

 It would relieve the 

 botanic gardens of 

 the necessity of 

 cramming every 

 available plant or 

 tree into a small space, and permit their managers to devote 

 most of their attention to the many tribes of plants which require 

 special and continual care or renewal. 



Generally our national gardens give no more idea of the beauty 

 of vegetation, than the fountain-basin does of the sea. No botanic 

 garden in existence gives any worthy expression of the vegetation 

 of even the cold and temperate climes of Europe alone ! What do 

 we see of the beauty and character of any one large family of trees 

 by planting them all at regular intervals over a plot, or in the 

 various ways they are at present arranged in lx)tanic gardens ? 



Margin of Lake nenr Temple, ivith tuft of Giant Antndo. 



