BOTANY OF HONGKONG (2) Continuation.
Nearly the whole of the English residents left Macao and went to Hongkong when the island was ceded to England and all the plants in Mr. Beale's garden, which could be moved with safety, were brought over in 1845, and planted in the garden at "Green Bank".
"On entering the garden at its lower side there is a wide walk leading in a winding manner up the side of the hill in the direction of the house. On each side of this walk are arranged the trees and shrubs indigenous to the country as well as many of the fruits, all of which grow most luxuriantly. The Chinese banyan grows on the right-hand side and promises soon to form a beautiful tree. It is one of the most valuable trees for ornamental purposes met with in the South of China. It grows rapidly with but little care, its foliage is of a glossy green colour, and it soon affords an agreeable shade from the fierce rays of the sun, which renders it peculiarly valuable in a place like Hongkong. The India-rubber tree also succeeds well in the same part of the garden, but it grows much slower than the species just noticed. On the other side of the main walk, I observed several specimens of the Indian neem tree (Melia azedarach) which grows with great vigour but is rather liable to have its branches broken by high winds, owing to the brittle nature of the wood.
"The defect renders it of less value than it otherwise would be, particularly in a place so liable to high winds and typhoons. This same melia seems to be found all round the world, in tropical and temperate latitudes. I believe it exists in South America, and I have seen it in Gibraltar, Malta, Egypt, Aden, Ceylon, and the Straits, and in the south and north of China at least as far north as the 31st degree of north latitude. Among other plants worthy of notice in this part of the garden are the Chinese cinnamon, the pretty Aglaia odorata, and Murraya exotica, both of which are very sweet-scented and much cultivated by the Chinese. Two specimens of the cocoa-nut palm imported from the Straits are promising well. Other fruits, such as the loquat, the Chinese gooseberry, the Wamppee, and the longan and leechee are all succeeding as well as could be expected, considering the short time they have been planted.
BOTANY OF HONGKONG ( 2 ) Continuation.
Nearly the whole of the English residents left Macao and went to Honkgkong when the island was ceded to England and all the plants in Mr. Beale's garden, whichcould be moved with safety, were brought over in 1845, and planted in the garden at " Green Bank ".
This
"On entering the garden at its lower side there is a wide walk leading in a winding manner up the side of the hill in the direction of the house. On each side of this walk are arranged the trees and shrubs indigenous to the country as well as many of the fruits, all of which grow most luxuraintly. The Chinese banyan grows on the right hand side and promises soon to form a beautiful tree. is one of the most valuable trees for ornamental puposes met with in the South of China. It grows rapidly with but little care, its foliage is of a glossy green colour, and it soon affords and agreeable shade from t he fierce rays of the sun, which renders it peculiarly valuable in a place like Hongkong. The India-rubber tree also
succeeds well in the same part of the garden, butit
grows much slower than the species just noticed. Ong the
other side of the main walk, I observed several specimens of the Indian #
體 neem tree"( Media azedarach ) which grows
with great vigour but is rather liable to have its branches broken by high winds, owing to the brittle nature of the wood.
" The defect render it of less value than it otherwise would be particularly in a place, so liable to high winds and typhoons. This same melia seems to be found all round the world, in tropical and temperate latitudes. I believe i exists in South America, and I have seen it in Gibraltar, Malta, Egypt, Aden Ceylon and the Straits and in the south and north of China at least as far as north as the 31st. degree of north latitude. Among other plants worthy of notice in this part of the garden are the Chinese cinnamon, the pretty Aglaia, odorata, and Murraya exotica, both of which a re very sweet-scented and much cultivated by the Chinese. Two specimens of the cocoa-nut palm imported from the Straits are promising well. Other fruits, such as the lowuat the Chinese gooseberry, the Wamppee and the longhy and leechee are all succeeding as well as could be expected, considering the short time they have been planted.
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