planned to spend in the charming botanical garden a short 

 distance away. 



A short journey by rail from Leiden through the attractive 

 tulip and hyacinth plantations in the environs of Haarlem brought 

 me to Amsterdam, where I visited the small, but well stocked 

 and well kept, botanical garden. Professor de Vries, the director, 

 being in America at the time, Dr. van Laren very kindly showed 

 me through the grounds and conservatories. A fine old tree of 



seven years for each new ring of leaves. The i 

 house, covered with rough cement and small irregular stor 

 artistically decorated with numerous clusters of living fern 

 one end of the house, slag, colored to imitate lava, is used 

 of the cement. Splendid specimens of Victoria regia wo 

 in the aquatic house. 



