GHENT. 61 



The green-house plants were, at this season of the year, 

 ranged along the sides of the walks, in the garden and 

 shrubberies. In the centre of a broad cross-walk, was 

 placed a collection of large orange-trees, about twenty in 

 number: the specimens were generally good, but, as we 

 should think, much injured by the shears, being cut as un- 

 mercifully as a hawthorn hedge in the Lothians. Of small 

 orange-trees there were several hundreds ; these last were 

 intermixed with plants of oleander, pomegranate, sweet bay, 

 and laurustinus, all pruned up in the Flemish fashion, and 

 with round bushy heads. 



The hot-houses form an extensive range. The gar- 

 dener's lodge is situated at one end, and is thus in connec- 

 tion with the whole. The front of the lodge is adorned 

 with two plants of Bignonia radicans, rising twenty feet 

 high, and extending as many feet in width : they were at 

 this time clothed with their large and elegant scarlet flow- 

 ers, producing a brilliant effect. 



The principal hot-house contains three divisions. The 

 middle division is lofty in the roof, from 25 to 30 feet high, 

 and is appropriated to stove plants of the largest size : here, 

 for instance, is a dragon's-blood tree (Dracaena draco) about 

 25 feet high, and a very tall specimen of Cyperus pa- 

 pyrus of the Nile, the plant which afforded the papyrus of 

 the ancients. The other two divisions are from 16 to 18 

 feet high, and are partly occupied with tender ornamental 

 plants, and partly with ananas. A very fine specimen of 

 the prickly pear (Cactus opuntium) was here trained to a 

 slight trellis : the branches extended six feet wide, and rose 

 fully four feet high. The pine-apple plants did not appear 

 very healthy, nor likely to yield perfect fruit. In all of 

 these stoves, the flues arc led along the interior of the 

 house, nearly in the mode recommended in this country by 



