570 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
May 9, 1891. 
R. Fosteriana has large blooms 6 ins. across, of the 
purest white, and most fragrant. This is the gem of 
them all. 
R. fragrantissima, flowers of large size, pure white, 
lightly spotted with ochre on the upper segments, the 
back of the flower pencilled and shaded with rose. As 
its name implies, this is very fragrant, 
R. Lady Alice Fitzwilliam has clusters of white 
blooms, each from 3| ins. to 4£- ins. across. 
R. suave is pure white, and very sweet. 
R. Princess Alice is a neat, dwarf, bushy-growing 
variety, producing deliciously-scented bell-shaped white 
flowers, flushed with pink. 
R. Edgworthii is free flowering, with large, pure 
white, cup-shaped, fragrant blooms. 
R. Countess of Haddington has large, blush-white, 
trumpet-shaped blooms ; there are several shades in 
this variety. 
R. sesteriana, R. calophyllum, R. albescens, R. 
ciliatum, R. Veitchianum and its varieties, and R. 
McNabiana, are all well adapted for this purpose. R. 
argentea and also R. Aucklandii have grand trusses, 
but the leaves are too large for general use. 
The small or warm house section are charming 
things. They give nearly every shade of colour, and 
may be termed perpetual bloomers. For large conser¬ 
vatories and winter gardens there is nothing to equal 
them either as specimen plants or for covering walls, 
columns, pillars, &c. I have just counted about 140 
russes upon one plant on a column.— A. Evans, Lythe 
Hill, Haslemere. 
[We can hardly say too much in testimony of the 
cultural treatment accorded by Mr. Evans to his 
favourites, when we judge of it by the results obtained. 
Some of the individual blooms are of enormous size, 
and when two or three occur in a truss the effect cannot 
be otherwise than conspicuous and gorgeous. The 
foliage of the sprays or shoots sent us was also healthy, 
clean, and of a rich, dark green, shining hue in some 
cases, while others were of various shades. The under 
surface sometimes showed a marked difference as in R. 
Edgeworthii, which is densely covered with a rusty 
tomentum, while that of R. Yeitchii was of a markedly 
glaucous tint, freckled all over with rusty dots. These 
various hues of the foliage might often be used to 
furnish variety with the flowers by occasionally showing 
the under-surface. Some flowers sent us were in all cases 
white, except Countess of Haddington, tinted with 
pink. Here also the flowers were strikingly different 
in shape from the others, being something between 
tubular and funnel-shaped, and about 3§ ins. long. 
All the others were widely bell-shaped, open, and 
spotless save for the anthers, which were sometimes 
brown or orange. Those of 8. Fosteriana measured 
5 ins. across without flattening, and had a yellow tinge 
at the base of the upper segment. Fragrance is another 
point which we cannot pass over ; this, however, varies 
somewhat according to the stage of development, for 
R. Edgeworthii is powerfully but agreeably odoriferous 
just when it attains full development. A series of 
hybrids, some of which show evident affinity with the 
last-named species, retain their fragrance for a consider¬ 
able time. This was markedly so in the case of 
Fragrantissima, which reminded us of some old- 
fashioned garden Roses. Lady Alice Fitzwilliam is a 
purer white variety, somewhat less strongly scented ; 
and Sesteriana is another of the same type with scented 
flowers, having a large yellow blotch at the base of the 
upper segment. Albescens and R. ciliatum were also 
conspicuous for the size of their flowers. We agree 
with our correspondent that these kingly-looking 
flowers are well suited for decorative purposes ; but 
one fault is that they do not carry well for long 
distances. AVe could hardly expect them to be other¬ 
wise on account of the huge size of the blooms.— Ed.]. 
-- 
THE BOTANICAL GARDENS OF 
BUITENZORG-. 
Among the twenty or thirty tropical gardens established 
in the colonial possessions of various European Powers, 
three stand pre-eminent—those of Calcutta, the Pera- 
denia Gardens in Ceylon, and the Dutch Gardens at 
Buitenzorg, in Java. It is only natural that a people 
so distinguished for horticulture as the Dutch should 
have turned to account the floral wealth of the Malay 
Archipelago, perhaps the richest botanical hunting 
ground in the world. The Buitenzorg Gardens, how¬ 
ever, owe their present celebrity more to individual 
energy than to Government patronage. Originally 
established in 1819, in a corner of the park surrounding 
the summer residence of the Governor-General, the 
exigencies of the colonial finance subsequently required 
the withdrawal of the original endowment, and only a 
sum sufficient to provide for a single European gardener 
was left. The salary of this single official was taken 
from the funds appropriated to the maintenance of the 
park. It was to this post that J. E. Teysmann was 
appointed in 1830. Educated at one of the primary 
schools in Holland, and originally employed as an under¬ 
gardener, he had in that capacity accompanied a former 
governor to Java. Like our own Moffat (also an under¬ 
gardener), Teysmann rose by his energy and devotion 
to “great honour,” and half a century later received 
a remarkable proof of the esteem in which he was held 
in the scientific world, consisting of an album, within 
which was inscribed the signatures of the donors—100 
famous naturalists, ranging from Darwin to Candolle, 
the Genevan. During the period that the gardens 
practically ceased to have an independent existence— 
18-30-1S68—Teysmann continued to search throughout 
the islands of the Archipelago for rare and undiscovered 
plants, with which to enrich them. He also published 
catalogues embodying the discoveries he had made, and 
finally arranged the plants and trees upon an excellent 
system, by which they are grouped according to their 
natural relationships. In 1S68 the gardens once more 
became a public institution, with a curator and a 
recognised revenue. The new curator was Dr. Scheffer, 
of Utrecht, who, in 1876, founded, in addition to the 
Botanipal Gardens, a School of Agriculture, with a 
garden attached to it. This useful institution was 
suppressed subsequently by the Government, but the 
garden still survives alongside its parent at Buitenzorg. 
Dr. Scheffer died in 1880, when only thirty-six years of 
age, andwas succeeded by the present curator, Dr. Trent. 
The site chosen is one usually favourable for the pur¬ 
poses of botanical science. The town of Buitenzorg is 
situated some thirty miles south of Batavia, the capital 
of Java, and of the Dutch possessions in the East, in 
latitude 6° south of the equator. Although the place 
itself is only 700 ft. above the sea level its temperature 
and rainfall are favourably affected by the immediate 
neighbourhood of lofty mountains—Salate, Gedch, and 
Pangerango—consequently it enjoys an average tem¬ 
perature in mid-day of not more than 82° Fahrenheit, 
with a maximum of 88° in the dry season. Also, 
while there is an average of five months’ dry weather 
in Java, and three months even in Batavia, three weeks 
without rain in Buitenzorg is considered an excessive 
drought. These frequent and abundant rains, by 
reducing the temperature, render the growth ofnumerous 
delicate plants possible, and at the same time keep the 
foliage generally fresh and luxuriant. But the natural 
advantages of the Buitenzorg Gardens do not end here ; 
it is not merely that they afford the finest spectacle of 
natural foliage in the world, but the traveller will find 
an attraction scarcely less strong in the views of 
tropical landscape, and especially of the two giant 
mountains, Salate and Gedch, which may be enjoyed 
from their terraces and pathways. 
To-day the institution is in high favour with the 
authorities, and in addition to the Botanical Gardens 
the Government support a Horticultural Garden and a 
Mountain Garden. Of these the latter is placed on the 
slopes of Mount Gedch, where at an altitude of between 
4,000 ft. and 5,000 ft. it is found possible to grow all 
the European flowers and others from Japan and 
Australia. In cultivating the fruits of such countries, 
however, great difficulty is experienced owing to the 
fact that it is impossible to secure the necessary period 
of rest in this tropical climate. The Horticultural 
Garden adjoins the Botanical Garden, and is devoted 
to ends which are exclusively practical. Within its 
trim beds are contained tea and coffeg plants, sugar¬ 
cane, caoutchouc, and gutta-percha trees, Erythroxylon 
cola for cocaine, and trees producing tannin and oils. 
Yarious medicinal plants are found here, and such as 
afford nourishment to cattle. This is an important 
department, and has contributed greatly to the success 
of the institution, since from this source the Govern¬ 
ment have for some time been able to distribute 
gratuitously the seeds and plants required for various 
colonial enterprises. 
The Botanical Gardens with which we are chiefly 
concerned occupy ninety acres of the southern corner 
of the park, which itself forms their northern limit. 
On the east they are bounded by the river Tjiliwong, 
and west and south by the high road from Batavia. 
In the centre is a small lake, which affords some pretty 
views of the southern front of the palace, and, dividing 
the gardens east and west, there runs a magnificent 
avenue of Canarium commune ( Alice dcs Kararies), the 
boughs of which form an arched roof 100 ft. from the 
ground. Leading right and left from this main avenue 
run other smaller avenues, roads, and paths, conducting 
to the different plots in which the various families of 
plants are contained. Some of these paths, especially 
those leading to the lower level by the river bank, are 
paved with pebbles after the manner of the cobbled 
streets of English villages. To this Mr. Wallace, in 
his Malay Archipelago, takes exception on the 
ground of discomfort ; but I was assured that they are 
a necessary evil, and that the heavy rains made it 
impossible to use any but the very finest kind of path¬ 
way. At either end of the avenue there are lodges, 
but no gates, for the gardens are open day and night, 
as is usual in Java ; but in this case additional security 
is guaranteed by the presence of the Governor-General 
and his military staff. Indeed, the former personage 
may be seen driving down this avenue in his coach and 
four on most days in the hot season. 
As Dr. Trent had kindly offered to act as my guide, 
I found my way one morning to the curator’s residence, 
which stands close by the southern entrance, at the 
early hour of half-past seven, and he was waiting for 
me in a little room elegantly hung with French 
engravings—copies of the Salon pictures—and opening 
into the deep verandah. After a few moments’ 
conversation we left the house and passed down the 
avenue. Some 100 yards onward, to the left, there is 
a stone memorial interesting to Englishmen. It bears 
the inscription “Sacred to the memory of Olivia 
Marianne, wife of Thomas Stamford Raffles, Lieutenant- 
Governor of Java and its dependencies, who died 
at Buitenzorg, on the 26th November, 1814.” Sir 
Stamford Raffles was the English Governor of Java at 
the time of the cession of the island to the Dutch, and 
is remarkable for an act of foresight which deserves to 
rank high among the achievements of Imperial states¬ 
manship. R ecognising the importance of the commercial 
centre which England was surrendering to Batavia, he 
founded, on the opposite side of the Straits of Malacca, 
a rival settlement—Singapore, which has now far out¬ 
stripped the older town in shipping, commerce, and 
even in population. In the centre of the great esplanade 
at Singapore there is a handsome statue raised to his 
memory ; but of him, as of the great architect, it 
may be said, si monurnentuin queeris, circumspice —in his 
case, not upon the marble pillars and decorated dome 
of the city cathedral, but upon broad streets, splendid 
buildings, and miles of shipping. The site of lady 
Raffles’ monument is scarcely less interesting, and its 
repair and preservation is specially secured by a clause 
in the treaty of cession. I think it was just by this 
monument that Dr. Trent turned away from the avenue, 
and, taking one of the paths leading to the right, led 
me forward to the river. I had asked him if he would 
point out any trees specially noticeable, and he had 
very readily acceded to my request. After we had 
walked a few minutes, he said, “I am in a difficulty ; 
I do not know what to show you. We have some 
most curious plants in the garden, but there is nothing 
remarkable about them externally. I suppose you 
want something with a cachet for the public 1 ” 
I replied that he was quite right; I wanted some¬ 
thing interesting from a picturesque point of view. 
“There,” he said, pointing to a tall tree with a 
growth and foliage of no distinct character, “is a 
strychnine tree. From the berries of that tree we get 
nux vomica, but if you described that they would say, 
‘ why, it is an Apple tree ; it is not worth going to the 
tropics to to see that.’ ” 
We had almost reached the banks of the Tjiliwong 
when, turning to the right, where the family of 
Pandanads grev —“ There,” he said, “ is a tree with 
aerial roots. It comes from the Nicobar Islands, just 
north-west of Sumatra. I think it is about 23 ft. in 
height. No, the roots do not contribute to its nourish¬ 
ment ; they are useless, but very curious.” 
From the Pandanads we passed to the Palms. First, 
Dr. Trent showed me a specimen of comparatively low 
growth, with its leaves springing from the ground like 
those of a giant Primrose, the Lodoicea sechellarum. It 
bore, he told me, the largest fruit and the largest 
leaves of any known tree, the former being 2 ft., and 
the latter 10 ins. in diameter. ‘ ; Unfortunately, there 
is no fruit on it,” he continued, “but you can see that 
in any museum. You see the stems of the leaves are as 
hard as iron,” and, indeed, they gave quite a metallic 
ring as he drove the ferrule of his walking-stick against 
them. In his account of his visit to these gardens Mr. 
Forbes tells how he passed down through “plots of 
Amaryllidete and other water-loving plants,” and 
describes the “long, bright scarlet leaf sheaths and 
flower-spatties” and “the red fruit and deep yellow 
