566 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



2. With the exception of the Oxford Botanic Garden founded in 1632, 

 and that of Edinburgh founded in 1670, the Botanic Garden of Malta is 

 the oldest in the British Empire. 



3. The Maglio stands at the south-west end of Valetta, in the inter- 

 vening open space between this town and the suburb of Floriana. It is 

 a long tract of ground, protected by walls on either side, where the mem- 

 bers of the Order of St. John used to enjoy the game of the "maglio," 

 whence the name. 



4. " Questo Orto Botanico fu incominciato e ridctto a termine, sotto 

 ramministrazione del Car. e Baronetto Alessandro Giovanni Ball, per 

 Giorgio Terzo, Re della Gran Brettagna, governante le Isole di Malta e 

 Gozo. II luogo e a pubblico divertimento consecrato.*' 



The Botanic Gardens of To-day.* — No one familiar with English 

 botanic gardens, with their turf, shrubs, trees, and a generally more or 

 less park-like character, with ornamental water, &c, must suppose such 

 can possibly exist in Malta. The Argotti Garden is about the oldest in 

 existence, is by no means large, and reminds one somewhat of the old 

 Botanic Garden at Cambridge in the "forties." It is railed off on one 

 side from the main road, but walled in on the others. Dr. Debono has 

 certainly made the most of it. There is a long trellised walk on entering, 

 covered with Creepers, Roses, &c, leading to the Fern-house. (Fig. 160.) 

 There are eight native Ferns, six of which are also British, including the 

 little Gymnogramme leptophylla, which reaches Jersey with other Medi- 

 terranean plants. Maidenhair Fern is abundant in wet places and is 

 used for " bombli." These are porous water-bottles, on the outside of 

 which the rhizomes are fixed in clay, so that by keeping the bottle con- 

 stantly filled with water a dense mass of delicate foliage is formed over 

 the bottle, which is of course suspended. (Fig. 165, p. 575.) 



A shady walk runs along the side of the garden by the road, where 

 several foreign trees are planted, such as the Date-palm which bears no 

 fruit, Chamcerops humilis, Ailanthus glanchdosa, Datura arborea with 

 its long white trumpets, Adhatoda Vasica, Oleanders, Melia Azedarach, 

 and Lantanas. These latter are common roadside trees in Malta. Oaks 

 are represented by Q.-Suber and Q. Ilex; and Firs by Finns halepensis. Of 

 Figs, there is Ficus indica, the Banyan, F. Carica, var. caprificus, or the 

 wild Fig, which always grows out of rocks or walls ; the fruit of which is 

 inedible, as it always contains the wasp {Blastophaga grossorum) which 

 is used for fertilising the cultivated Figs. There is also Crataegus Aza- 

 rolus, which occurs in some of the " wieds " or river valleys, and Castor- 

 oil trees, growing to a height of fifteen feet at least. 



There is a good collection of several of the more important native wild 

 plants, such as Acanthus mollis, Tulipa sylvestris, Iris gcrmanica and 

 fcetidissima, both of which J found wild in the island ; Hypericum aigyptia- 

 cum, with dimorphic flowers ; Urginca Scilla, the Medicinal Squill, and 

 Scilla sicula ; Hcmpervivum arboreum, forming large plants with massive 

 corymbs of yellow heads ; PJdomis fruticosa with orange labiate flowers, and 

 magnificent E/iphorbice, such as E. dendroides, E. mcloformis, &C. 



* By the Rev. Professor Henslow, V.M.H. 



