Am-  Jour.  Pharru. ) 
March,  1906.  J 
London  Botanic  Gardens. 
115 
ground  instead  of  being  above  the  surface,  as  is  usually  the  case  ; 
this  arrangement  presents  a  neat  appearance,  but  it  is  rather  wasteful. 
The  east  wing  of  the  Conservatory  is  partitioned  off  as  a  tropical 
house,  the  main  body  of  the  building  being  heated  to  an  inter- 
mediate temperature  (between  5o°  and  6o°  F.  in  winter).  The 
northern  portion  of  the  terrace,  situated  at  the  back  of  the  Con- 
servatory, was  converted  into  an  exhibition  ground,  new  features 
being  introduced  into  the  arrangement  of  this  also,  in  that  sloping 
grass  banks  were  substituted  for  the  conventional  tables  under  tents, 
and  the  whole  was  covered  over  with  one  spread  of  canvas.  This 
system,  however,  has  now  been  abandoned,  and  the  customary 
method  reverted  to. 
An  arboretum  was  included  in  the  original  laying  out  of  the 
gardens,  but,  owing  to  the  limited  space  available,  it  has  been 
reduced  ;  there  are,  nevertheless,  many  handsome  and  interesting 
trees,  including  some  fine  willows.  On  the  west,  a  Spring  Garden,  an 
American  Garden,  a  Rose  Garden,  an  Italian  Garden,  and  an  agri- 
cultural department  were  formed.  These  have  been  suppressed 
with  the  exception  of  the  American  Garden,  which  has  preserved 
its  initial  arrangement,  albeit  it  is  now  devoted  to  a  show  of  rhodo- 
dendrons, exhibited  during  the  spring  and  summer  months.  Imme- 
diately to  the  north  of  this  a  horticultural  ground  has  beenlaid  out 
for  the  use  of  the  students  of  the  recently  established  horticultural 
school  of  the  Society. 
The  portion  of  the  gardens  which  possesses  most  interest  for  us 
is  situated  on  the  northeast,  where  the  Economic  Department  is 
located,  and  on  the  east,  near  the  upper  end  of  the  lake,  where  the 
Herbaceous  Ground  is  to  be  found.  The  economic  section  proper, 
which  has  always  received  special  attention  at  the  hands  of  the 
Society,  consists  of  a  collection  of  trees  and  shrubs,  and  of  a  range 
of  three  lean-to  houses  maintained  at  three  different  temperatures, 
the  central  one,  or  stove,  being  heated  to  65 ° — 700  F.,  and  the  end 
ones  to  60  0 — 65  0  F.  and  45  0 — 500  F.  respectively.  The  economic 
garden  formeriy  comprised  a  central  portion  for  the  reception  of 
hardy  herbaceous  plants,  and  an  outer  portion  surrounding  it,  in 
which  economic  trees  and  shrubs  were  grown,  but  the  contents  of 
the  former  have  now  been  merged  into  the  general  herbaceous  col- 
lection. In  the  Herbaceous  Ground,  which  is  especially  rich  in 
medicinal  plants,  the  original  arrangement  of  the  plants  has  been 
