482 Foreign Notices : — Africa. 



sixteen years since, which, thanks to the climate, and, I believe, some peculiarity 

 in the soil, has grown and thriven in the most surprising manner: at the same 

 time, except the pines, none of the trees have as yet acquired dimensions to 

 make them remarkable. The locality (the latitude is more southern than 

 Naples) is favourable to many plants which require a cooler temperature than 

 that of the environs of the capital ; so that I have vegetables and fruits which 

 cannot be obtained there, such as raspberries, gooseberries, and currants, and, 

 of course, flowers and shrubs which are subject to the same modifications. On 

 the contrary, the more tender shrubs require protection during the winter, 

 though they are planted out of doors, such as myrtles, oranges, and lemons. 

 Datura arborea [Brugmans/a suaveolens], oleanders, &c. ; but they are not 

 covered: it is sufficient to protect their roots from frost, which is not unfre- 

 quent. The American laurel [? Magnoliff grandiflora] and the Portugal laurel 

 grow freely and quickly here, which is not the case near Naples ; but the 

 finest plants I have are, an Acacia horrida (I do not know if that is the accu- 

 rate botanical name), the i?hus viminalis. Eucalyptus, Metrosideros, Calli- 

 stemon, and Melaleuca, Sparrmanni« africana (not so fine as at Naples), and 

 several very large specimens of the Sterciilia ji7latanif61ia, which I have never 

 seen elsewhere, and which are magnificent in shape, colour, foliage, and size. 

 I am now trying the various tribes of rhododendrons, azaleas, and kalmias, 

 which will scarcely live at Naples ; and I have every reason to think that they 

 will do very well, planted within the recesses of the shrubbery. The climate is 

 much more vai'iable than about the capital, and the summer less dry ; but, 

 except from this circumstance, it is difficult to account for the continued fresh- 

 ness of the soil, having no means (but very limited ) of irrigating it ; there being 

 no running water, except a few fountains in the villages for the use of the in- 

 habitants, who have, all of them, as I have, cisterns to collect the rain water 

 for their habitual use. The level is considerably above the sea, though only 

 five miles from it, but surrounded by still higher mountains j being, in fact, 

 an elevated and irregular platform of about five miles in length and two wide, 

 richly cultivated with corn and maize, vines, beans, and other vegetables; the 

 hills covered to their summits with thick forests of sweet chestnuts, among 

 which are found the hardy plants of our regions, holly, cornelian cherry, 

 thorns, &c. There are some beautiful gardens belonging to villas in the imme- 

 diate environs of Naples, but none at any distance from the capital ; as the 

 nobility, except through poverty or other inevitable causes, never inhabit the 

 provinces. Of these gardens, that of Count Ricciardi is the richest in bo- 

 tanical plants of small growth ; and the Villa Belvedere the most remarkable 

 for its walks of /Mex, and some fine exotics of very remote date. I am told 

 that a villa of Prince Butera's, close to Palermo, is the most interesting with 

 regard to such plants as require a still warmer climate ; and that it contains 

 specimens of the most delicate productions, even of the tropics, growing abun- 

 dantly in the open ground ; but I have never had an opportunity of visiting it. 

 The garden I possess, in the immediate environs of the capital, is very limited 

 in its dimensions; and is more remarkable from the natural beauty of its situ- 

 ation, and the views it affords, than for its productions ; as the locality, fi'om 

 being exposed to almost every wind, is not favourable to the rearing of plants. 

 It is chiefly planted with /Mex and J'rbutus, for the sake of shade and 

 verdure ; and its principal ornamental parts are assisted by all the mesembry- 

 anthemum tribe, which require neither water nor earth ; and geraniums, which 

 thrive in a most singular manner if a little sheltered from the high winds. 

 The oleanders, myrtles, Justick, Eucalyptus, Z)61ichos, Bignonzat venusta, 

 aloes, and Cactus of all kinds succeed also very well there ; and all sorts of 

 tender bulbs, amaryllis, ixia, and iris. — R. K. C. 



AFRICA. 



Nursery at Algiers. — A nursery ground has been formed at Algiers, with a 

 view of naturalising such trees as flourish in climates not much dissimilar to 

 that part of Africa. It now contains 1 3,000 mulberry trees, and 5000 young 



