ARGOTTJ BOTANICAL GARDENS AND THE FLORA OF MALTA. 571 



lected together so many species of certain wild plants. We must, however, 

 remember that the object of the garden in 1806 was entirely medical. This 

 will presumably account for the cultivation of the Sow Thistle and the 

 Groundsel, just as these were in " herb " gardens in England in the 15th 

 century. 



Some Orders are at present quite unrepresented, as the UmbeUifercB t 

 but in 1806 Father Giacinto names the Goutweed, Ammi, Dill, Celery, 

 Hemlock, Cummin, Carrot, Eryngium, Dropwort, Parsnip, Slum, Tor- 

 dylium, Sec, but omits Smyrnium (lAexanders), commonly wild at the 

 present time at Malta. 



Of important trees Sec introduced since 1806, there are Adhatoda 

 Vasica, the Malabar Nut tree, the Horse Chestnut, Vitex Agnus-Castus, 

 Araucarias and other Conifers, Aucuba japonica,, Buddleia Lindleyana, 

 species of Ccesalpinia and of Callistemon, Camellias, Casuarina, Catalpa 

 bignonioides, Diervilla, Erica speciosa (the only sp.), Escallonias, 11. sp. 

 of Eucalyptus, Eugenia Pimenta, Euonymus japonicus &n&E. latifolius, 

 Gardenia, Ginkgo, Kadsura japonica, Kerria japonica, Cytisus La- 

 burnum, Liriodendron tiilipif era, Acer Negundo, Phillyrea sp., Phorinium 

 tenax, Pimenta officinalis, Bhododendron arboreum, Azalea inclica, 

 Sarracenia sp., Sequoia gigantea and S. semper vir ens, Styrax officinale, 

 Taxus baccata, Tamarind us indica, six species of Tccoma, Wistaria 

 chinensis, and Viburnum Opidus. 



The above will indicate the wide area abroad which contributed to 

 supply the gardens in the energetic professor's time. 



Of course, in addition to the above-named trees, numerous herbs have 

 been introduced while a few of the above, as the two species of Sequoia, 

 have disappeared ; but by far the greater number of modern introductions 

 is due to Dr. Debono since 1890. 



Private Gardens. — Besides the Argotti Botanical Gardens there are 

 several private gardens in Malta, in which many plants are grown. 

 Perhaps that of the late Mr. Harry may be taken as one of the best types. 

 The following is a description of it : — 



Maltese gardens, like Maltese fields, are all walled in, and mostly 

 very small. Earth is a scarcity, for little of the virgin soil of Malta and 

 Gozo, when these islands formed part of the continent, has escaped 

 denudation. All that can be extracted from crevices and caves is utilised, 

 some small quantity only having been brought from Sicily and elsewhere 

 during the reign of the Knights as ballast ; the rest consists of the 

 decomposition of the limestone rock itself, of which the islands are 

 entirely composed. There is an interesting example of one of the caves 

 alluded to in a garden now belonging to Captain Price (formerly of 

 H.M.S. Carysfort), which was constructed by the previous owner, Mr. 

 Frere. When he had excavated the earth from what appeared at first 

 to be a superficial fissure, he discovered that it was a " swallow-hole," 

 as such a fissure is called in Derbyshire ; and when all the earth was 

 cleared out it was found to lead to an ancient subterranean watercourse, 

 63 feet deep. That being now the level of the sea, it could not be traced 

 further, as the water came through the fissures in the limestone. The 

 sides are waterworn, and show clearly that it was a place where in former 



