THE BOTANICAL DEPARTMENT OF THE CRYSTAL PALACE. (From the Morning Chronicle.)

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XVI, Issue 1243, 12 August 1859, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE BOTANICAL DEPARTMENT OF THE CRYSTAL PALACE. (From the Morning Chronicle.)

I Comparatively few among the hundreds of thousands of persons who visit the Crystal Palace are aware of the value and completeness of its botanical collections, or avail themselves of the opportunities which are there afforded of gleaning some of that instruction which plants and flowers provide with such boundless profusion. While the grounds of the palace abound with thousands of every description of plants and flowers, which may be at once recognised as familiar to our own countiy, the interior of the palace contains plants which tell of the tangled luxuriance of the tropical forest and the wild fertility of foreign climes. It is to the latter class more especially that we would direct the attention of the visitors of the Crystal Palace, feeling confident that a short]timc spent in examining this department of the establishment will -be attended with pleasure and advantage. One very striking fact meets us at the outset of this examination, and that is the peculiar fitness of the building for the purposes of a large conservatory. There is ample room for the plants and trees to develop themselves, and in the larger portion of the building the temperature is not of that close, heated, and oppressive character which is inseparable form smaller conservatories. The plants of the temperate or semitropical climates flourish here as in their native land, and many of the larger pines and cedars appear as though they would attain to as lordly dimensions as in the lands from which they have been brought. The public may obtain here some accurate notion of the vegetation which prevails in some of our colonial possessions. Prominent among the specimens of the vegetation of our Australian colonies stands a fine tree, the Eucalyptus globulosus, or, divested of its lengthy scientific name, the blue gum tree of Australia. This plant is already upwards of GO feet in height although but four years old, and during the last twelve months it has grown over twenty feet. In a very short time the lofty glass vault of the palace will be reached, and we may expect to see the tree reach the enormous dimensions which it sometimes attains in its native land. Mr. Backhouse says that he has seen these mammoth trees growing to the height of 250 feet, considerably higher than the monument of London, and stretching far above the tall water towers at each extremity of the Crystal Palace. As its name would lead us to expect, the tree yields gum in largo quantities. This colossal tree is one of the extensive family of the myrtles, but it is the largest of the class to which it belongs. The largest proportion of the forests of New Holland are formed of myrtacious plants. This tree will be found in the border close to the Stationery Court. Near the south nave, and close by the statue of Chatham, are two specimens of the Melaleuea : they are interesting as furnishing the aborigines of the Australian continent with a description of tea, from which some beverage is made It is a tree almost exclusively peculiar to Australia, and enters very largely into the general character of the vegetation of that part of the world. At a short distance are several fine plants, about 30 feet in height, of the Australian Acacia. A curious feature in connection with these trees is that the earlier foliage is much more fully developed than the latter, thus forming a striking exception to the ordinary laws of vegetation. One of these plants, with its light-coloured and elegantly formed leaves, forms a charming picture as it droops over the beautiful statue of a weeping Magdalen. A more pleasing combination of the beauties of nature and art is hardly to be met with in the building. Two magnificent specimens of the Norfolk Island Pine — the Araucaria excelsa — more than forty feet in height, are well deserving notice. In its own country this stately and beautiful tree grows to the height of 200 feet.There are also two other specimens of this tree at the entrance to the Roman Court. They are very rapid in their growth, and their branches are thrown out with remarkable regularity and beauty. The two latter specimens were presented to the Crystal Palace by her Majesty. Near the entrance to the Pompeian Court stands a most elegant specimen of the Acacia Dealbato of New Holland j it is without exception the finest of its kind in this country. On the opposite side cf the entrance is one of the Araucaria Bidwilii, the peculiar rigid foliage of which cannot escape the notice of the visitor. The cones of this tree grow to an immense size, as large as a human head, and from the seeds of these cones the aborigines of Australia make a very favourite article of

fo3 At a short distance there is the Botllc Brush plant of Australia It produces curi ou->ly formed red bosses of flowers, somewhat resembling in shape the boltle brush, from which they have taken their name. When in full flower the appearance of the tree is very curious. On each side of the entrance to the Sheffield Court stands a magnificent specimen of the tree ferns of Australh and Tasmania The extreme beauty and elegant form of these plants arc unrivalled by any similar plants in any of the most princely conservatories in the country. The Botany Bay Fig Tree, near the Pompeian Court, closely resembles in the form and colour of its leaf the well-known laurel of this country, anJ probably not a few visitors have passed it by unheeded, from the familiarity of its appearance. Near the Birmingham Court may be seen a very rare plant in this country, the Freycinesia Baueriani. Crossing the transept to the Egyptian Court, we notice at the entrance the Casnarina Stricta, or, in more homely terms, the " beef tree." Its foliage will be readily distinguished by its peculiar jointed character, and iv its native state the tree reaches very large dimensions. The familiar English name which is given to the timber of the tree is owing to its peculiar composition and colour, which closely resemble the- colour and grain of raw beef. Near the Grecian Court is a luxuriant specimen of the Moreton Boy pine, the Arauccaria Cunninghauiii. This tree grews with much luxuriance in. the semi-tropical country of which it is a native. Moreton Bay, which hitherto has been a portion of the colony of New South Wales, has recently been created, by the wish of its inhabitants, into a separate colony. It will in future be called " Queensland." We notice, too, another of the numerous tribe of the Eucalipti, of which the great gum tree is a representative. This specimen has the peculiar property of changing its leaves fi om a round to a lance shape as the tree advances in growth. In the Tropical Department is one of the varieties of the palm indigenous to New Holland ; it is called the Corypbse Sylvestris. It is a fan palm, and it is distinguished by the name of the Coryphae, from the Greek word Koryphe, the summit, because the leaves branch only* from the top of the trunk. A specimen of the Seaforthia Bobusta, also a native of New Holland, will be found in this part of the building. A very curious plant which will also be noticed here, is the Elk's Horn Fern, or, to give the scientific name, the Platycerum Grande It, too, is a native of Australia; it is one of the class of parasitic plants : it adheres lo and lives upon the bark of large tress, and from which it derives its sustenance and support without any independent means of exis^ tence in itself. The form of the leaves the horns of the elk — hence its name. There is also the Peppermint Tree of Australia, which stands close by the Koman Court. From Australia we have also a specimen of a small tiee known as the Cape Gooseberry, the fruit of which has a most delicious acid. Why it is called the Cape Gooseberry we are at a loss to know, for it ib certainly a native of Austra lia. Leaving Australia for another of our colonies of Polynesia, we meet with many fine and most interesting specimens of the vegetation of New Zealand. At a short distance from the crystal fountain is one of the finest and largest of the timber trees of the Britaiu of the South. Its native name-is Kahaterre, and. is known to botanists aS the Dacrydium Taxifolium. It is a tree of immense growth, and its timber exceedingly useful for building purposes. Near this is anol her specimen of the variety of New Zealand spruce Its extremely delicate form and drooping foliage cannot fail to excite admiration. The Aralia Trifoliata will be seen near the Pompeian Court. This, too, is a denizen of New Zealand, and it has the peculiar property of shortening its very curiously formed leaves as it advances in age, From the nave at-the entrance of the Birmingham Court is a fine New Zealand palm, the Areca Sapida. In the ba3in within the Tropical Department there is one of the finest New Zealand ferns which exists in the country. It stands over sixteen feet in height, and the curious manner iv which its leaves unrol and develop themselves may be watched frost day to day by visitors Th 3 branching spreading leaves of this tree-fern are wonderfully regular and graceful in their form. The tree was presented by her Majesty to the directors of the Crystal Palace. As closely connected with Australia we may. notice a very valuable and rare specimen of the Araucaria Cookii, a fine tree, from New Caledonia, the French settlement in the South Pacific. The soft and luxuriant foliage of this tree, and the surpassing beauty of its form, make this one of the most beautiful of its kind in the whole .vegetable kingdom From a large island in the Indian Ocean, Madagascar, we have the Traveller's Tree, so called because on tapping it a very grateful supply of water may be obtaim d from its trunk. From the Cape of Good Hope, we have, near the Roman Court, large specimens of the Sparmaaia Africana, an odd conservatory favourite. It was imported from the Cape by Dr. Sparman, a Swedish physician and botanist, who accompanied Captain Cook in his second voyage round the world. These trees were als) pw^nfcad by flthe Queen to the Palace. There is also the Kafir Bread Tree, from which a description ol bread is made by the Kafirs from grinding and pulverising the wood. It is a curious fact that for two years after this plant was in the Palace, it did not grow in the "least. Now that it has become accustomed to the place, it is growing rapidly. Near the angle of the transept is a most curious plant, called the Ceratonia Siliquajit bears the "Locust" upon which, with wild honey of the desert, it is supposed that John the Baptist fed while in the desert. The tree is known by the name of St. John s Bread. Among the extraordinary plants in the building are thoss curious specimens from Africa, like rough unshapen blocks of wood, which are called "Elephant's Foot." They will be seen near the Roman Court, and are supposed to be more than 3000 yean old. They were imported from the Cape of Good Hope. The vegetable products of India and the East are not. without numerous representatives. There is first the magnificent rhododendron from NepauJ, with its rich deep scarlet, flowers Is is from this variety, in combination with the paler-coloured plants of America, that all exquisite and delicately-coloured, flowers have been obtained. This particular plant was one of the earlist that was sold after the first introduction of the plant into this

cuntry. It was but fire inches in height and was sold at the price of one guinea per inch. The plant is probably one of the finest in England; it is near the south transept. The botanical department is enormously rich in camellias. They have been introduced to us from Japan, and thrive admirably in this country. The Crystal Palace Company possess very nearly 10,000 of those beautiful plants, the flowers of which arc of every hue and colour. In the border No. 3, near the Pompeian Court, is a magnificent specimen of the kind introduced into this country. There is also a fine specimen, known as the "Lady Hume's Blush." The exquisite tint of the flowers of this plant can only be rivalled by the soft blush upon a maiden's cheek. The Azaleas are very numerous, and many of them of great value. Near the Sheffield Court there towers one of the magnificient cedars of Japan, brought from China by Mr. Fortune. It is to this tree that that eminent traveller refers in such terras of rapture in his work on the tea districts of China The Loquat, or Jap an Medlar, is curious from the fact of its shed- < ding its baric every year, and in this respect resembles the plane trees which are to be met' with in pome of the ornamental plantations in this ccutry. Near it are some elegant plants of the grass tribe; the Bamboo from the Himalayas, a small and delicate cane, which flourishes in a much lower degree of temperature than the common tropical bamboo. There are numerous specimens of Bohea, Souchong, Twankay, and other kinds of trees from China and Assam; and the famous Camphor Tree, which is indigenous to China and Japan. We must not omit the specimen of the Screw Pine, from the East Indies, which -is in the Tropical Department. It derives its name from the screw-like arrangement of its foliage. Its roots are to a great extent above ground, and they give a curious cord-like but very effective suppot to the tree. The flowers of^thjs tree are so deliciously fragrant that in Egypt and Arabia the trees are cultivated for their sake ; the fruit somewhat resembles the pineapple, but its flavour is not so good v The very graceful and pretty funeral Cypress of China are deserving of notice, as it is from . them that Chinese artists have produced those wonderful specimens of foliage which appear on the famous " willow pattern" plates From America we have that wonderful fine specimen of the American Aloe in the south transept, the venerable leaves of which bear the inscriptions of the naines^ of many "Smiths," "Hrowns," and Others, which these mischievous visitors, anxious to leave their autographs behind, have cut into them. This plant by some peculiar^ freak of fortune,- found its way to this country^from the Palace of the Caesars, at Rome, where in its youth it grew wild. In 1828 it was but a tiny plant, and was discovered by a tonrist, who brought it away with him. There are numerous specimens of the India-rubber plant, the broad hand some glossy leaves of which cannot fail to arrest attention. The Tropical Department contains a large and most raltfable collection of plants from Asia, Africa, and America within the tropics, to which it is impossible within the limits- of the present article to refer. With but «5n or two exceptions, we have confined ourselves in the present' notice to those plants which flourish in the more temperate regions of the world, and which find a congenial home in those portions of the Crystal Palace the temperature of which is not kept to any very high state by artificial heat-

Blind to the Glories op Sunset. — At the recent annirersary of the St. Martin's School of Art, *s reported in the "Builder", the Hon Mr. Cowper, M.P., the Chairman, remarked how very few persons there were who looked much at those gorgeous sights which were constantly to be seen in the skies. Even when the most glorious sunset was taking place, persons for the most part passed heedlessly along the crowded thoroughfare ; and the number of those were but few who ruised their eyes from the level of the pavement to notice what was going on above their heads. The late Mr. Rogers, who was remarkable for always indulging his sentiments of the beautiful in this respect, was in the habit of walking up and down in the Green Park at evening when the sunset was taking place ; and he enjoyed the sight so much himself, that he used to stop persons and invite them to look up into the sky, and share with him the magnificence of the sight. But he used to say that he could not find one person in twenty who took the slightest interest in what he was pointing out, and that they only looked on him as a troublesome, strange old gentleman, who was trying to point out something which wa3 not in the least worth seeing. It was astonishing the number of beauties which persons lost by not having trained their powers of observation. Serene Old Age. — An important consideration, in reflecting on the duration of Life is, that the enjoyments granted to us in this world seem to be adapted to man's duration in it, and to be fit for no longer period j so that if its duration were much extended, it would bo far less interesting than it is at present. Observe, as we advance in life, and exactly in proportion as we have been active and inquiring, how our interests cease in all the objects [ before us j not because the senses decay, but because we have se often witnessed the same scenes before — those exertions of talent, those beauties of nature, those revolutions in human opinion, which to the young and inexperienced are so replete with wonder. This is the world now, it was the world for ages past, it will be the world for ages to come ; it is all well for the little time we remain in it, "hastening, as we know, to something greater and better j and it is a circle, it is not a line ; if you were to live on, you must go round — you could not advance j and the truth and certainty of this may fairly be said ta lessen the terror of death and reconcile us to quitting lite ; that the term of years conceded to us is exactly proportioned to the real interest and satisfaction the world can offord, that the world is only planned for a short-lived, perishable being, that we are so far from giving up every new scheme of pleasure which this world can supply, that we feel consciouslt has required all our skill to keep off weariness for the three gcore and ten years we are- permitted to live. — Rev. /Sidney Smith. Old Mrs. Darnley is a pattern of household economy. She .says she has made a pail of socks last fifteen years by only • knitting new feet to them every winter, and new legs to them every other winter.