THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



405 



The 



• • 



~^~~r~ 'mustthe whole of the central wood and harder shrubbery or promenade called the Herrngarten, and 

 m *have gradually vanished, though there is life of a portion of the glacis beyond, obtained by the demo- 



1 ^ lition of the city walls, so as to acquire its present 



dimensions. It now consists of 10 J Hesse-Darmstadt 

 morgens, or about 6| British acres. 



The funds for its support consist solely of the annual 

 grants voted by the States and granted by the Govern- 

 ment, as no sale of plants is allowed. These annual 

 grants have for the last seven years (from 1848 to 1854) 

 varied from about 1300 to about 2100 florins (105J. to 

 170L). In the ten preceding years they seldom ex- 

 ceeded 100/., and before that they were usually under 

 80/. All payments are made on the director's written 

 order. 



shell at leDgth is too thin to bear the 



rf the branches, which in consequence give way; 



fci-h ingress of moisture leads to further decay, till 



*^ thousand years' growth, a mere tuft of leaves* 



. j e k testifying that the struggle between life and 



■•J. . -n .-..XtfeMtmifitul- The same process goes on 



^ is Hill undetermined. 



^^ y other trees, the decay when once commenced 

 ^^accelerated by boring insects, and the larger 

 Sf In many casts decay is far more rapid than in 

 jL^iak from the facility with which the putrefactive 

 £Lent' penetrates the neighbouring tissues. In most 

 ^^it is greatly accelerated by the large fungi which 

 -j a ntl j n g matrix in the decaying matter, and rapidly 

 hauit the languid and almost exolete tissues which 

 tmround it. 1 [ IS curious that in many instances the 

 h^ est part is the first to suffer, as though the first 



SsTof wtog vital euer gy were a difficultv in convey- 

 wg the nutritive fluid to the extremities, presenting 

 tLuj a marked coincidence with phenomena common in 

 extreme age to the most long-lived being in the animal 

 world 4 and this failure of the extremities is quite inde- 

 pendent of and distinct from the decay of multitudes of 

 h ri inf^ w which takes place even in the most vigorous 



If every shoot which is produced retained its 

 fitality the tree would be a crowded mass utterly 

 unfitted to perform its fuuetions, but by a sort of natural 

 pruning those shoots which were originally weaker give 

 way to their stronger and' more vigorous neighbours, or 

 decay from want of proper exposure to light and air ; 

 or /ruin thtir want of vigour are less able to resist the 

 cold. Though, however, this decay is often a sign of 

 old age, it is sometimes due to other causes, as peculiari- 

 ties of soil, as, for instance, where nourishment is abun- 

 dantly supplied, until the roots penetrate into some 

 barren or noxious stratum, or where they reach some 

 impervious matter, having exhausted the nutriment in 

 the superincumbent soil. In this case the effects are 

 the same with those of direct old age, which indeed 

 may be said to have come on prematurely. When 

 once there is decay amongst the upper branches, 

 the quality of the timber is sure to grow worse every 

 day, and the only safe course is at once to fell the tree. 

 Where the affection is general after the trees have 

 attained but small dimensions, it is best to destroy the 

 plantation altogether, and apply the land to some more 

 profitable use.* M. J. B. 



ntUsho 



GARDENERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT 



INSTITUTION. 



Ths twelfth anniversary of this charity was held at 

 the London Tavern on Monday last, the 11th inst., Sir 

 S. M. Peto, Bart, in the chair, supported by Sir Joseph 

 Paxton, M.P., E. L. Betts, Esq., A. Rowland, Esq., J. H. 

 Schroder, Esq , Thos. Moxon, Esq., Henry A. Hunt, 

 Uq., R. Wrench, Esq., E. Purser, Esq., H. G. Bohn, 

 Esq., G. Reed, Esq., J. J. Mechi, Esq., and about 120 

 nwBervmen and gardeners. 



The usual preliminary toasts were proposed and re- 

 Jjawd to. The chairman then proposed the health of 

 the Duke of Devonshire. Sir Joseph Paxton returned 

 Uttka. He afterwards proposed " Success to the Gar- 

 y? R °y al Benevolent Institution/' and made a warm 

 nt*i to the company in its behalf, hoping that they 



in * u * by their subscri P*ions the interest they took 

 « we charity. Sir Joseph Paxton proposed the « Health 

 •lie Chairman ;" and after some other toasts were 

 Siwi • becretai 7 announced, among many others, 

 «* Allowing subscriptions which had been handed in 

 ^«* occasion. 



***** of Devon- £. Sm 



c > *■*<*>> Bart. 



J «*pn Paiton 

 *L.Betta " 



•whro 



• • I 



tl* 



•-. 



10 10 

 10 10 

 10 10 

 10 10 

 10 10 

 10 10 

 10 10 



5 5 

 10 10 

 10 10 



8 8 



then 



a. 

 o 

 o 

 o 









 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Mr. Rivers 



Minier, Nash,& Nash 



Messrs. Lee 



Alex. Rowland, Esq. 

 Henry G. Bohn, Esq. 

 Henry A. Hunt, Esq. 

 Robert Field, Esq. ... 



Messrs.Wrench & Sons 5 

 Mr. S. Thompson ... 5 



Messrs. Gray & Orm- 

 son... ... f 5 



£. 

 6 

 5 

 5 

 5 

 5 

 5 

 5 



5. 



6 

 5 

 5 

 5 

 5 

 5 

 5 

 5 

 5 



5 

 5 



d. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 











Messrs. Veitch & Son 5 



proposed the health of the 

 . *' as responded to by Mr. Nash, and 



W * ttav toi ° ther t0a8tS the meetin S separated. 

 with beamf l ^ the room was ta9tefull > r decorated 

 Phots, bronoL 8pee,meDS of pe,ar g° nX «ms and other 

 and Mewra u lhere for the occasion h 7 Mr - Turner 

 &**• Th- nderson and Fraser at their own ex- 

 Tr *Btham n! WaS a,so a P lentifui Bnpply of fruit from 

 Hall, £ c# ' ^kworth, Arundel, Somerleyton, Preston 



T *s Bote - GIESSEN BOTANIC GARDEN. 

 ** first laM DlCal Garden of the University of Giessen 

 ^ J**ra aft° Ut u by Dr * Jan g«nnann f in the year 1^09, 

 Itt *«ynrifii 7 . foundation of the University itself. 

 lor &-«i*t *a I lt was removea ' to its present site on the 



*Sj^ri iS! ? f - the town > within the town walls ' In 

 • TuTCr-^— — il,!!? 8 enlarged by the addition of a 



tf fan «-?_? ^ay ..Lawn, in Northamptonshire, were 



**>* 



h ^nti»^ Wth in the re ^n of King John. Specimens 

 " l bi»emJ n , € 7 ery 8ta 6 e ' from fuU maturity to extreme 



leaves, from an active eye near 



? £f? *t l^ t a 1 ^ y8 * lf Wa tched one year after year, till it pro- 



4 "*?•• te tuft oi leaves, from an nr.tivfi eve near 



«SLmir2t ln *t rees is what *• called P^pul* rl y sta g' 8 



' °wn m^K^! 1 h , wnatis named in France couronnement . 

 £T Ir * unifbrmil * rl l 00d there are whole wo °ds where the 

 2 *?*>t*<i JL*f headed ' Som « of these have lately 



Jod«^ J!l e P roduc o of corn has been extremely 



The direction is entrusted to the professor of botany 

 for the time being, under the superintendence of the 

 administrative council of the academy. In the com- 

 mencement of the present century his emoluments con- 

 sisted of a salary of 300 fl. (about 24/.). besides corn, 

 wood, hay, and poultry, delivered in kind, which the 

 professor either consumed or sold, and of the students* 

 fees. The present amount is not stated. Among: the 

 professors named are Jungermann, the founder ; Wil- 

 brand, from 1817 to 1846 ; and A. Braun, the present 

 distinguished professor at Berlin, who was a twelve- 

 month at Giessen before the appointment of H. Hoff- 

 mann, the present professor * ; Rupp, Dillenius, and 

 Borkhausen, who are among the best known botanists 

 educated at Giessen, never professed there. 



The head gardener with the title of University 

 Gardener has a salary of 500 florins (about 40Z.) 

 direct from the university fund. He is allowed an 

 assistant at 250 florins (20/.), and two day-labourers in 

 winter, and as many as seven in summer, at a daily pay 

 of 34, 30, and 22 kreutzers severally (114c?., 10d., and 



The original or front portion of the garden, close 

 behind the lecture-room, contains the plant-houses ; the 

 middle portion (the old promenade) is still a plantation ; 

 the hinder garden eastward is laid out for the cultivation 

 of hardy plants. To vary the exposition a large mound 



3 raised in 1825, forming at the same time a pond and 

 a marsh. The herbaceous beds are planted according to 

 the natural system with perennial, chiefly officinal plants ; 

 there are also beds for annual?, for biennials, and some 

 miscellaneous ones. In 1851 Professor Braun esta- 

 blished a shady quarter for Rhododendrons, &c, which 

 has proved successful. An alpine collection was formed 

 in 1852 on the north-east side of the mound. There 

 are also a border for Orchideie strewed with limestone, 

 a bed for wild Roses and other shrubby Rosacese, for 

 Liliacese, for Ferns, for Evergreens, and in 1854 an 

 ceconomico-tcchnicwm was planted with specimens of the 

 more important herbaceous plants of central Europe 

 which are used in the arts or for food. Moreover beds 

 of showy flowers are scattered about for ornament. 



There are three plant-homes : tie o'dest, attached to 

 the gardener's house, was a narrow glazed passage, in 

 which a number of tropical plants were already culti- 

 vated in 1788. It was enlarged in 1824 to its present 

 size, and divided into three portions, of which the 

 central one is a hothouse with some fine specimens of 

 Dracaena, Papyrus, Chamsedorea, Scitaminere, Maranta 

 zebrina, Rhaphis, Phoenix, Chamserops, &c. A second 

 house was built in 1826, and filled in 1827 ; it is also 

 in three compartments, in the centre one of which is 

 perhaps the finest specimen of Ficus elastica in Ger- 

 many. In 1836-7 a low pit was added, and first heated 

 in 1851. It is used for tropical Orchidese, &c, and 

 includes an aquarium consisting of a large wooden 

 vessel sunk in the bed, and containing a few hothouse 

 aquatics surrounded by tropical Ferns, The houses 

 contain also a Ward's case and a propagating frame. 

 All the beds are filled with sawdust, in which the pots 

 are immersed. The heating of the two last-mentioned 

 houses is by hot water in copper pipes, which has 

 answered admirably during the two last severe winters. 

 The flues, on the contrary, of the older house are 

 badly constructed, and not only require frequent repair, 

 but injure the plants by the escape of smoke. The 

 houses are generally too high and dark, being lighted 

 only from the S.E. and early shaded by the high 

 buildings adjoining. For this cause many plants will 

 not blow, and others (such as the Australian Acacias, 

 Mimosa pudica, Astrapaea, &c.) set no seed. The 

 same want of light is felt for the hotbeds, which are, 

 moreover, made of sandstone instead of wood, and are 

 anything but warm. The garden is allowed annually 

 24 loads of dung from the university stables. 



The garden is exclusively devoted to the cultivation 

 of plants of scientific worth or for ornament. Their 

 number, according to the general catalogue, is at pre- 

 sent (March, 1855) 4500 species, of which 4217 are 

 Phanerogams. These plants are obtained — 



1. By Exchange of Seed. — The garden is in corre- 

 spondence with the greater number of similar establish- 

 ments on the Continent. In 1855, seed lists have been 

 sent to 42 public and to many private gardens, and 

 lists of desiderata received from 36 establishments. 

 This interchange began about 30 years since. Unfor- 

 tunately it does not supply what it ought to do, the 

 seeds received are often old or unsound ; species really 

 wanted seldom occur among them ; whilst a number or 

 worthless fill-gaps are repeated in most catalogues year 

 after year with wearisome uniformity. Lastly, very 

 many of the seeds turn out to be different from what 



their names import. But little pains is generally be- 

 stowed on the determination of plants ; the only attempt 

 is to increase the number with perfect indifference as 

 to whether the articles themselves are valuable or worth- 

 less, true or false. The correction of names in the 

 Giessen garden is in progress, and for the great mass 

 will be terminated in & few years. 



2. By purchase, on which are expended annually from 

 16 to 20 florins (26*. to 32a.) 



3. By excursion* in the neighbourhood and journeys 

 to a greater distance, as for instance into Switzerland. 



4. By presents, to which the garden owes the best of 

 its contents. In aome recent journies, of which the 

 Government defrayed the expense, the University gar- 

 dener Weiss brought as presents many valuable exotics 

 from several of the German and Swiss capitals. Other 

 donations are recorded from Dr. Juritz of the Cape, 

 Prof. Liebig, Dr. Sundheim, &c. 



The leading principles adopted as to the plants culti- 

 vated is a limitation to the extent of the bordt-rs, and 

 especially to the number of species ; but, on the other 

 hand, so far as the funds will allow, the greatest atten- 

 tion is bestowed upon raising of vigorous specimens, 

 and their good cultivation ; few but good and useful 

 species, weeded out with great care ; but those that are 

 left maintained in the best state and in a sum* 



♦ Profeasor Baumer (who died in 1788) used to go out bota- 

 ntsing with his pupils, all, as was then the custom, in bag 

 wigs and swords; one day in an excursion on the Bieber, they 



^■"* *0od in — r'wuw ui corn nas oeen exireraeiy "ip »"« »wuiu» ? vim uay in an excunuuu v» w »»«»■«.», +»*.j 



*** *** valnpj DOt pay the ex P«nses iu their natural con- were set upon by the peasantry, who mistook them for a band of 



weiess except for the production of game. [ robbers which then infested the neighbourhood. 



number of individuals to answer the end sought for 

 aid to instruction ; and this whether they be in the 

 houses or in the open air. Thus the garden keeps 

 ordinarily 14 or 15 specimens of the Cotton and eight of 

 the Tea plant. And as to the use of the garden, the 

 rule is to give the greatest possible accessibility to 

 everything the garden possesses. Since this has been 

 adopted experience has shown here, as at Kew, that the 

 garden far from being thus exposed to robbery is only 

 the better for publicity, by the opportunities it gives for 

 improved correspondence, and by the increasing number 

 of visitors who take an interest in it. 



The garden is open to the public the whole day with 

 the exception of the dinner hours (from 11 till 1), the 

 plant-houses on Wednesdays from I till 2. It is sub- 

 servient — 



1. To Self-instruction* — With this view the old num- 

 bers attached to the plants have within the last few 

 years been replaced by their names written in black 

 upon white metal, or in the case of plants in pots, the 

 names are written on the pots themselves in black lead 

 upon a white ground painted in oil. Since this has been 

 done students may be seen in summer, almost daily, 

 book in hand, occupied amidst the borders. The 

 majority of the plants in pots are, as elsewhere, brought 

 out of doors in summer, and the greater number arranged 

 in groups, which it has been the endeavour to render as 

 instructive as possible with designating tablets. Thus, 

 in 1852, were established groups of New Holland plants, 

 Coni ferae, succulent plant-, Fuchsias, Ericaceae, Cactese, 

 and Pelargonia ; in 1853, African succulent plants oppo- 

 site the American ones, tropical groups, characteristic 

 Mediterranean plants, herWems and ligneous forms 

 from one and the same family contrasted ; in 1854, an 

 Orangery, chief types of monocotyledons, the Alpine 

 flora, types of the flora of the coal formation, &c. 

 These groups attract, more especially, the attention of 

 the public, and by their arrangement, the position of the 

 garden -seats, &c, afford very inviting resting-places.* 

 The garden takes part also in the Horticultural Exhi- 

 bitions, which are held sometimes in the large hall, and 

 sometimes in the Riding School of the University. 



2. To Public Instruction. — For this purpose, for all 

 lectures on morphology and on the natural orders, a 

 sufficient number of specimens is provided (of fonr or 

 five species each lecture) to give one to every student 

 before the lecture. They are calculated to serve, after 

 having been examined during the lecture, for forming 

 afterwards for each of the audience a small specimen 

 herbarium of the chief types of the natural order. 

 It required many years before it became po&sible 

 to accommodate the collection to this system. The 

 garden supplies also for .each lecture characteristic 

 specimens ot typical groups of plants in pots, such as 

 Cacteee, Coniferae, Orchid* se, Proteaceae, Ericaceae, &c. 

 Unfortunately the want of a proper lecture-room is on 



these occasions much felt 



The botanical audience consists almost exclusively 

 of medical and pharmaceutical students ; foresters and 

 financial students generally attend the lectures on forest 

 botany, which are supplied with materials partly also 

 from the botanical garden, but mainly from the forest- 

 botanical establishment, lying at a distance from the 

 town, and planted in 1825. The greatest number who 

 have attended the botanical lectures within the last 30 

 years has been 47. If we consider that this number of 

 instructive specimens must be supplied of all the more 

 important plants, the above-mentioned principle of re- 

 striction in the number of species attempted to be 

 grown will be fully justified. We have already suc- 

 ceeded in providing in sufficient abundance many which 

 we much wanted, such as Rice, Lobelia inflata, 

 Gratiola, Gentiana lutea, &c, and we shall soon have 

 enough of Coffee, Cotton, and several others, 

 which only flower in winter—such as Tea, Ipoi 

 purga, Helleborus niger, &c, — are then dried in suf- 

 ficient numbers to distribute to the students at the 

 lectures ; so also in the case of Mosses, Lichens, &c. 



The garden possesses, moreover, a small Herbarium, 

 arranged according to the natural system of which 

 Professor WilbrancPs, containing 5700 species, chiefly 



• The great taste displayed in the arrangement of the green- 

 honse plants when brought out of doors in summer, is especially 

 observable in several of the German gardens. 



till 



lilt 



