48 
( Taxodium gains Paulownia imperialis, Cercis canadensis, 
Broussonetia yrifera, Catalpa bignonioides, &c. 'The European 
^: r platanoides eiit better in Washington than the American 
r Maple, and that foria of the Eastern Plane known as Platanus 
acerifolia grows beret, and is preferable as a stroet tree to the native 
American Button-wood (P. occidentalis) both here and in the neigh- 
bourhood of Boso. As a rule in both gre the latter is much 
disfigured by the attacks of a microscopic fungus ( Gl@osporium). 
The Silver Maple (Acer dasycarpum) grows rapidly, but soon gets 
thin in the middle; in order to keep it in a satisfactory condition it has 
to be kept cut back. The Box Elder (Acer Negundo), A. Pseudo- 
platanus, and the Horse Chestnut (Aesculus Hippocastanum) are 
amongst the least satisfactory subjects. Mr. W. R. Smith, formerly of 
eel now the Superintendent of the Botanic Gardens, is chairman of 
e Parks Committee, and to him is largely due the great success which 
= attended the efforts of this body. 
In some of the small squares flowering shrubs do wonderfully well; I 
noted along stagione Avenue, Forsythias, Prunus Pissardi, Pyrus 
japonica, Chimonanthus fragrans, Hibiseus syriacus variegatus, Ber- 
unbergi, &c. Amongst trees were fine examples of Miser. 
Willow, Kentucky Coffee, Tilia petiolaris, some American Oaks, 
Abele Po oplar. 
Fuchsias do well from ee to June ; after that the temperature 
becomes too high for t As a rule, it is too hot also for the great 
majority of open-air iem s plants. Many sapih oa or tropical 
plants do wonderfully well bedded out during the summer months; 
among these I noted Crotons (Codizums), finely nied Des modium 
gyrans, the ir il plant, grows freely and ripens seed in the open. 
also grows vigorously and flowers profusely. 
Paullinia Valicirides makes a charming edging, as also do Perts- 
Stigmaphyllon ciliatum—-with us a climber in the Palm Stove— 
gro does Ivy or Virginian Creeper at Kew, and in 
August and September uces a profusion of yellow flowers. 
hrynium variegatum does well in inte , bedded out in full sun 
burns. Other stove plants which do well in the open are Phyllanthus 
P. ni J Dracæ an 
treated as bedding is ipn as do scarlet geraniums in England. Ina 
large unheated basin, about 120 feet in diameter, Nelumbium speciosum, 
tropical water-lillies, and Victoria regia, produce a fine effect. The 
latter had not fully developed at the time of my visit, but I was 
informed that last year a plant covered a space of 49 feet in diameter, 
and some of the leaves measured 7 feet 7 inches across. One of the most 
noteworthy of the Nymphwas was one named N. pygmea hybrida, a 
charming small-leaved plant with pale canary-yellow petals, and deep 
yellow staraens. 
A huge mass of tall-growing grasses about 40 yards in diameter was 
very telling; the centre was made up of the Provence Reed (Arundo 
rcd di and round this were clumps of Erianthus Ravenne, Miscan- 
japonicus (Eulalia japonica), and Miscanthus sinensis 
(Buti gracillima of gardens), &c.; the ss anpes grass had already 
all been killed by i 
t g wi 
Cynodon Dacty lon forms the bulk of the ung: of the lawns, it stands 
