932. In the island o f Grenada tlicrc arc an agi-icnltural society, the Cariacon Tree-
planting Society, and a cemetery, occupying a hill, and containing many handsome tombstones
among wild bushes aud slu’ubs. (Bayley’s Four Years' licsidence in the West
Indies, p. 510.)
S e c t . V III. Gardening in Australia.
933. The gardening o f Australia, like that of every other newly colonised country,
will depend jointly on tiie gardening knowledge of the settlers, and on the capabilities
of tlie climate. The climate of Australia includes all the desirable climates of the world,
from that of V an Diemen’s Land, which resembles tho climate of the south of England,
to that of Sydney, wliich admits of the culture of tropical fruits in tlic open air. The
botanical riches of Australia, and the singular aspect of its native plants, arc well known.
I t has few, indeed scarcely any, native fru its ; but it admits of the gi-owth of all the
fraits cultivated in the open air in Europe, and these have already been introdueccl and
disseminated ; while, iu the botanic garden at Sydney, the pine-apple, the sugar-cane,
the bread-fruit, and the banana, may be seen in the open garden, protected, during six
weeks or tivo months, by a covering of glass, but witliout flues.
934. New Holland scenery. “ The extreme uniformity of the vegetation is the most
remarkable feature in the landsca]ie of the greater part of New South Wales. Every
where wc have an open woodland, the ground hcilig partially covered with a very thin
pasture ivith little appearance of verdure. The trees nearly all belong to one family,
and mostly have thcir leaves placed iu a vertical, instead of, as in Europe, in a nearly
horizontal position ; the foliage is scanty, and of a peculiar pale bluish gi-ccn tint, witii-
out any gloss. Hence the wood appears light and sliadowlcss; this, although a loss of
comfort to the traveller under the scorching rays of the summer, is of importance to the
farmer, as it allows grass to grow where it otherwise would not. The leaves arc not shed
periodically; this character appears common to the entire southern hcmisiilicrc, viz.
Soiitli America, Australia, and the Cape of Good Hope. The inhabitants of this hemisphere,
and of the intertroiiical regions, thus lose perhaps one of tho most glorious,
though to our eyes common, spectacles in tlic world— the lirst bursting into full foliage
of the leafless tree.” (Darwin's Journal o f a Voyage round the World, as quoted in the
Gardeners’ Chronicle fo r 1845, p. G75.)
935. Sydney. As this is generally considered the principal town in Australia, it is
natural that horticulture should be more attended to in its neighbourhood than in the
neighbourhood of any of the new settlements ; and, consequently, almost all the trees
and shrubs that have been introduced into Australia Irom Europe, have been lirst planted
in the S}'dncy Botanic Garden. As a curious proof of the excellence of the climate,
and its capability of growing tlie plants of almost every country, Mr. Fraser, the curator
of the botanic garden at Sydney in 1828, states, in a paper published by him in the
Gardeiuir's Magazine for 1829, that in an exposed part of the garden, the lollowing
trees might then be seen growing luxuriantly in a dense thicket formed liy themselves :
the English ash, elm, lime, and sycamore ; tho mossy-cuppcd and English oak ; Ery-
thrina Corallodéndrum, in full flower, Boinbax heptajihylluni, Ricus elástica, Gymnócladiis
canadensis, Téctona grándis, the tea, the olive, and many other plants. In 1832, tlie
prosperity of the colony was very much increased in coiiscipience of all the new grants of
laud being paid for, instead of being given away as formerly; and thus the settlers
were not only concentrated, but as each person had a smaller quantity of land it was
better cultivated. Another circumstance which lias done mueli to increase the horticultural
prosperity of Sydney is, tho success which has attended planting vines and making
ivino. The Australian wine is light, resembling santcriie ; and the vines grow and produce
so abundantly, that an amazing quantity of wine is produced from a eomjiaratively
small tract of land. Landscape-gardening in Australia is as yet in its infancy; but in tlie
neighbourhood of Sydney it has made more progress than in any other part of the
colony ; and the following two scats will serve as examples of wliat has been done.
Elixabe th B a y , the seat.of M r. M'Leay, is situated within the town boundary of Sydney, in a dcligiitful
situation, bounded on the north by the river and harbour of F o rt Jackson. Ou one side is a circular bay
half a mile in extent, lying between promontories of considerable elevation. Between these promontories
the ground sweeps round by a gradual descent into a low and fertile flat of about ten acres, whicii has been
cleared from the natural wood. Tho outline of this ground is also circular, terminating in an abrupt slope,
beautifully furnished with rocks, trees, and bushes, so as to form a splendid amphitheatre. A range of luxuriant
woods and precipitous rocks follows the boundary of the river on the n o rth ; and a similar range of
woods and rocks extends from the other promontory for half a mile by the side of the water of another
large bay, ending in a flat of several acres. It wil! thus be seen that the site of the estate possesess every
possible advantagcof wood and water aud hill and dale, and that it only required a skilful hand to display
these natural beauties to the best advantage. The first thing that Mr.MT.caydid was to prevent too indiscriminate
a clearing of the natural woods. “ From the first commencement he never sulfered a tree of
any kind to be destroyed until he saw distinctly the necessity for doing so.” lie thus prevented his i)lace
having that bare and naked appearance th a t villas generally liavc when lirst laid o u t ; and he arranged the
planting of his foreign trees in such a manner as to harmonise them with the native ones. The mansion
is placed on a flat piece of land, with a gentle elevation rising behind, and with beautiful trees on
each side, which form thick masses to the right and left. A splendid open lawn is placed in the main
centre front of tho house, leaving to view from the adjoining grounds and windows one of the most
interesting views of the harbour and shores of P o rt Jackson. At the extremity of the shrubbery and
lawn, walks commence which wind through thickets of trees, naturally groiqied among picturcsnue
rocks ; and from which the stranger may descend to a carriage road leading to the river. Grossing the
road you enter a latticc-work border, covered witb passion-flowers, into the botanic garden. A littlo
farther is the kitchcn-gardcn, with pits for producing pine-applcs without firc-heat, the gardener’s
cottage, a vmeyard, with sloping terraces covered with vines which are annually loaded with grapes, and,
in short, all the appurtenances of a first-rate villa rcRidenco. In the general style of laying out this villa,
th ere is not much difFercncc between it and one of the same size in the neighbourhood of London. The
only thing th at gives nn idea of its being in a foreign country is, the plants with which it is sorrounded,
particularly tho largo luxuriant masses of pelargoniums and roses, and the large size of the native
plants which have been left, particularly the casuarinas and banksias, and a few enormous Eucalypti.
J'he lawns on this estate have more tho appearance of English grass than any others in the colony, on
account of the number of European trees that have been planted, and whleb have been so arranged as
to throw the grass land into shade.
L ip id h u r s t, th e seat of D r. Bowman, is a much smaller place than Elizabeth Bay, but it contains about
fifty acres of land. The house has three fronts, which open on a mown grass lawn of considerable
extent. T h e house i.s jilaeed on a flat piece of ground, about two hundred yards from the river. The
oilices arc enclosed within a high wall a t the back of the house, and are well arranged. A tank of largo
dimensions has been sunk in the back yard, supplied by pipes from the roof of the house, and it is built
of brick and covered with cement, with a drain at the bottom. The coach-house and stables arc built
out of sight of tho house, park, and pleasure-grounds. The kitchen-garden is in a valley behind the
stables : the soil is a rich loam, and it is laid out with straight walks, and has been planted witb fruit-
trees. The carriagc-swccp forms an exact oval the whole width of the front of the house, the centre of
the oval being mown grass. No clumps have been planted on the lawn, as tho great object has been to
secure breadth of effect; and, on this accoimt also, tho lawn is only divided from the paddock by an
invisible iron fence. There is, however, a light shrubbeiy on each side of the lawn ; and masses of
native wood have been preserved at the back of the house. {Shepherd's L e c tu r e s on L a n d s c a p e -G a r d a t in
g in A u s tra lia .)
93G. Western Australia, or ihe Swan River, is said to possess, in some places, an
excellent soil, and a climate suitable for all the productions of Europe, including that
species of sugar-cane and those palms -which are cultivated in Spain. The government
garden at I ’crth is really well worth the inspection of the curious. His excellency takes
great intcrc.st in it. Thcro arc several rave specimens of various descriptions of plants,
amongst which is the tea tree. The vines that have been planted in this colony have
succeeded admirably. “ The town of Perth,” Mr. Backhouse observes, “ consists of
several streets, in most of whieli there are but few houses. The streets arc of sand,
mixed with charcoal, from the repeated burning of the scrub, which formerly covered
tlic ground on which the town stands. The iirincipal street lias a raised causeway
slightly paved, by which the toil of -vi-ading through the grimy sand may be avoided.
Many bcaiitiliil native shrubs grow in the borders of the g ard en s; most of which (in
1837) were in a neglected state. A few, on the slope to the head of Melville Water,
have tho advantage of being moistened by filtration from some lagoons at the back of
the town : these arc well cultivated, and produce fine crops of grapes and melons. Tlic
lagoon.s arc much filled with the cat’s-tail reed (Yypha latifolia), tlic root of which is
eaten by the natives. They arc bordered by blue lobelias, various species of Drosera and
Villárs/a, and otlicr pretty plants.” (Backhouse's Narrative, p. 531.) TIic soil in this
district is sandy, and the herbage rigid, consisting chiefly of “ a stemless XanthorrlKc'a,
called there the ground hlackbeny.” Nuytsia floribunda grows in the loose poor sand to
the height of forty feet, -with a tnmk six feci in circumference; it is called iu the colony
the cabbage tree, from a faint resemblance in the texture of its branches to cabbage
stalks; its upper part is covered with a mass of golden yellow or orange flowers, whilo
the lower part is a bright green. Bánksfa gi-áiidi.s grows twenty feet high, and some of
the other species of the genus attain a still greater clci'ation. “ Much of the country
near Fi-ccmantle,” observes Mr. Backhouse, “ is of limestone, covered with s an d ; it is
unproductive of lierhagc adapted for flocks,” and niilikcly, in a state of nature, to yield
much, but with good culture it produces excellent vegetables, especially potatoes, which
in some situations produce three crops in the year. Vines and figs thrive even in the
town, wlierc the limestone rock is only covered with sand.
937. Eastern Australia, or Moreton Bay. The principal settlement is called Brisbane
Town, which, Mr. Backhouse informs us, “ is prettily situated on the rising north bank
of the Bri.sbane river, which is navigable fifty miles farther up for small sloops, and lias
some fine clear cultivated land on the south bank opposite the toivn. Adjacent to the
government house are tlic commandant’s garden, and twenty-two acres of government
garden for the growth of sweet potatoes, pumpkins, cabbages, and other vegetables for
the prisoners. Bananas, grapc.s, guavas, pine-applcs, citrons, lemons, shaddocks, &c.,
thrive luxuriantly in the open ground, the climate being nearly tropical. Sugar-cane is
grown for fencing ; and there were, in 1836, a few thriving coflee plants, not old enough
to bear frnit. Tho bamboo and the Spanish reed had then been introduced. Tlie
former attains to about seventy feet in height, the upper twenty feet bending down with
a graceful cu rve; and as it bears numerous branches with short grassy Icai'cs, it is ono
of tlic most elegant objects in the vegetable world. The surrounding coimtry is un dulating,
and covered with trees.” (Backhouse’s Narrative, p. 358.) “ Wliile walking
a few miles down the river,” Mr. Backhouse continues, “ toivard a brook, called Breakfast
Creek, the waters of whicli arc generally brackish at high tide, we saw a number of
rcmai’kablc plants, &o. On the mtu-gins of the brook, Acrosticlium /raxinilbliimi, a