302 Historical and Descriptive Account 



ones being placed in beds for the convenience of watering, the pots are plunged 

 up to within 1 in, of the brim, the tall plants being made fast to light spars, 

 and the groups always sloping to the walk. As much regularity as possible 

 is observed in selecting the plants for each group, by placing together such as 

 require the same treatment, and, where it is practicable, such as belong to the 

 same family ; as VrotedcecB, iWyrtaceae, Coniferae, &c. This method of culti- 

 vating the green-house plants in summer has many advantages : first, a beauti- 

 ful effect is produced by the different forms of the groups themselves ; secondly, 

 a contrast is formed by the various shades of colour and forms of the leaves; 

 and, lastly, the plants do not suffer so much from wind and drought as they 

 do when huddled together upon gravel, in some out of the way corner, as is 

 often enough to be seen in Britain. The only serious objection which can be 

 raised against this plan is, that worms will infest the pots, and that the borders 

 must be prepared with sand, or some other hard material. Here, for the fine 

 and tender kinds, the beds are raised 2 ft. high by means of a platform, which 

 is covered with sand. All the species of Canna flower well in the open ground. 

 The bed in which they are to be planted is dug out to the depth of 2 ft. ; and a 

 quantity of warm dung and leaves is laid in the bottom, which is covered with 

 a layer of vegetable mould and peat earth. With this treatment, many grow 

 to the height of 10 ft. and 12 ft. in a season ; but, to do this, they must be co- 

 piously watered. Many of the ligneous plants of Brazil and Mexico are also 

 removed to the open air in summer. The cultivation of fancy or florist's 

 flowers has, of late years, become a matter of interest, especially the dahlias 

 and heartsease. Of the first, there is a very fine and select collection, most of 

 the plants contained in which are from England, they being considered supe- 

 rior to those raised in Prussia. The borders along the edges of the walks are 

 ornamented, in summer, with annuals of the more hardy and easy-flowering 

 kinds, as the Prussian stocks, larkspurs, &c. ; and are succeeded by the rare and 

 tender sorts from the frames, as Schizanthus Grahami, S. retusus, Ipo- 

 mopsis pulchella, Gilia tricolor, and a mass of other plants too numerous to 

 mention in detail. As a substitute for box edgings, a very neat one is made of 

 O'xalis tetraphylla and O. Deppei. The bulbs, or eyes, are planted about the 

 beginning of May, in a drill 2 in. deep : the soil is light and sandy, in which they 

 grow rapidly, and flower beautifully till cut down by the frost. I do not know 

 if you are aware that these plants are used as vegetables. I can assure you that 

 the tubers (by which I do not mean the bulbs, or knobs, but the spindle-shaped 

 root underneath them) of both species, when stewed, as they are done here, 

 make a very palatable and fine-looking dish. Bushels of them are raised here 

 yearlj^; a result which has never followed the cultivation of the much famed 

 O. crenata, at least not in this country, as it has here proved a failure : the 

 leaves of 0. Deppei are said to be used as spinach ; but on this head I cannot 

 speak. The breadth of the walks are in proportion to the size of the garden, 

 and are kept in good order ; the grass, though inferior to that of England, 

 may be considered as a fair specimen in this country ; and near its margins figures 

 of various forms are cut out ; and groups of salvias, fuchsias, verbenas, Gla- 

 diolus psittacinus [natalensis], salpiglossises, dahlias, and erythrinas, are planted 

 out in summer. Between the palm-house and conservatory, and rather in 

 front of the latter, is a neat little pond, with an island in the centre, planted 

 with (Salix babylonica, ^etula pendula, Juniperus virginiana, and other grace- 

 ful-growing trees. The pond is well stocked with aquatic plants, such as 

 Thali« dealbata, sorts of Pontederia, Sagittaria, A-^ymphae^a, &c. The banks are 

 ornamented, in summer, with Mus«, Papyrus antiquorum, Canna, Hedychium, 

 ^c. The garden contains a collection of between 14,000 and 15,000 species, in- 

 cluding those undescribed. There are more than 15,000 according to Professor 

 Link's account. The whole of the houses together give a length of 1117 

 lineal feet, and have a surface inside of 256*169 square feet; namely, 123269 

 squarefeet the hot-houses, and 132*900 square feet the cold-houses. The ground 

 plan ofthegarden {fig. 41.) and the description are annexed. Little alteration 

 has been made of late. You will easily see, from the narrowness of the grounds. 



