34 Joint Bulletin 8 



or wild thyme, eyebright, Euphrasia minima, a very handsome Senecio, 

 six species of thistles, one of which Carlina acaulis had rays like thin 

 white celluloid, an inch and a half long all around the flower head 

 and mostly flat on the ground; wild margoram, Origanum vulgare, 

 Galinsoga, a species of Eryngium, or sea holly, a beautiful dark red, 

 almost black orchid, Nigritella nigra and Astrantias. I did not see 

 edelweiss growing, but at most of the railway stations big stiff bunches 

 were on sale, as was a blue gentian. I found Dryas octopetala to 

 which Mr. Weatherby, one of our members, sent his respects, but I 

 did not see the alpine poppy which he also included. 



Every possible square inch of land is cultivated in Italy and in 

 the lowlands there were great fields of hemp, Cannabis sativa, and on 

 the higher ground olive and fruit orchards, vineyards, chestnut groves, 

 etc. They grew all sorts of fruit, but that set before us at the hotels 

 was very poor and generally unripe. 



The green almonds, which I first thought were green peaches, 

 made a delicious dessert. 



The American troops used to say that they raised nothing but 

 carrots in France, but now, all over the continent, they seemingly 

 raised nothing but string beans, at least we had them everywhere. 



To show the value of scientific names, I always thought that the 

 celebrated Ilex groves of Italy were composed of holly, but they are 

 an oak, Quercus Ilex, or holm oak. And the famous chestnut groves 

 near Hampton Court are not chestnuts, Castanea, at all, but horse 

 chestnuts, Aesculus. 



The famous gardens of the Louvre were very lovely, with great 

 masses of flowers beautifully laid out, but not so interesting from a 

 botanical standpoint as the species were few. The Jardin des Plantes 

 in Paris was disappointing, but Kew Gardens in London made up for 

 it. The rock garden alone was worth going to see; and there was so 

 much besides, palm houses, and lots of other glasshouses, rhododendron 

 and azalea plantations and everything belonging to a large, well cared 

 for botanic garden. ' 



