GARDENS PUBLIC AND BOTANICAL 



cultivating the many tropical trees and shrubs of eco- 

 nomic value, the spices, teas, coffees, and chocolates, the 

 various valuable palms, the giant bamboos, the gam- 

 boge, and indigo, and the hardwood trees. The gar- 

 dens vary considerably in soil and temperature, lying 

 partly on the hills and partly in low, marshy ground, 

 and are capable of producing an amazing variety of 

 plants. The philosopher Haeckel, who spent four days 

 in them, asserted that four months of hard work at 

 home would not have given him the same results. 



On the decorative side, tropical gardens are chiefly 

 confined to blossoming trees, for though there are 

 some splendid lilies and creepers, there are practically 

 few bedding flowers. But the trees are marvelous! 

 There is the flame-tree, the different mimosas, an 

 Indian tree that in its season is a solid mass of orange- 

 colored flowers, and all the genus of Brownea, whose 

 new terminal leaves are scarlet or rose, and hang 

 pendant at the ends of every twig, presenting the least 

 possible surface to the heat of the sun while too young 

 to stand his full fervor. Then the hundreds of varieties 

 of palms and palmettos and the so-called pines, the 

 oranges and lemons wrapped in fragrance, the poin- 

 cianas. A real glory of color and rank growth. 



An unexpected and altogether delightful garden 

 is the public one at Venice, which was made by 

 Napoleon, who pulled down a number of ancient 

 palaces and churches to get the necessary space. His 



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