566 Bicton Gardens, their Culture and Management. 



Latania borbdnica, very large. 



Acrocbmia sclerocarpa. 



Astrapce s a WallichW, 14 ft. high, the circumference of the 

 head 38 ft. This plant is wonderfully improved, since a dressing 

 of charcoal dust has been applied with loam as a top dressing. 



Musa. sapientum and M. paradisiaca, planted about two years, 

 have reached the top of the house (33 ft.) with their noble leaves, 

 their stems being about 18 ft. high. 



Araucdria excelsa, 26 ft. high ; the circumference of the stem, 

 at a foot distant from the earth, 2 ft. 2 in. ; the diameter of the 

 spread of the branches 22 ft. 



Ficus elastica, 25 ft. high. 



Qarybta iirens, a fine plant. 



Dracce"na Draco, 9 ft. high. 



Zdmia horrida and Zdmia pungens, fine plants. 



Qombretum grandi/tbrum, 10 ft. high, covering a large space of 

 wire trellis with its noble shoots and fine foliage. 



Quisqudlis indica, 22 ft. high, also covering a large space of 

 wire trellis, and in flower nearly the whole of the year. 



Banisteria chrysophylla, B. nitida, Caladium pinnatifidum ; all 

 very large. 



Bambusa arundinacea. 



Ylcus Benjamina, two plants, 10 ft. high. 



Qarybta sobolifera, Musa s. cocc'inea, Qhama^rops hiimilis, Chei- 

 rostemon platanoides, Durante Phimien ; all five noble plants. 



Cireus grandiflbrus, covering a large space, 20 ft. high. 



Cactus speciosissima, with C. truncata worked on it from the 

 ground to the height of 20 ft., which looks very grand when in 

 flower. 



Vsiduim Cattleyanum, Cattley's Guava, 16 ft. high, covered 

 with fruit. There have been gathered this season from that 

 one plant, and from a small plant against the wall, 29 doz. of 

 fruit, and I should think there are 20 doz. more on them. They 

 have made a wonderful progress since shifting them early last 

 spring, when I added a considerable quantity of charcoal dust 

 amongst the loam. No one would believe it, that two years ago 

 the large tree was a tall thin plant, in a No. 4. pot. 



Qrbton variegdtum, 7 ft. high. 



Large Shaddocks, against the back wall. 



Several different species of Passiflora, and other noble plants 

 too numerous to dwell on at this moment. 



In my next letter I will give you a rough idea of the other 

 houses you walked through, the dimensions of them, and my 

 treatment of the Heath and New Holland houses, which, I hope, 

 you will find interesting. I have no doubt I shall astonish you 

 with some facts from these two beautiful houses. 



