242 Notes and Recollections of a Tour. 



Fortunately we found M. Neuman, the intelligent superin- 

 tendent, at home, and through his kindness, had an opportu- 

 nity to inspect the different departments. M. Neuman is one 

 of the most scientific gardeners in France, as his late work, 

 from which we have already given extracts, (p. 191), fully 

 proves, and the plants under his charge were in most excel- 

 lent condition. 



Not having leisure to examine all the out-door departments 

 fully, we confined our observations to the hothouse and 

 greenhouse plants, and to the nursery and fruit garden. The 

 conservatories are very large and lofty structures in the form 

 of an oblong square, and stand on a rising bank to the west 

 of the main entrance. A broad walk leads between them to 

 the western gate on the Rue Cuvier. In front of these are 

 sunk gardens for flowers and plants, particularly those from 

 the greenhouses, in summer. In front of that on the left of 

 the walk, stands the original tree of the celebrated Paulowma 

 imperialis, which has lately attracted so much attention in 

 Europe. It was one of the fine acquisitions of Dr. Siebold 

 from Japan, where it grows to the height of forty feet. We 

 have already given some account of it in a previous volume, 

 (VIII, p. 17). When first received at the garden, it was 

 treated as a greenhouse plant, but as it grew vigorously when 

 placed in the open ground, it was allowed to remain out 

 during winter, being protected until it acquired some size, 

 when it was found that protection was wholly unnecessary ; 

 and in the climate of Paris it proves to be perfectly hardy, 

 having flowered abundantly the last three or four years. So 

 splendid a tree it is to be hoped may prove hardy in our cli- 

 mate ; it has the same habit as the Catalpa.^ and, like that 

 tree, it makes a very rapid growth. Protection it should cer- 

 tainly have until it has made a well ripened stem, when we 

 doubt not it will prove equally hardy. The tree was up- 

 wards of twenty feet high, with a trunk a foot or more in 

 circumference. 



We now entered the large conservatory on the left; at this 

 season of the year, but few plants were remaining inside, and 

 those principally tropical ones. The collection of Cactaceae 

 is very large and extensive, and includes many rare species ; 

 one named Echinoc^ctus myriostigma, had a curious habit, 



