78 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
April 9?). 
i with a light purplish-blue edge; but they changed the 
I botany of the flower ; instead of being a composite, they 
I actually made it to belong to a widely different order— 
| that of the old Rotates, where every petal slips in its 
edges behind the next to it all round, making a perfect 
circle at last. This was in a collection of six kinds from 
Mr. Turner, of Slough, who will turn botany itself, 
rather than lose a circular flower. The next Cineraria 
was Charles Napier, as good a blue as ever spun a 
yarn; Mrs. Beecher Stowe, purple and white; Emperor 
of the French, crimson, with a small white ring round 
the eye; Rose of England, large white, with rosy-crimson 
edge; and Scottish Chieftain, without mentioning the 
clan or colour. These were magnificently grown and 
bloomed; and a second collection from Mr. Turner, in 
another part of the room, were equally well done; blit 
the kinds were not so good. 
Messrs. Dobson and Sou put up another collection, 
which was next to Sebastopoling that from Slough, and 
mostly of their own seedlings, as Dobson’s Attraction, 
purplish crimson; Exquisite, white and purple; Kate 
Kearney, nearly all white; Prince of Blues, purple and 
white; and Lady Camoys, dressed in white and blue. 
One in Mr. Turner’s second bests, called Magnum 
Bonum, was the best non-florist flower among them all; 
a regular plenipotentiary for the front stage of a show- 
house. 
There was a collection of twenty-four cut Pansies from 
the Messrs. Dobson ; and there was a very curious plant, 
called Monnina obtusifolia, from the garden of the Society, 
with “knots” of dark blue, Polygala-like blossoms at 
the tops of the branches. The flower with a small 
yellow eye, and the plant looking like some Daphne. 
Fruit. —The best Pine-apple was from Mr. Jones, 
gardener to Lady Charlotte Schrieber; the best Blaclt 
Hamburgh Grapes were from Mr. Drummond, gardener 
to S. L. Stevens, Esq., Itoehampton ; he had, also, the 
best Straivberries; and Her Majesty carried the palm 
with dessert Pears; twelve specimens of Beurre Ranee. 
D. Beaton. 
Ivew Gardens. —Sir J. W. Hooker’s report on ICew 
Gardens, inserted in the body of the Civil Service 
estimates, is always interesting, and just now, consider¬ 
ing the attempts to shut up the gardens on Sundays 
worthy of especial notice. Sir James shows that the 
object of Her Majesty’s Commission, to make these 
beautiful gardens and grounds a place of healthful 
recreation, has been attained beyond the expectations 
of the most sanguine. The number of visitors last 
year (1855) amounted to 318,818, against 339,101 in 
1854, and with this exception (accounted for by the 
wretched weather which prevailed last spring and in the 
early months of last summer), the increase of visitors 
has been regular and progressive. From January to 
July the number was less by 41,844 than in the corres¬ 
ponding months of 1854 ; but in August and September 
the number in 1855 was 13,279 in excess over the same 
months in 1854, notwithstanding the attraction of the 
Paris Exhibition. The general conduct of visitors (the 
number sometimes amounting to 12,000 in one day), 
and especially that of the middle and lower classes, is 
still reported by Sir J. Hooker as most praiseworthy ; 
and it is intimated that the grosser acts of misconduct, 
rudeness, pilfering, &c., are committed by “ people ap¬ 
parently of better education and of a higher grade.” 
Last year and during the latter part of 1854 the great 
benefit was conferred on the public of keeping the 
botanical gardens open on Sunday afternoons until 
sunset in summer as well as in winter (the old hour was 
0 o’clock, p.m.), and “ the privilege has not been abused.” 
The cultivation of botany as a science—no longer a dry 
study—is much encouraged by the facilities afforded in 
Kew Gardens, and no better proof can bo given of the 
growing popularity of the science than the rapid sale of j 
a cheap and very excellent Illustrated Guide, which has \ 
gone through 13 editions in the space of eight years, j 
The plan of affixing to the plants the names, both j 
vernacular and scientific, of the more useful kinds is i 
adopted with much benefit. Many useful and orna¬ 
mental plants (too numerous to specify) were added last 
year. The great event of the year was the erection of 
a new house for succulent plants, 200 feet by 30 feet, 
and J 5 feet high, which has enabled Sir J. Hooker to 
display to advantage (and for the first time) his noble 
collection of medicinal aloes and euphorbias, grotesque 
cacti, and fibre-bearing agaves, perfect unique of its 
kind. The recently-formed Arboretum, or collection of 
hardy trees and shrubs, in the pleasure-grounds, has 
received considerable accessions from temperate climes, 
and a new nursery has been established for the rearing 
of trees to adorn the London parks. The hothouses 
and greenhouses are well stored with rare and useful 
plants; the palm stove was never more beautiful than 
now, and the growth of some of the trees and shrubs 
has been so rapid as to necessitate their removal from 
the tubs. The ferneries are singularly attractive. The 
“ Amherstia nobilis,” presented in 1851 by Mrs. 
Lawrence, was (Dec. 31) producing its flowers in great 
beauty; and the curious lattice leaf (“Ouviraudra 
Fenestralis”), from Madagascar, and the remarkable 
rice paper plant of Formosa (from Sir J. Bowring) are 
also noticed in terms of admiration. The new museum 
of economic botany, destined to give further accom¬ 
modation to the extent of 13,000 square feet of mural 
glazed cabinets, was in rapid progress at the date of the 
report, and several valuable acquisitions of vegetable 
products were made last year at the French Exhibition. 
“ To say that this collection of vegetable products is 
unrivalled,” observes Sir J. Hooker, “ is to say little.” 
The herbaria and libraries are still reported as most 
useful adjuncts to the gardens, of which they constitute 
a novel but highly important department. Sir J. Hooker 
regrets that the numerous conifers and the trees and 
shrubs from Australia and New Zealand, South Africa, 
and Mexico are not better provided for, as many of 
them are suffering, beyond recovery, from the want of 
suitable winter shelter. Sir James strongly urges the 
imperative necessity of erecting a greenhouse adapted 
for conifers, if a remnant of these splendid specimens 
is to be saved. The following were the sums expended 
last year upon Kew Gardens, and other public gardens 
and parks - —St. James’s, the Green, and Hyde Parks 
25,0317., Kensington Gardens 2,7107., Chelsea Flospital 
grounds 750 1., the Regent’s Park 0,0017., Victoria Park 
-4,8007., Greenwich Park 2,2877., and the Royal botanical 
and pleasure gardens at Kew 19,0787. To Richmond 
Park is assigned a sum of 4,0227. (exclusive of the 
Ranger’s department), to Bushy Park 3,1317., to 
Hampton-court Park and Gardens 3,0517, to Holyrood 
Park 4,2287, to the Phcenix Park 4,5707., and to 
Kenuington Park 1,5737, 
PLANTS THAT MAY BE IN BLOOM IN 
APRIL. 
STOVE PLANTS. 
Allamnnda neriifolia; Alpiuia, most of the genus ; 
Aphelandra aurantiaca; Ardisia crenulata; Begonia as 
last month, and more of them; Ccntradenia rosea; ; 
Burchellia capensis; Cactus Ackermanii, Jenkensonii, ! 
flagellifortnis, &c.; Combretum purpureum; Fanciscea 
as last mouth from succession plants; Gardenia of 
various species; Gesnera elongate; Hippeastrum auli- 
cum, and other species and varieties of the Amaryllid 
