l44 DESCRIPTION OF THE MUSEUM. 



latter are several species of rhubarb, rheum, 

 and some vegetables lately introduced, to which 

 great virtues are ascribed in their native coun- 

 tries, and of which our physicians are thus en- 

 abled to make trial. The two next divisions 

 contain duplicates of the most beautiful vivacious 

 plants of the botanic garden, which have here 

 more room and grow more luxuriantly. They 

 are not labelled, that the pupils may exercise 

 themselves in determining the characters. In the 

 two last squares are cultivated the most beau- 

 tiful border flowers ; care being taken to vary 

 the species every year, and to renew them dur- 

 ing the season, so that the bloom may continue 

 from the middle of spring till the middle of 

 autumn. 



We now arrive at the square basin enclosed 

 by an iron railing, by walking round which 

 we may observe the various shrubs that adorn 

 its sloping sides. From the beginning of spring 

 to the end of summer it offers a splendid confu- 

 sion of roses, snow balls, lilacs, venus sumachs, 

 rhus cotinus; fontanesias (i), and bladder-nuts, 

 staphjlea. Several of the shrubs having begun 

 to decay, they were all cut to the ground during 

 the last winter, but they will be renewed with 



(1) A pretty shrub described, and dedicated to M. Desfontaines by 

 M, Delabillardiere, who brought the seeds from S^ria in 1788. 



