388 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Mav, 1898. 
Popular Botany. 
OUR BOTANIC GARDENS. 
No. 5. 
By PHILIP MAC MAHON, 
Curator. 
In our last ramble we spoke, if you remember, of Palms, and we adjourned 
our chat as we stood amongst the groups of these beautiful plants, situate at 
the point marked L. 10 on your maps. 
This is the time of year when the owner of a garden bethinks himself of 
getting seeds, or seedlings, and of making his or her garden gay with 
“English” flowers: the dainty Pansy, the bright Poppy—which takes back 
the mind of the wanderer to the cornfields of “ Life’s morning march, when 
his bosom wes young”—the fragrant Mignonette, and the blue timid-looking 
Forget-me-not, and many strange exotic flowers which bloom so profusely in 
this land of sunshine. 
Gardening in Queensland is a pleasure during the winter months. The 
tropical growth of weeds which serves to discourage the amateur during 
the summer has ceased, and given him a little breathing time. : 
The rich man employs his gardeners to minister to his delight by bringing 
together what,is beautiful in the vegetable world so far as he is able, planting 
them in his gardens, and putting a ring fence around them. Our Botanic 
Gardens may be called the poor man’s garden. ‘Time was when the enjoyment 
of beauty was confined to the rich, but now it is in an almost unlimited degree 
the inheritance of every man and woman who knows how to appreciate the 
wondrous beauties of Nature and Art. Governments have found that men 
are better, nobler, purer, and braver for gardens and galleries, flowers, statuary, 
and pictures; and in the present year freeholds are being purchased in London, 
far more valuable for business purposes than any in Queen street, for the single 
purpose of being laid down in flower beds. Every day you meet the man who 
is SO anxious to convince everyone that he is “ practical ’’—that he cannot see 
a lovely tree or flower without asking, ‘What is it good for?’ Well, like 
everything else which has proceeded from the Almighty Hand—like man 
himself—it is good to look at. 
The people of Queensland pay each the sum of one penny annually to 
maintain their chief Botanic Gardens. The sum does not seem a ver 
exorbitant one. They pay much more in every other country of which the 
statistics happen to be available. These Gardens have been instrumental in 
bringing beauty to the doors of many thousands residing in all parts of the 
country. ‘There is a continual drain upon them to. supply other gardens and 
public institutions in every town in Queensland with ornamental and useful 
plants; and we will chat to-day about one of the departments devoted to the 
propagation of plants both for our own use and for distribution—a work 
which is not seen by the public—and as we go we shall see what are the 
methods adopted, and perhaps learn something useful to us at this time of 
preparation and planting. 
ee 
