ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDEN. 87 



The upper garden contains all the glass houses, the administrative 

 building (museum, office, etc.), and the official residences of the 

 director and superintendent. It originally comprised the kitchen 

 garden of the early governors (now used as a propagating ground), 

 but the greater part was taken in from the outer domain. 



MIDDLE GARDEN. 



The middle garden is the old garden. It is entirely under planta- 

 tions, without grassy lawns ; has mostly straight walks and rectan- 

 gular beds, except a portion west of the creek, which is treated more 

 freely. In the middle garden, on the eastern side, are situated the 

 aviary sheds and paddocks. It has a dense arcade or pergola formed 

 by various climbing plants, all of which flower in profusion. 



THE LOWER GARDEN. 



The lower garden is laid out in irregular sweeping lawns and wind- 

 ing paths. The lawns are all laid down with couch grass or buffalo 

 grass, both of which, by frequent use of the machine, make a splendid 

 turf. Each of these lawns is numbered consecutively ; there are 36 

 in all. Each is bounded by a walk on all sides and occupied by 

 flower beds, rockeries, plant collections, and plantation clumps of 

 native or exotic plants. 



It should be borne in mind that the present beautiful condition of 

 these gardens, with their diversified surface and charming views, 

 which many term an earthly paradise, is not the work of nature. 

 The greater part of the site for the botanic gardens was originally 

 a barren, rocky, sandy place, such as may be seen in the scores of 

 gulfs and gullies of other parts of Port Jackson to-day. 



The garden palace grounds were set apart as a public pleasure 

 place in 1882. They form an appanage to the botanic gardens, but 

 only the rarer plants are labeled in this garden, attention being 

 chiefly devoted to lawns and florists' flowers in this section. 



5. Botanic Gardens of Ballarat, Victoria. 



[Extracts from A Traveler's Notes, James H. Veitch, published by James Veitch & Sons, 

 Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, 1896.] 



83 acres in area. 33 only are under cultivation. 



These gardens are not strictly botanic gardens, but more show 

 gardens for the public. 



The paths are laid out in rectangles, as are the streets of the city. 



There is a collection of statuary, purchased at great cost in Italy, 

 larger than in any other known botanical garden. 



There is a very fine collection of tree ferns in very good condition. 



6. The Botanical Garden of the University of Vienna, 

 Austria-Hungary. 



[Extract from article by Prof. N. L. Britton in Science, vol. 4, No. 88, 1896.] 



The botanical garden of the University of Vienna was established 

 about 1754. and is located in the heart of the citv. There are here 



