December 7, 1892.] 



Garden and Forest. 



579 



last years of her life, " the definitely scientific character which 

 they have ever since retained." In 1761 a large hot-house, no 

 feet long, was designed and erected by Sir Wm. Chambers, 

 and it was at that time the largest in the country. It was taken 

 down in 1861, or just one hundred years afterward. 



After the death of the Princess Augusta Kew Palace and the 

 grounds passed into the control of George III., who is credited 

 with having strictly maintained the botanical character of the 

 establishment which had been begun by his mother. About 

 this time Sir Joseph Banks began to figure in affairs at Kew 

 and his name to become familiar in botanical literature, and 

 especially with regard to the introduction of many plants until 

 then unknown to the science of botany or in cultivation. 

 Largely owing to this gentleman's liberality with his time and 

 money, the gardens soon took a leading place among all such 

 institutions in Europe, and, although its standard appears to 

 have varied in later years, Kew began to be looked upon as a 

 Mecca by botanists and gardeners. The efficiency and emi- 

 nence of such gardeners as the Aitons at Kew helped to make 

 its treasures widely known and appreciated. William Aiton, 

 in 1789, published his Hortus Kewensis, or catalogue of plants 

 in the Royal Gardens at Kew, a work including some 5,500 

 species, a brief description of each, its native country, date of 

 introduction and introducer being given. 



In 1772 the first regular collector was sent out from Kew, the 

 collector in question being Francis Masson, whose destination 

 was the Cape of Good Hope, and who was instrumental in 

 introducing hundreds of species, some of which were collected 

 in other fields besides those of South Africa. From this time 

 the treasures of numerous collectors found their way to Kew, 

 and thence were distributed to other parts of the kingdom or 

 to colonies abroad. 



That portion of the grounds in which a collection of trees 

 was established was at first quite small, only a few acres in 

 extent, although some interesting trees were also planted out- 

 side of it. It is curious to note how some of these early-intro- 

 duced plants were first treated, their character in regard to 

 hardiness not being well understood. For instance, a fine 

 specimen of the Japanese Ginkgo biloba was originally trained 

 against a wall. One of the largest and best accessions to the 

 collection of trees was obtained from the garden of the Duke 

 of Argyle, at Whitton, in 1762 or 1763. These trees had been 

 raised from seed many years before by the tree-loving Duke. 

 They were transplanted to a part of the Kew grounds not now 

 designated the Arboretum, but several of the specimens are 

 still standing where they were placed 130 years ago. 



The Arboretum proper, as it exists at present, includes about 

 178 acres, which, until within recent times, or, more precisely, 

 until 1850, was simply a sort of pleasure-ground and game- 

 preserve. Since that time it has been planted with trees and 

 shrubs grouped with regard to botanical sequence according 

 to modern classification. The comparatively small size of 

 many of the exotic trees is likely to prove somewhat disap- 

 pointing to those persons who have come to think of Kew 

 Gardens, as a whole, as a very old institution. The fact is, that 

 the territory has been acquired gradually. With new acces- 

 sions of land and changes in the management, alterations and 

 modifications of plans and planting have seemed necessary, 

 in order to give the whole establishment a regularly arranged 

 aspect instead of the heterogeneous aggregation which it 

 otherwise would present for all fime. As "it is now probable 

 that no material additions to the area will be made, or, at least, 

 . be absolutely necessary, the trees are likely to remain in their 

 present positions and grow without further molestation. 



Besides the 178 acres called the Arboretum, the Botanic 

 Garden proper includes about seventy acres, so that the whole 

 establishment at present comprises very nearly 250 acres, an 

 area requiring a good deal of time to go over so as to tlior- 

 oughly appreciate the collections planted upon it. The situ- 

 ation is not the most advantageous for the finest development 

 of tree-growth, because the soil is mainly of a poor, sandy or 

 gravelly character. But while there is a lack of natural fer- 

 tility, a partial compensation may be found in an abundance 

 of moisture, both in the general humidity of the atmosphere 

 and the low-lying situation of a good portion of the ground, 

 which is not very much above the high-water of the Thames, 

 which bounds it on one side. Certain portions of tlie garden 

 are said to have been formerly covered by ponds or lagoons, 

 and the site of the large Palm-house was once covered by an 

 extension of the same sheet of water which now lies in 

 front of it. 



Since its reorganization in 1841 Kew has successively been 

 presided over by three directors : first, the late Sir W. J. 

 Hooker, followed by Sir J. D. Hooker, and lastly, Mr. W. T. 

 Thistleton Dyer, who has succeeded in the care within a few 



years. The institufion is supported by the Government by 

 an annual appropriation, which nearly amounts to a hundred 

 thousand dollars. After a certain number of years of faithful 

 service the employees are'entitled to retirement with a pension. 

 Kew has accomplished, and is accomplishing, four distinct 

 and valuable objects. It is acknowledged by all the world as 

 the headquarters of botanical science ; it has been and is a 

 centre of economic botany, by which the colonies in all parts 

 of the globe have especially benefited ; it is practically a great 

 school of botany and horticulture, where instruction is given 

 in all matters relating to plant^life, both on its useful and 

 eesthetic side, and it is a place of rest and quiet to hundreds of 

 thousands who visit it every year. /-• rv t 



Arnold Arboretum. J . G. Jack. 



Botanical Notes from Texas. 



WACO is in central Texas, just at the ninety-first meridian, 

 and in latitude about 31° 20". The city is in the valley 

 of the Brazos River, which, though nearly a thousand miles 

 long, is entirely within the limits of Texas. The city takes its 

 name from the Waco Indians. Here their principal chief I'e- 

 sided, and here their council-fires were lighted. 



About three miles above the city, on the right bank of 

 Bosque River, a little above its junction with the Brazos, there 

 is a high bluff. A projecting point of the bluff is known locally 

 as Lovers' Leap, in accordance with the same old legend which 

 has done duty in connection with many other precipitous 

 places throughout the country ; a daughter of the Wacos and 

 her chosen warrior ended their lives 'and loves when hotly 

 pursued. 



Waco is a city of about 20,000 inhabitants. It is chiefly re- 

 markable for the number and character of its artesian wells. 

 Within the city or near it there are twenty-one of these wells, 

 having an average depth of a little more than 1,800 feet, and a 

 flow of from 100,000 to 1,200,000 gallons of water in a day of 

 twenty-four hours, with a pressure at the ground of fifty 

 pounds. The water of these wells, as it flows from the ground, 

 has an average temperature of about 103°. 



There have been a few light frosts here, and Cotton-plants 

 are killed ; but the gardens are still adorned with the choicest 

 of Roses and Chrysanthemums. Leaves of Elms and of Box 

 Elder and Hackberry are falling, while those of deciduous 

 Oaks and Cottonwood and other species are taking on their 

 handsomest autumnal tints, and in striking contrast with the un- 

 scathed bright green leaves of the Live Oak. Dripping Springs 

 is on the left bank of the Brazos, about four miles above the 

 city. For a long distance water continually drips from the 

 rocks of the bluff about as it drips from the eaves of a build- 

 ing during a heavy rainfall. The handsome Adiantum Capil- 

 lus-Veneris is there, pendent in great profusion from the rocks 

 amid the falling drops of water. This almost cosmopolitan 

 Fern is very abundant thoughout central Texas ; it fringes 

 most of the irrigating ditches at San Antonio, and large and 

 beautiful individuals crowd each other upon the moist rocks 

 along Colorado River at Austin. 



Hackberry is the most common street and lawn tree of 

 Waco. I have noticed that "northers" have a killing effect 

 upon China trees, even in this latitude, as the dead tops of 

 many of them show. The drupes of this species are poison- 

 ous, at least to birds. Robins often eat them until they be- 

 come intoxicated and tumble from the trees. 



Several species of Aster are yet in blossom, with an occa- 

 sional Helenium, and rarely the handsome flowers of Gilia 

 coronopifolia are to be seen. Centaurea Americana is so 

 abundant in many localities in central Texas as to become a 

 weed. It is often seen in gardens, where its beauty entitles 

 it to be. It extends northward throughout the Indian Territory. 



Several species of Desmanthus abound in this region, 

 among them D. leptolobus. This species extends northward 

 in Kansas to the Saline River, or to beyond the thirty-ninth 

 parallel. In early spring hill-sides here are covered with such 

 eastern species as Erythronium albidum. Anemone decape- 

 tala and others, which mingle their beauty with the western 

 Lupinus subcarnosus and many more decidedly western spe- 

 cies. Our little Dichondea repens, too, is here. Heteranthera 

 graminifolia is common in running waters of central Texas. 

 It is very abundant in Colorado River at Austin. I saw it also 

 in Llano River near Llano. This rather pretty aquatic has a 

 more western range than is usually allowed it. I have col- 

 lected it near the one-hundredth meridian in Kansas, and it 

 probably extends still farther westward in this state. 



Waco is the most northern station at which I have seen Cap- 

 sicum baccatum, "Chiltapin" of Mexicans, growing without cul- 

 tivation. The intensely acrid berries of this species are exten- 



