464 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [January 2, 1888. 
climate as Willows do in England. Grassy banks 
covered with Hydrangeas covered with bloom may 
also be seen, which are perfectly wonderful to behold. 
The flowers are usually of a very deep blue tinge, 
'tis said from the presence of iron in the soil. French 
spotted and large-flowered Pelargoniums bloom admir- 
ably when planted out permanently on the sloping 
banks, and required no other treatment save a yearly 
pruniug. I have seen banks of these p'ants covered 
with immense trusses of bloom and lasting for many 
mouths iu the rarest beauty. In one particular recess 
towards the top of the garden there used to grow 
and bloom freely a clump of Camellias of various 
colours, and climbing up, and growing in the sur- 
roundiug trees and borders, aud flowering luxuriantly 
withal, such plants as Clianthus Dampieri, Habro- 
thamnus, Tacsonia, Mandevilla suaveolens, Kennedya, 
Ohorozema, Begonia f ucu.Moides, Azaleas, Aloysta 
citriodora (huge trees), Aralias, and scores of 
others. 
A very beautiful fernery exists near the top of 
the garden, which is very tastefully arranged and plant 
ed with numerous Ferns indigenous to the hills as well 
as from other countries. Although the OoUcamund 
botanical garden contained a most extensive and very 
rich and interesting collection of plants brought 
together from all parts of the world, no attempt — at 
least up to the year 1877 — was ever made at scientific 
arrangement, which was always a matter of deep 
regret. No better locality on the face of the globe 
could be found than Ootacamund for a garden of 
instruction in the true seuse of the word, and where 
expensive glass structures are not necessary for 
the bulk of the plants grown. Matters have no 
doubt improved since the advent of the present 
Botanical Director, Mr. Lawson, who, no doubt in 
time —should he be allowed the necestar^ means — 
will make the gardens at Ootacamund worthy to be 
classed with the best botanical institutions of the 
world. 
Iu closing these articles I have only a few words 
more to say with regard to the general appearance 
and climate of these beautiful hills. The first visit 
of those who have been for some time located on 
the hot and arid plains of Madras is delightful and 
exhilarating to the last degree. The visitor as he 
begins the ascent of either of the Ghauts leading 
from the plains, is not prepared for tue wonders 
that are gradually revealed to his gaze as he ascends 
mile after mile of the winding mountain road. 
Leaving the steamy and hot village at the foot of 
the Coonoor Ghaut, with its acres of graceful Coco- 
nut and Areca Palms, the traveller gradually mounts 
into a region where the rich tropical vegetation 
gives place to a more stuuted form of growth. From 
the splendid forms of the Palms at the foot to the 
region of Cinnamon, Cloves, Guava, Loquat, Mangosteen; 
Nutmeg, Papaw, Theobroma, and Vauilla, an I higher 
still into the region of C Ai ee, Tea, and Cliiuchoua, 
till at last the plateau is readied where is produced 
the Orange, Pear, Apple, Pluin, Wheat, Barey, and 
iunumberable other plants and fruits from the temper- 
ate climates of the world. Aud if this view of the 
cultivated products of this won lerful region be deeply 
interesting to the visitor, still more so is the mtural 
scenery of the mountain gorge through which he has 
passed for a distance of some eight or nine miles, 
and rising iu that distance to an elevation of G00O 
feet. Ar, an elevation of 3000 feet the scenery becomes 
bold, increasing in grandeur till huge walls of rock 
rise on e»cu side of the roaJ, every rift and cranny 
of woich sends out its living mantle of everlasting 
green, while on one side of the path is a deep ravine 
choked up with a mass of forest verdure, on which 
you look down with awe and hear, but cannot see, 
the rushing aud tumbling of a stream far in the 
depths below. Streams of water dashed into the 
whitest spray fall at intervals from the heights 
above down the face of the rocks, giving infinite 
beauty and grandeur to the scene. Ferns and 
L^copods innumerable clothe the roadside banks, 
including t>pe< ies of Adiantum, Miorolcpia, Dtval- 
lia, Fteris, AUiiopteris, Aspiewuin, &c, while ttie 
graceful tops of the Tree Ferni (AJsjphila) may be 
seen in every ravine pushing through the mass of 
other foliage. 
Ou the plateau itself mav be found wild in abund- 
ance the Dog .Roso, Honeys uckle, Coti neaster, 
Hypericum, Passiflora, Rhododendron arboreum, 
Indigofera, aud numerous other flowers and shrubs. 
Many plar.ts, such as the common Groundsel, Oeno- 
thera, French Marigold, and others, which have 
originated no doubt from seeds imported from England, 
have become acclimatised and now grow as weeds 
ou cultivated grouuds. I have seen the Ne Hewattum 
Ohinehona plantati >u belonging to the Government 
literally covered with the French Marigold, the 
product of self-sown seed. The roads of this planta- 
tion are all hedged with Box, which is allowed to 
grow from 2 to 3 feet ia height, an 1 which looks 
very trim and beautiful. In addition to the numerous 
plants met with on these hills, both introduced and 
indigenous, the song of the thrush and blackbird 
is continually heard in the glens and woods. 
The plateau is not rich in showy Orchids, but 
there are some at the higher elevations which are 
to be found in large quantities, and are very pretty. 
Coslogyne corrugata and O. oloratissima are both 
found growing on sheet rocks, sometimes in large 
masses of ten or a dozeu yards square, wh'ch are 
very lovely when in flower. These two plants, I 
believe, are supposed to be difficult to flower in this 
country, aud this, I imagine, is from the want of 
proper treatment. I recently saw a large plant of 
0. corrugata at Kaw in a house amongst other cool 
house Orchids; the pseudo-bulbs were very large, 
but the foliage was at least 3 or 4 inches longer than 
I have ever seen it in its wild state on the Nilgiris. 
The pot was at that time placed in a position at 
least 10 feet from the glass, aod I was told that the 
same plant had been in the gardens for three or 
four years, but ha 1 never fljwered. It ou*ht to be 
remembered that these plants come from a climate 
where the maximum temperature is only 77°, and 
where the mercury frequently falls to 38°. They 
also grow on sheet rocks oi the grassy slopes entirely 
unprotected from the bright sunshine ani monsoon 
rains. They have also to uudergo the annual privation 
of from four to five months of total drought without 
one single drop of rain to moisten their leaves or 
roots. I would humbly suggest to grow j rs of the 
two Orchids named above that they never be subjected 
to any great heat, and b? kept during tin period 
•of their growth iu an open frame fullv exp s ed to 
both sun and rain at least during the height of the 
English summer. On the slopes of the bi Is leadiug 
to the plains numerous Orchids are found inc uding 
Dendrobium album, D. Pierardi, D. bi-.rhaulum, 
Vanda Roxburghi, Saccolabium (several species), Aerides 
crispum, and numerous others. 
In closing these a rticles I would give a word of 
warning to yourig gardeners about to go to India to 
engage iu planting. In India with care there is little 
or no datiger to be apprehended from the climate, 
and there is always the chance for a steady man 1 1 do 
well and save money. On the other band, if 
extravagance be not avoided, disappointment and ruin 
will be the inevitable result. — Planter. — Journal of 
Horticulture. 
Tea in France. — Messrs. Somerville & Co. report 
on samples of tea from Vichy and Paris : — We have 
tasted the samples and don't think much of them. 
The " pekoe " at 12 francs per lb. must be very 
good business for the retailers 1 At the same time 
the leaf is very good and nothing but " tips " with 
a pale straw colour liquor, scented, and of pleasant 
flavour, but no strength. The little parcel of 
Horniman's 2s pure black is regular packet tea 
and of fair strength in cup, but common and must 
pay them well. There is no trace of Ceylon in any 
of them and hardly any ''Indian." China sim- 
ply walka ia at present. 
