270 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. c September 22 , issi 
town, while this year he expects to follow with 250,000 more. 
The tree used for the foot hills is mainly Pinus sinensis, and Ficus 
retusa for the roads and streets. Among the latter, however, Mr. 
Ford has determined to introduce more variety, and has set out 
with others Camphora officinarum, Swietenia Mahogani, Quercus 
Harlandii, and Ailantus nobilis. He is also making free use of 
the different varieties of the Hong Kong Oak, the Tallow Tree, 
the Eucalypti, and Pinus Massoniana. 
In approaching the gardens from any direction you cannot help 
being struck with the clean solid nature of the walks over which 
the flickering shadows of the Banyan leaves are playing. They 
are of concrete, with gutters on each side, and altogether form 
kind of watercourses along which the water after a swamping 
rain runs with almost as much ease and quickness as it does off a 
duck’s back, away down into the harbour. The cleanliness and 
dryness of its roads is one of the remarkable features of Hong 
Kong. Within a quarter of an hour of a deluge ceasing you can 
walk out dry foot, and, looking up at the hills above your head, see 
little silvery streams tumbling down in all directions through the 
town, pursuing their appointed channels to the sea. It forms quite 
a strange blending of wild highland with the formal grandeur of 
urban scenery. 
Just outside the eastern gate of the gardens a road, called 
Kennedy Road branches away to the left, winding round the 
spurs of the hills at a height of some 200 feet above the harbour, 
and continuing for a distance of about two miles. It is the 
favourite promenade of the Hong Kongers, and they may be seen 
there every afternoon—ladies with their chairs, and coolies follow¬ 
ing them ; and gentlemen without these walking and talking, or 
else sitting enjoying the contemplation of the hospital three- 
deckers, the turret ships, the ironclads, the great ocean-going 
steamers, and the swarm of ships and junks, sampans, and rowing 
boats below. 
The gardens are not so remarkable for their size as they are for 
their neatness and finish, and for the fact that they exist at all. 
On looking up from the harbour below, it seems hardly credible 
that there should be so much space devoted to ornamental grounds 
and winding promenades as there is both in and around Govern¬ 
ment House and the gardens above it. Altogether the ornamental 
grounds do not exceed twenty-four acres, some six of which lie 
around Government House. The remainder is divided into two 
portions, the larger being situated almost directly over Govern¬ 
ment House, and the other lying away a little to the west with 
the road to the Peak between. This latter is known as the Palm 
Garden, and differs from the eastern portion in being smaller and 
occupying one level. In it are planted varieties of the Aralia, 
Coffsa, Canna, Cycas, Calamus, Cocos, Areca, Seaforthia, and 
Phoenix, which, though many of them are still young, form as a 
whole a very pleasing, secluded, and romantic resort. This is 
particularly the case at the western corner, where there is an 
outlet by a balustraded path which debouches upon the ascent 
leading from the Caine Road to the highest residential road in 
Victoria, known as the Robinson Road. From the middle of this 
path you look down upon a mountain torrent’s rocky bed spanned 
by a stone bridge, under which after rain the water will be foam¬ 
ing, while around you, behind, before, and to the left, are moss- 
encrusted rocks peeping through a curtain of dripping drooping 
foliage. Here you may sit so as to obtain a view into the Palm 
Garden, and there, in contemplation of that vista and lulled by 
the sound of rushing and dropping water, you may fancy yourself 
in that Elysium land so faintly foreshadowed by Lalla Rookh and 
the Koran. 
The main portion of the Gardens is arranged in terraces with 
a broad walk running down the middle of them, from which 
smaller ones strike off in every direction. Conspicuous round its 
outskirts are specimens of Cryptomeria japonica, Araucaria excelsa, 
Cupressus Lawsoniana, Oaks, and Banyans. Here and there a 
somewhat indifferent-looking Musa rears its head, with Thujas 
and an occasional Magnolia. The flower beds are very neatly 
arranged in the ordinary ribbon-border style of gardening, the 
stock materials being apparently much the same as those employed 
at home. In one particular spot are confined some kangaroos, 
emus, and water birds, all of which afford considerable amusement 
to the wondering crowd of blue-robed pig-tailed Chinese and to 
the members of the convention of European children, who, with 
their ugly Chinese “amahs” or nurses, congregate here every 
afternoon when the intense heat and glare of the day have begun 
to decline. On Sundays the company of visitors is augmented by 
the presence of members of the Eurasian (or half-breed) jcvnesse 
doree. These combine as a rule much of the large frame, aquiline 
features, and independent bearing of their European fathers with 
the soft, suave, inscrutable impassiven ess of their Chinese mothers. 
Many of them have quite an elegant bearing, and in their long 
white tunics falling far below the knees have often a not unstriking 
resemblance to Roman youths.—A Wanderer. 
(To be continued.) 
FRUIT NOTES. 
The fruit crop here is better than it was in the two preceding 
years. The supply of Apples is good. Most of the orchard as well 
as bush and pyramid-pruned trees have borne fruit abundantly. 
One of the best of Apples, Ribston Pippin, is bearing well, and an 
orchard tree of the Golden Pippin has a good crop of fruit. 
Wellington, Beauty of Kent, Cox’s Orange Pippin, Norfolk Beefing, 
Striped Beefing, Dutch Codlin, Keswick Codlin, Alfnston, Hol¬ 
land Pippin, Lord Sufifield, Hawthornden, King of the Pippins, 
Leydon Pippin, Nonsuch, Nonpareil, and Baldwin have all full 
crops. This last-named Apple has excellent keeping qualities, 
and it also forms plenty of fruit spurs. A large handsome culi¬ 
nary Apple not generally known is Pott’s Seedling. This year it 
is particularly fine. A trained pyramid, 8 feet in height and 
the same in diameter at its base, is bearing a fine crop of large 
Apples. It is a vigorous grower, and is worth a trial. 
The following Pears have full crops, the first to ripen being 
Doyenne d’Et6, an excellent little Pear, and in season about three 
weeks if two gatherings are made. Then followed the Lammas, 
a medium-sized Pear, ripening about mid-August, but in quality 
it is not good. Jargonelle, ripening about the same time on a 
south wall, was of superior flavour. The next to ripen was 
Beurr4 Giffard, a small but delicious Pear. Williams’ Bon 
Chretien followed, and has fruited well, particularly against a 
south aspect. It, however, makes a good orchard tree, and, as is 
generally known, it is one of the best Pears in its season. Other 
varieties that have good crops are Louise Bonne of Jei’sey, Passe 
Colmar, Duchesse d’Angouleme, Beurr6 Bo3c, Autumn Berga¬ 
mot, which makes a good orchard tree, and ripens in favourable 
seasons in October, Crasanne, Marie Louise, Beurre Diel, Beurre 
Ranee, very full, Easter Beurr6, and Catillac, the last-named being 
an excellent baking variety. 
Plums are a very partial crop ; Jefferson’s, Kirke’s, Green Gage, 
Pond’s SeedliDg, Blue Imp^ratrice, Coe’s Golden Drop, Magnum 
Bonum, Yellow Orleans, Victoria, and Early Prolific being repre¬ 
sented by few fruits, but Blue Orleans, Reine Claude Violette, and 
Washington are very full and heavy. The Prune Damson is also 
good, and should be more grown than it is. The fruit is longer 
and a different shape from the ordinary round Damson. It is 
also more constant in bearing. 
Bush fruits of all kinds have been good, Strawberries and 
Raspberries plentiful, and Nut trees are bearing well. Cherries 
have not been good, except the Morello, and that has borne 
heavily. Apricots have been a fair average, the large Early Peach, 
Roman, and Moor Park beiDg good. Breda had a good crop, but 
the fruit is so small that it is hardly worth growing. Peaches and 
Nectarines have a very fair crop, but the severe winters and cold 
springs of the last few years, together with the wet dull summers, 
have so crippled the trees that a large crop cannot be expected, 
and the damp sunless weather of the last few weeks is not 
favourable for their ripening, the flavour being deficient. The 
soil all the above are growing in is a deep loam resting on 
gravel.—A. Harding, Orton Hall. 
THE ARRANGEMENT OF CUT FLOWERS. 
{Continued from page 23S.) 
In all large establishments where floral decoration is valued 
there should be a “ flower room ” especially devoted to the work. 
It should contain a table close to the window, another large table 
or two, a sink with a water tap, a large lofty cupboard with 
plenty of broad shelves, and a broad shelf or two along any con¬ 
venient part of the walls. The window table should have a 
drawer for scissors, knives, wire, string, dusters, cotton wool, a 
packet of gum arabic, and a bundle of flower sticks. Some white 
sand, charcoal, and moss should also be kept in boxes under one 
of the tables, care being taken to pass the sand through a fine 
sieve before it is put in the box, and there should be a large iron 
spoon for placing the sand into the flower stands. A small piece 
of charcoal is placed in every vase, to keep the water sweet. A 
single drop of gum dissolved in water and allowed to fall care¬ 
fully in the centre of a flower prevents its shedding its petals ; it 
is not often that this has to be done, but it is worth knowing 
when flowers become scarce. A set of water jugs, a very small 
waterpot with a finely perforated rose for moistening sand, a 
sponge and set of brushes for cleaning vases, and a clock, renders 
our list of the flower-room furniture complete. 
Flower stands, vases, and china flower pots are kept in the 
