172 LAWSON NOTES ON SOME NOVA SCOTIAN PLANTS. 



The cellar of the house of the original settler, by whom the broom 

 is said to have been planted, and who had been dead about seventy 

 years, still remains, and in it the broom was growing. It evidently 

 has fallen on congenial soil, for some of the clumps measured about 

 four feet across and were fully that in height. It had also taken 

 full possession of this spot, from which it passed to a considera- 

 ble distance, now in large patches, now in small ones. There are 

 numbers of last year's seedlings growing, showing that it is not 

 likely to die out. The colored lady says that it has spread fully 

 four miles off in the direction of Jordan River Mills. Mr. Cun- 

 ningham — evidently a Scotchman — is supposed to have planted the 

 broom some 80 years ago. Whether he was one of the original 

 settlers I could not learn. The old colored lady said that when in 

 flower the broom was a beautiful sight, that she frequently went to 

 where it was growing to look at it, and that she would stand for a 

 long time admiring it. Her son, a young lad, also took a great 

 iuterest in it, as well as in the trees growing around. He had a 

 very good idea of how the broom grew, and spoke of the plants as 

 tame or wild according as they were transplanted or not. 



" Shelburne also is noted for two large fine Willoiv trees. They 

 are growing in the streets — each of them measures about 15 feet in 

 circumference and the spread of the branches is about 80 feet. 

 They were planted by the late Mr. Cockaigne, Collector of Customs 

 there, and are about 80 years old." 



Rhododendron maximum. 



Professor Lawson then gave an account of the discovery, near 

 Sheet Harbour, of Rhododendron maximum, of which Robert 

 Morrow, Esq., had obtained a living plant. An extensive corres- 

 pondence on the subject was laid on the table, which is here printed, 

 as it appears desirable to place on record in a permanent form, all 

 the facts connected with the history and discovery of a plant of so 

 much interest : — 



