of the Botanic Garden at Berlin. 299 



land. In the second dry stove there is a tolerably complete assortment of 

 species of Mesenibryanthemum, ^'loe, Gasteria, and Haworthk, named and 

 arranged in the same way as the Cactacete. Among the Cape and New Hol- 

 land plants, which occupy seven divisions, are some fine old specimens of 

 species of Jcacia, Banks/a, and Dryandra!. The Vrotedcece are cultivated 

 in a separate house, and the -Bricacea; in another. The plants comprised in 

 this order, though not so stocky as they are generally to be seen in England, 

 are healthy, and flower profusely; but what is more worthy of notice, are the 

 fine seedling plants of Araticdna imbricata and A. brasiliana, and Alting/a 

 Cunninghamz. A new species of pine, Pinus lAaveana, has been raised 

 here from Mexican seeds, which has a very graceful habit of growth, iych- 

 nis Bungeawa [Agrostemraa Bungeana D. Don, in Sweet's British Flower- 

 Ga7'de7i, second series, t. 317. ;'whence some account is quoted in Gard. Mag., 

 vol. xii. p. 76.] and Silene laciniata, which flowered here for the first time last 

 summer, are very showy plants, and are M'ell worthy of notice. It would 

 occupy too much space to enumerate all the varieties which have lately been 

 received from diflTerent countries, and especially from North and South Ame- 

 rica; but one thing I must observe, which I think would please you, namely, 

 the clean and workmanlike manner in which the plants and houses are kept, 

 and the vast number of old species which are cultivated, and, apparently', are 

 as much thought of as their more modern neighbours. 



About the middle of the garden, and in front of a fine group of old trees, 

 stands the conservatory (or, as it is called here, the winter house, from its 

 being only in winter protected with glass). It is a square heavy-looking build- 

 ing, 80 ft. long, by 26 ft. wide, with an upright front 36 ft. high ; and is covered 

 with a span roof, which has a rise from the front to the centre of the house 

 of about 7 ft. The shrubs, or rather trees, are growing in a large bed, or 

 border, which is divided into two by a walk which crosses the house, and 

 goes round the front, with other small paths between the plants for the con- 

 venience of watering them. The entrance is from behind. Here stands the 

 celebrated female plant of Chamse^rops humilis, on which Dr. Gleditsch, in 

 17(59, performed the well-known experiment of fertilising the seeds by sus- 

 pending a bdnch of male flowers over them. (See Encyc. of Gard., edit. 1835, 

 $ 678. ; and Transactions of the Prussian Horticultural Society, vol. i. p. 32.) 

 The stem of this palm is now 16 ft. high; and it is in a healthy state, bearing 

 many bunches of flowers and fruit ; though the latter are, of course, imperfect, 

 as the flowers are not now fertilised. According to Dr. Otto's account, it must 

 be 181 years old. Leptospermum flexuosum. Eucalyptus longifolia, and E. 

 robusta, Casuarina torulosa, and Melaleuca linariEefolia, have reached to the 

 top of the house; and, when the sashes are removed in summer, they send 

 forth their luxuriant shoots, 8 ft. and 10 ft. above the rafters. Between these 

 fine plants, and as underwood, are large specimens of Magnolzo' grandiflora, 

 CunninghamzVz lanceolata, Clethra arborea, Melaleuca styphelioides, Paaonia 

 Moutan, Quercus Turneri, vicacia floribunda, and A. affi^nis, with many more 

 New Holland trees and shrubs. A large plant in a tub of the rarely flowering 

 Phormium tenax, pushed ten stems, each at least 10 ft; high, last season, and 

 flowered beautifully. Nothing can be more elegant than the appearance of 

 this house, when laid open in summer, from the walk in front outside. The 

 graceful habits of the casuarina, the shining green leaves and large white 

 flowers of the magnolia, contrasted with the hoary-looking eucalyptus, haVe 

 a very striking effect, which attracts the attention of all the strangers of taste 

 who visit the garden. 



A little farther on, and about 100 yards to the right, is the palni-house, 

 which was built in 1828, on much the same principles as the last, though not 

 so high by 8 ft. In the centre of the house, and standing on a pedestal, is a 

 magnificent plant of Latdnia borbonica, which covers a space of ground 29 ft. 

 in diameter, and is supposed to be the finest plant of the kind in Germany. 

 On both sides of this noble specimen, the house is divided into three beds, 

 with gravel walks between : these beds run lengthwise, and are thickly set 



z 4 



