66 Botanical Society of Edinburgh. 



deserving of notice was the canoe birch, Betula papyracea. Several 

 compact masses of these trees, evidently of the second growth, oc- 

 cupied the lower grounds ; but from their closeness none had attained 

 a great size. Large trees must exist in the neighbourhood, although 

 we did not fall in Avith them, as many of the canoes in this district 

 were made from the bark of this tree ; although the greater number 

 were scooped out of the trunks of the fir tribe. 



" On crossing the St. Lawrence to Montreal, we were much sur- 

 prised to see the great difference which the Canadian winter pro- 

 duces upon the species of ornamental trees : as examples may be 

 mentioned the Ailantus glanduJosa, the trees here being quite small 

 and stunted; the osage orange, Madura aurantiaca, seemed barely 

 alive ; mulberries were small and unhealthy ; weeping willows are 

 almost always killed in winter, although in the neighbourhood of 

 New York the stem of this tree is seen averaging from eight to fifteen, 

 and sometimes twenty feet in circumference. None of the Catalpa 

 trees and Magnolias, which prove so ornamental in the pleasure- 

 grounds both of New York and Philadelphia, can be made to thrive 

 here, with the exception of Magnolia glauca ; and even these are in 

 a very unhealthy condition. The deciduous cypress, Citpressus cUsti- 

 cha, is also much dwarfed. Evergi-eens, with the exception of the 

 fir tribe, vrere rarely to be seen. On visiting the gardens and nur- 

 series in the neighbourhood, we were much gratified at finding them 

 so well managed. On the garden walls we observed healthy trees 

 of peaches, apricots and nectarines, having well-ripened wood, and 

 every appearance of affording plentiful crops. Gooseberries and 

 currants were in great abundance, with high-flavoured fruit, which 

 is seldom to be met with in the gardens of the United States ; apples 

 were plentiful, but pears rather scarce. Vines trained on espaliers 

 had a promising appearance. 



" In the nursery-grounds the fruit and flower departments seem 

 to receive the most attention. Few of the indigenous plants are 

 cultivated, although considerable quantities of the genera Cypri- 

 pediiim, Trillium, Orchis, Habenaria, Goodyera, Calypso, Pagonia and 

 Sarracenia, procured from their native habitats when in flower, lay 

 stored in boxes for sale and barter with the British merchants. 



" We next proceeded to the Montreal Mountain, situated to the 

 north-west of the town. A number of fine specimens of the sugar- 

 maple were seen, with a great mixture of shrubby plants. The lime- 

 trees, Tilia americaiia, had a singular and beautiful effect, from the 

 large size of their foliage ; some of the leaves measured thirteen 

 inches long and eleven broad. Very few herbaceous plants were 

 obtained, owing to the penetrating rays of the sun having scorched 

 everything. In very shady ])lace3, particularly on the north and east 

 side of the mountain, we procured a few good specimens, in flower, 

 of Orchis macrophylla, Corallorhiza multiflora, Aralia hispida and ru- 

 mosa. Aster acuminata, Aspidium bulbiferum, which, with the Cyperus 

 retrO'fractus from the most exposed places, formed the most inter- 

 esting part of our collections. After some difficulty we reached the 

 summit, and the view as seen around was truly grand. We beheld 



