KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



301 



ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS,— KEW. 



As the summer steam boats, and numerous 

 other public conveyances, are now facilitating 

 access to these most beautiful — most enchanting 

 gardens, which are opened "free " to the public, 

 daily, from 1 p.m. until 6, — we append the notes 

 of a gentleman who paid them a recent visit. They 

 will assist the stranger in his progress of examina- 

 tion. 



We are now in the gardens ; and taking the 

 houses pretty much in the order in which they are 

 generally seen by visitors, we arrive first at the 

 house devoted to the Proteacece. Notwithstanding 

 the name applied to this order is indicative of the 

 great variety of appearance it presents, there is yet 

 such a general resemblance throughout it that few 

 persons could be at a loss to distinguish a protea- 

 ceous plant, even when not in bloom. The stiff" 

 and rigid foliage, and its peculiar blueish-green 

 tint, must strike every one ; and it is well known 

 that it is the great predominance of this order in 

 Australia and the Cape which gives so peculiar a 

 character to the vegetation of those regions, and 

 has occasioned them to be designated by Schouw 

 the "zone of rigid-leaved woods." 



Considerable interest is attached to this collection 

 just now, from the circumstance that a large pro- 

 portion of the species are in bloom. Among these 

 we observed some half-dozen species of Grevillea, 

 four or five Dryandras, Hakea Undulata, Banksia 

 Ericifolia, &c. Several species of Acacia were also 

 in bloom in this house, and a fine plant of Rhodo- 

 dendron Arboreum. In the old Orchid houses, 

 now devoted principally to Ferns, we noticed of 

 the latter in fructification, Hemitelia Horrida, H. 

 Speciosa, H. grandiflora, Drynaria Irioides, Sitilo- 

 bium, Adiantoides, &c. We must not forget also 

 to mention a remarkably fine specimen of Cymbi- 

 dium Aloifolinm, which, though one of the oldest 

 Orchids in cultivation, is yet well worthy to be 

 retained. The plant in question had five handsome 

 spikes of flowers, and produced a very showy ap- 

 pearance. Some interesting miscellaneous plants 

 were in bloom in these houses. 



Especially worthy of notice, may be remarked 

 ■ ■ the following : — Kopsia or Cerbera Fruticosa, a 

 pretty little shrub of the Apocynaceous order, 

 much resembling Vinca Rosea, a native of the 

 Malay Islands, introduced many years ago, but by 

 no means common. It is decidedly handsome, and 

 blooms many times in the year ; but, judging from 

 the specimens which have come under our notice, 

 the flowers are not produced very freely. Sipho- 

 campylus Coccineus, which we regard as unques- 

 tionably the most beautiful of its genus. The 

 flowers are large, of a brilliant scarlet, and very 

 abundant. S. Microstoma was blooming in the 

 same house ; but, though a handsome species, we 

 can hardly consider it equal as an ornamental plant 

 to the former. Roy lea Elegans is a very pretty 

 little plant of the Labiate order, from Nepal, with 

 bright blue flowers, but having a somewhat weedy 

 appearance for an in-door plant. 



In a small stove, among some other Gesneraceous 

 plants, we observed in bloom a plant of Gloxinia 

 Argyrostigma Splendens, the leaves of which, 

 beautifully variegated, spread out so as to cover 

 the pot ; the flower stalks are more slender than 

 in most of the Gloxinias, and the flowers, which 



are very large, are of a deep violet blue. In the 

 Aloe house were blooming plants of the Aloe 

 Africana, about twelve feet in height, Charlwoodia 

 Congesta, and Xanthorrea Hastilis. The Orchid 

 house presented but few plants in bloom which 

 demand notice ; we noticed, however, Oncidium 

 Horridum, Phalenopsis Amabilis, Acrides Virens, 

 Dendrobium Fimbriatum, D. Sanguinolentum, and 

 a good specimen of Lycaste Harrisonise, a very 

 striking species, with cream-colored petals and 

 purple lip — perhaps the handsomest of the beau- 

 tiful genus to which it belongs. In this house is 

 also a fine healthy plant of Nepenthes Rafflesiana, 

 and a small specimen of the beautiful Eranthemum 

 Leuconervum, with delicate white flowers. 



In the Azalea house we noticed a tolerably 

 large plant of Rhododendron Ciliatum in bloom, 

 and several small ones, not more than six inches 

 high ; the pretty little Azalea Amcena, and a 

 number of hybrid varieties of the latter genus. 

 In the large Palm house, the Doryanthes Excelsa 

 has just bloomed ; it is now nearly over. The 

 flowering stem is apparently about fifteen feet in 

 height, and it is stated to have been in flower three 

 weeks. It is growing in a tub, about three feet 

 square. The principal novelties deserving atten- 

 tion are the Aralia Papyrifera, or rice-paper plant 

 of China, about which so much controversy has 

 been raised ; Impatiens Hookeri, from Ceylon ; 

 Semeiandra Grandiflora, a shrub something resem- 

 bling a Fuchsia ; and Crossandra Flava, a pretty 

 Acanthad, introduced by Mr. Whitfield, from 

 tropical Africa, and bloomed at the Royal Botanic 

 Garden, Regent's Park. It is stated by Sir W. 

 Hooker to be the only example of yellow flowers 

 in the genus Crossandra, which has, moreover, 

 been hitherto supposed to be confined to the East 

 Indies. 



Many of your readers are aware that a new 

 Victoria house has been erected. It is a building 

 of glass and iron, about forty-five feet square, and 

 has an entrance porch at the east end. The tank 

 is circular, about thirty-four feet in width, lined 

 with concrete, over which is placed sheet lead. A 

 plant has been placed in the centre, which had at 

 the time of our visit eight leaves, the largest 

 probably about twenty inches in diameter, and 

 presenting a tolerably thriving appearance. There 

 is a small tank in each corner of the house, con- 

 taining Nelumbiums, Caladiums, and other tropical 

 aquatics. The greenhouses mostly presented a gay 

 appearance, Acacias, Azaleas, Boronias, Heaths, 

 Epacrises, and three or four species of Eriostemon, 

 making a conspicuous display. 



Before these remarks are presented to the public 

 eye, there will be many things of great interest 

 exhibited out of doors. This is just the season to 

 win for them the admiration they deserve. 



SOCIAL CONVERSATION. 



Talk not of music to a physician, nor of medi- 

 cine to a fiddler ; unless the fiddler should be sick, 

 and the physician fond of a concert. He that speaks 

 only of such subjects as are familiar to himself, 

 treats the company as the stork did the fox — pre- 

 senting an entertainment to him in a deep pitcher, 

 out of which no animal in creation could feed but a 

 long -billed fowl. — Jones, of Nayland. 



