JUNE. 
141 
soaked in water like flax, to cause tlie fibre to separate from tlie stems ; but those 
being of only one season’s growth, of course contain only one layer of fibre, 
while Lime bark has more or less coatings according to the age of the tree, and 
branches from which the bark was peeled. I have sent with this paper two 
specimens of matting, one from a branch about five years old, the other from the 
trunk about fifty. The bark was peeled off in August, during very hot and dry 
weather, and soaked in water about a month before the coatings of bast could be 
separated from the outer bark. Perhaps, if the operation is performed in spring 
when the bark is more full of sap, less steeping will suffice. Lately bast mats 
have been of very inferior quality, especially for the purpose of tying-up; but 
whether this is owing to some new process of preparing the material that destroys 
the glutinous matter in the rind of which they are made, or to their being obtained 
from inferior bark, I cannot determine. Still it may be seen by the specimens 
noticed above that young bark produces the toughest matting, while that from old 
is brittle and .worthless, similar to that complained of. I have already intimated 
that the produce from old bark is far greater than that from young ; in fact, each 
contains a layer or coating of fibre, according to the years of growth, as regularly 
as the yearly rings of wood in a tree. This reminds me of the assertion that those 
rings are formed of the inner bark in question ; but, if so, some of it must be left 
behind, or how are the yearly coatings of fibre formed of which bast-mats are 
made ? J. Wighton. 
OUR MONTHLY CHRONICLE. 
European Weeds in New Zealand. —Dr. 
Hooker states in the “ Natural History Re¬ 
view,” that the Water Cress increases to such 
an extent in the rivers of New Zealand as to 
threaten to choke them up; that in the Avon, 
a deep stream running through Christchurch, 
the annual cost of keeping the river free for 
navigation is £300 ; and that the stems have 
measured as much as 12 feet long, and three 
quarters of an inch in diameter. Docks are 
to be found in every river bed, and the Sow 
Thistle has spread all over the country, up to 
an elevation of 6000 feet. 
Mr. James Yeitcu for his services to horti¬ 
culture, was, on the distribution of prizes at 
the Brussels Exhibition, created a Knight of 
the - Order of Leopold, End a similar honour 
was conferred on M. A. Verschaffelt, of Ghent. 
Edinburgh Botanic Garden. —This gar¬ 
den is about to receive an extensive addition, 
by the incorporation with it of the Experi¬ 
mental Garden adjoining it to the south. The 
Experimental Garden was established by the 
Caledonian Horticultural Society, but was as¬ 
sisted by a government grant of £200, from 
1833 to 1858. In 1857 the Society, finding 
itself in difficulties, memorialised the Board 
of Works to take the lease off their hands, 
and in 1858 these difficulties were increased 
by the withdrawal of the grant. After re¬ 
peated delays the Council of the Society have 
received an offer of £1000 from the Board for 
surrender of the lease, and for the large hall, 
winter garden, and gardener’s house, on con¬ 
dition of the Society paying the arrears of 
rent due to the office of Woods, which have 
accumulated to nearly £850. At a meeting 
of the Society, held on Thursday, it was. re¬ 
solved to accept the offer. Sir William 
Gibson Craig, who presided, expressed his 
confidence that the Board of Works would 
use the additional ground in such a way as to 
confer a great boon on horticultural science. 
The great herbarium in the Botanic Garden, 
second only to that of Kew, was almost de¬ 
stroyed for want of accommodation, but in the 
great hall of the Experimental Garden would 
be admirably exhibited for study and consul¬ 
tation. The winter garden, when filled with 
the half-hardy plants of the Botanic Garden, 
would be one of the most beautiful resorts for 
the public during the winter; and a great 
part of the new ground would be set apart as 
an arboretum, which would be of great im¬ 
portance to proprietors of land, and to the 
numerous students of botany in Edinburgh 
University, which was the greatest medical 
school of the kingdom. Although the ar¬ 
rangement was not an altogether favourable 
one for the Society, it was one which would 
be of great benefit to the public, and would 
render the Botanic Garden of Edinburgh one 
of the best-equipped establishments of the 
kind in the world. 
Gardeners’ Benevolent Institution.— 
The Bight Hon. Charles Lawson, Lord 
Provost of Edinburgh, who is to take the 
chair at the anniversary meeting on the 8th 
of July, has issued an appeal to those in¬ 
terested in gardening, to add their names to 
the subscription list of this Institution, which 
has now fifty-seven pensioners on its funds. 
At the first great show at the Regent’s Park, 
on May 21st, the two celebrated growers of 
Azaleas, Messrs. Veitch & Son, and Mr. C. 
Turner, appeared in competition, the awards 
being in favour of Messrs. Yeitch & Son. In 
both of these collections were enormous plants, 
