HOLLY WALK AND PAGODA VISTA 181 
“ Canal 
Beds.” 
Cherries, 
etc. 
House. If this house be skirted on the east side, the collection of 
laurels (“ common ” and “ Portugal ”) may be inspected. 
At the north end of the Temperate House, filling the space between 
it and King William’s Temple, are ten long narrow beds. At Kew 
they are unofficially known as the “ Canal Beds.” As 
a feature of the landscape they are not attractive, but 
they afford very useful accommodation for a numerous 
and interesting collection of beautiful shrubs. The groups to which 
many of these shrubs belong are too small to occupy any separately 
defined area. Many genera, in fact, as represented here, have but 
one or two species ; they are consequently grown in these beds, and 
arranged as nearly as possible according to their botanical relationship. 
Of the more extensive ones, the most important is the genus 
Prunus, which is noteworthy as supplying pleasure-grounds with a 
great many beautiful trees and shrubs, and fruit gardens 
with their most valuable fruits. Here may be seen the wild 
types from which centuries of gardening skill have evolved 
the plums, cherries, apricots, etc., of to-day. They give an interest- 
ing object-lesson in what cultivation and selection by man will accom- 
plish as compared with natural selection. It is a considerable gulf 
that separates Coe’s Golden Drop plum from the sour harsh fruit 
of its parents, the wild Prunus communis and its allies, as they are 
growing here. A remarkable tree is Prunus serrulata, one of the 
Japanese cherries, of which there is a fine specimen at Kew. This 
tree grows but little in height, sending forth instead long, horizontal 
branches stretching far out on every side. These, when laden with 
white or slightly pink blossom, as they always are at the end of April, 
have a singular, beautiful, and peculiarly Japanese appearance. The 
Mahaleb cherry is another beautiful and graceful tree, of which several 
varieties may be seen. This collection of Prunus should be visited 
several times during April and May by those interested in hardy trees 
and shrubs, for every really hardy species is represented. 
Traversing these beds, the visitor will find many other attractive 
things. The Viburnums, Diervillas, Forsythias, jasmines, all well 
known and popular shrubs ; a collection of the true Syringas, 
or wild lilacs ; the Halesias, or snowdrop-trees ; the Elseag- 
nuses ; the sea-buckthorn (Hippophas), laden with orange- 
coloured berries in autumn ; the Buddleias ; various members of the 
fragrant family of labiates, such as rosemary, lavender, and sage ; 
Jasmines, 
etc. 
