448 
NATURE 
[ Oct. 5, 1871 

One fresh from the Botanical Gardens of Europe is 
astonished at every step taken in the Gardens by the 
wondrous vegetation which is shown by all the semi- 
tropical plants. Descending a few steps from the circular 
drive, a great palm avenue is entered. This avenue was 
planted in 1847, and is formed of about eighty trees of 
the date palm, nearly as many of the Latanza Borbonica, 
and about 150 of the dragon’s blood tree (Dvacena draco). 
The avenue is about ten yards wide, and between every 
two of the date palms there are two of the dragon’s blood 
tree and one Latania. It terminates ina clump of palm 
trees which are planted almost to the border of the sea, 
When it is borne in mind that the date palms are from 
twenty to fifty feet high, the Latanias averaging about 
twelve, and the Dracenas about eight feet in height, 
the general effect of this splendid avenue may be 
imagined, All the trees were in December last in 
full flower or fruit, the golden trusses of the date 
palm contrasting well with the more brightly-coloured 
clusters of Latania berries. It would require more space 
than is at our disposal to describe the contents of all the 
various small avenues that branch off from the main one. 
The most remarkable smaller avenues are, perhaps, the one 
formed of bamboo (Bambusaarundinacea), planted in 1863, 
and forming an immense mass of foliage, the stems support- 
ing which are from forty to fifty feethigh, and that formed of 
about 100 plants of Chamarops excelsa, each about ten feet 
in height. But remarkable as are these charming sub- 
tropical alleys, the visitor is more than surprised when on 
going towards the portion of the garden where the plants 
are grouped somewhat according to their natural orders, 
he finds specimens fifteen feet high of Carxyota urens and 
C. Cumingii, growing with vigour and covered with 
fruit; of Oreodoxa regia, from Cuba; several plants 
upwards of twenty-five feet in height; and a plant of 
Fubea spectabilis, which is twelve feet high ; and then 
just a few steps more and a parterre alloted to the 
natural family of the Musaceze comes to view. As 
both the plantain and banana are grown in large 
quantities for their fruit in another portion of the grounds, 
the family is here chiefly represented by such genera as 
Strelitzia and Ravenalia. Magnificent specimens of the 
latter genus, with stems nine to ten feet high, exhibited 
great combs of flowers. Weare not aware if the Travel- 
ler’s tree has flowered in Europe, and we were not pre- 
pared to find it in full flower in Algiers. It has not, 
however, matured its fruit in this garden. Near this 
grand parterre stood another with many fine specimens 
of Yucca, also a magnificent plot of Aralias, A. papyrifera, 
in full fruit and very handsome; the fine 4. /eplophylla 
and A. premorsa, thickly covered with spines, and the 
very ornamental A. farinzfera; and then one’s attention is 
caught bya large tree (Carolinea macrocarpa) from Brazil, 
with a couple of dozen of its fruit, each as big as a 
cocoa nut; by a small forest of Axona cherimolia 
in full fruit, which is nearly as good as that of the 
closely related species which yields the custard apple. 
Near these is an immense tree some thirty feet in 
height, covered with fruit of the Avocado pear (Persea 
eralissima) ; and at its feet isa quantity of guava trees 
(Pisidium Cattleyanum) crowded with its perfectly ripe, 
large, pear-shaped, golden fruit. 
trees, and forming numerous and never-ending festoons, 
were some specimens of Cacti, chiefly species of Cereus. 
Some of these were of great size, and one specimen, 
which had completely strangled a plantain tree some 
twenty-five feet, was said to have been covered in the 
autumn with 600 to 700 flowers. It must have beena 
sight worth a long pilgrimage to see. 
Enough has been said to show what a surprising 
number of semi-tropical fruits luxuriate in the beds of 
this well-watered garden, and we might add many 
well-known vegetables to the list, as sweet batat, yam, 
papaw; but all this while we have been writing of 
Growing up into the | 

the great level portion of the garden. Outside of this, and 
on the other side of the roadway, there is a small hill, two 
or three hundred feet in height, which slopes towards the 
garden and the sea, and is traversed by several ascending 
walks. This is the New Holland district of the garden, 
and certainly not the least interesting portion of it. In 
one section of it are different species of Acacia, many of 
them large trees, twenty to twenty-five feet in height. Of 
the Proteacez there were magnificent trees ; of the genera 
Banksia, Hakea,and Grevillea, the collection of species 
was very large, all of them just bursting intomasses of bloom. 
The most important of the trees growing in this corner of 
the hill was probably Eucalyptus globulus, of which some 
trees, now about forty feet in height and over four feet 
ard a half in circumference, were planted in 1862, and 
were then only a few inches high, Young well-established 
seedlings, of about ten inches in height, are sold for 20s. 
a hundred, and large numbers of them have been planted 
from time to time throughout Algeria by the French Go- 
vernment. This species grows in Algeria with most sur- 
prising rapidity, under very favourable circumstances 
growing eighteen to nineteen inches in height each — 
month, Its wood appears to be hard, close in the grain, 
and it is largely used in the construction of quays, 
bridges, and railways. This tree seems to do so well 
on the southern side of the Mediterranean that we think 
its culture ought to be successfully attempted in the south 
of Spain, in Sardinia, in Sicily, and the southern parts of 
Italy. In districts subject to heavy winds it requires for 
some years—owing to its rapid growth—some protection, 
but in places sufficiently warm for it, it ought to repay well 
for any little extra care it might be found to need. 
Among the few species that we noticed that did not 
succeed in these gardens, we may mention the Cedrus 
deodara; but Casuarina equisetifolia was flourishing, and 
one tree of Avaucaria excelsa was about sixty feet in 
height, and measuring a little over nine feet in circum- 
ference at its base. 
The object of the Society in keeping up these Gardens 
is, as we said, to introduce into Algeria all useful and 
ornamental plants likely to grow there. In addition they 
grow enormous quantities of young palms and other 
ornamental plants for exportation to Europe, and some 
few plants interesting to the botanist for exchange with 
other establishments. Ina place so favoured by nature 
and so easily accessible to Europe, it would be, we 
venture to think, well worth the while of the director of 
these Gardens to considerably enlarge the last portion of 
the Society’s design. How many tropical plants are yet 
unknown to the large collectors of Europe, and what a 
vast percentage of deaths occur among the collections 
sent from the tropics at any season of the year to our 
shores! But with Gardens like these at Algeria, situated 
on the sunny side of the Mediterranean, to act as a half- 
way house, the resources of the Botanical Gardens or 
establishments of the North would be indefinitely in- 
creased. Another purpose for which these Gardens might 
be made most useful is for forming a collection of speci- 
mens of plants or fruits of economic interest. Many of 
the fruits, stems, &c., which ripen in these Gardens as 
easily as cherries or potatoes with us, are not to be seen 
in some botanical collections, and are not, in Europe at 
least, to be purchased. How gladly would some botanist 
buy such as we here refer to if they were on sale, say 
at the depdt of the Algerian Society in Paris ; and the 
expense of putting up such in salt and water would be 
a mere nothing. The same remarks would apply in many 
cases to portions of the roots of remarkable genera, and 
also to flowers. In calling attention to these Gardens, we 
venture to suggest these hints to their well-known director, 
and also to that indefatigable botanist who, more than 
any other, now represents science in connection with the 
Algerian Society, Prof. Durando of Algiers. 
E. P. W. 
