152 
Alps and on the other mountains of Europe. As the southern side of 
the main chain has the richest and most varied flora, and was at that time 
the less fully known, I divided it into 50 districts, and set myself to 
coliect materials from published works, from public and private herbaria, 
in fact, the pre 
of botanical exploration as yet far from complete, I in this way accumu- 
ated a great mass of materials, and the question then arose as to 
what conclusions should be drawn from them." (Proc. R. Geogr. 
Soc:, 1879, p. 565. 
It will be seen £hat what Mr. Ball accomplished, and, so far as it is 
possible to judge, in a tolerably exhaustive manner, is to work out the 
detailed distribution of the Alpine flora for 50 easily recognisable 
— on we. same principle as that adopted with such conspicuous 
cess by Mr. H. C. W atson for t the flora of Great Britain in his well- 
lait “ Cybele Britannica.” 
pec: ine earn that during the last few years of Mr. Ball’s life, partly froin 
an eyesight, partly from other causes, he had worked bat little at 
table, though he always regarded it as of great importance, I do 
hes Est" that this materially diminishes its value. It is obvious that no 
work of the kind can ever be absolutely final. 
Pictorial Aspect of Kew.—The fine series of views of the Lake in 
the Kew Arboretum and its vicinity, the work of M. and Mme. de 
uy nière, were referred to in the Kew Bulletin for last year 
(p. n a selection from them was placed on exhibition in 
the North Gallery. The talented artists have now had 24 of the most 
characteristic engraved by Count Ostrorog, and published in a volume 
entitled “ The Poetry of on Gardens" of which Her Majesty the 
Queen has been pleased to accept the — LOU At their request 
the Director furnished the following preface 
“Visitors to Kew who admire its stately E its sylvan glades, and 
its spacious wig probably in most cases suppose that Nature endowed 
it with its charms. But this is far from being the case. Kew through- 
out is the erelddon of the art of the gardener upplied continuously for a 
century and a half, and never even at the present day ceasing to modify, 
n ap ime efine. 
eape gardening, as exemplified in such a domain as Kew, is 
peculiarly English. It originated, no doubt, partly in an intelligent 
appreciation of the possibilities afforded by the climate, which allows 
smooth turf to grow in a manner unknown in other countries, rtl 
“English gardens pora to the end of the ele toe century were 
ordinarily walled enclosures laid out with extreme formality. They 
were adjuncts to the dwelling-house, and ahaa its aisi protection 
against disorder. ‘The gardener stayed his hands at the limits of his 
“ Though in the next century Mena gave way to hedges, the treat- 
. ment of the garden still remained for The stately methods of the 
great French eee gardeners ies - bodily transported to England 
the 'ation. Fs were, it mag. be eee, well suited M 
