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LANDSCAPE 
ARCHITECTURE 


THE  GREEN-HOUSES  IN  WINTER 

(From  -the  " Oxford  Journal  Illustrated"  January  24,  1912) 


Co 


Beech 


Sophora 


REEF  POINT  GARDENS 
LIBRARY 


Ex 

Libris 

BEATRIX 
FARRAND 


The  Gift  of  Beatrix  Farrand 

to  the  General  Library 
University  of  California,  Berkeley 


OXFORD   GARDENS 


OXFORD  GARDENS 

BASED     UPON 

DAUBENY'S    POPULAR  GUIDE 

TO     THE     PHYSICK     GARDEN 

OF    OXFORD: 

WITH    NOTES    ON    THE    GARDENS    OF    THE 
COLLEGES   AND  ON  THE  UNIVERSITY  PARK 


BY 

R.    T.   GUNTHER,    M.A, 

FELLOW    OF   MAGDALEN    COLLEGE,    OXFORD 


"  Consider  the  lilies  how  they  grow  " 


OXFORD:    PARKER    &    SON 

LONDON  :  SIMPKIN,   MARSHALL  &  Co. 

MCMXII 


LANDSCAPE 


'Tis  State  employment  :    You  a  book  compile 

That  musters  all  the  Natives  of  this  Isle. 

And  forein  herbs  surpriz'd  in  English  ground 

Are  taken  Prisoners  and  together  Bound. 

The  Plants  so  neatly  are  describ'd,  th'  are  known 

Better  by  these  your  leaves,  than  by  their  own. 

If  men  would  view  their  roots  too,  here  they'l  see 

Them  in  their  unstrain'd  Etymologic. 

Here  Plants  collected  are,  and  publish'  d  ;    thus 

You  gather  Plants,  not  for  your  selves  but  us. 

We'd  crown  your  worth  with  Garlands  but  the  flowrs 

That  we  combine,  must  be  your  own,  not  ours. 

When  Garden  Plants  shall  dye,  yours  most  shall  thrive 

And  shall  preserve,  themselves,  and  you  alive. 

WILLIAM  HAWKINS  to  Dr.  Stephens  and  Mr.  Browne 
on  their  Catalogue. 


iaa»r 

Farrand  Olff 


DEDICATED 

TO    THE    MEMORY 

OF     A     NAMESAKE     OF 

A    MEMBER    OF    MY    OWN    COLLEGE 

RALPH    AUSTEN 

who  wrote  a.  Treatise  on  Frtiit  Trees  in  1653,  which  many 
refused  to  buy,  believing  it  similar  to  his  other  book  on  the 
Spiritual!  Use  of  an  Orchard,  described  as  "all  divinity, 
and  nothing  therein  of  the  practice  part  of  Gardening." 


313 


CHRIST'S  THORN 
Paliurus  aculeatus 


PREFACE 

THE  reissue  of  this  account  of  the  OXFORD  BOTANIC  GARDEN 
in  a  revised  and  enlarged  form  is  due  to  the  fact  that  neither 
the  guides  written  by  Dr.  Daubeny  nor  the  Garden  itself 
are  as  well  known  in  Oxford  as  they  ought  to  be. 

To  the  description  of  the  principal  Garden  we  have  added 
shorter  accounts  of  the  most  noteworthy  plants  in  the  Gardens 
of  the  Colleges  and  of  the  University  Park. 

The  first  edition  of  Dr.  Daubeny's  GUIDE  was  printed  in 
Oxford  and  sold  in  Oxford  about  sixty  years  ago,  and  yet 
the  most  diligent  search  in  the  library  of  his  College,  in  the 
library  of  the  Botanic  Garden,  in  the  Bodleian  Library,  and 
in  other  public  libraries  in  Oxford  has  failed  to  bring  any 
copy  to  light. 

Similarly,  of  the  second  edition  not  a  single  complete  copy 
is  forthcoming  here.  Neither  is  any  edition  easily  found  in 
the  second-hand  market ;  no  bookseller  has  been  able  to 
procure  me  a  copy;  one,  indeed,  doubted  the  book's  existence. 

Though  to  some  extent  comprehensible  that  a  sixpenny  guide- 
book may  become  scarce,  that  the  existence  of  the  Garden 
as  a  separate  institution  should  have  been  forgotten  for  a  long 
time  in  the  University,  even  in  semi-official  publications,  is 
much  more  unaccountable. 

It  was  evidently  unknown  as  a  University  institution  to 
the  compilers  of  the  University  Calendar  during  the  greater 

vii 


viii  PREFACE 

• 

part  of  the  nineteenth  century.  Only  within  the  last  few 
years  has  it  been  included  in  the  list  of  University  institutions 
in  that  publication.  And,  strangely  enough,  this  recognition 
has  coincided  with  the  residence  of  the  Secretary  to  the 
Delegates  of  the  University  Press  in  a  house  overlooking  it. 
The  Garden  has  never  since  been  absent  from  the  list  of 
institutions  in  the  Calendar ;  but  in  the  Historical  Registers 
of  the  University  of  Oxford  up  to  and  including  the  year  1900 
it  has  no  place.  Now,  however,  when  recognised,  its  descrip- 
tion is  misleading.  In  the  most  recent  and  revised  edition 
of  the  "Student's  Handbook"  it  is  mentioned  as  "the  first 
piece  of  public  ground  set  apart  in  this  country  for  the 
scientific  study  of  plants."  Now,  the  ground  is  not  what  is 
commonly  understood  as  public  property,  and  never  was; 
it  is  part  of  the  corporate  estates  of  Magdalen  College,  leased 
to  the  University  for  the  benefit  of  medical,  horticultural,  and 
botanical  science. 

In  the  face  of  omission  from  publications  that  are  so  often 
referred  to  as  authoritative  and  official,  it  is  hardly  surprising 
that  we  should  not  have  found  adequate  mention  of  the 
Garden  elsewhere.  A  few  instances  :  The  reader  of  a  recent 
address  on  the  growth  and  development  of  the  Oxford  Medical 
School  made  no  mention  of  her  ancient  Medical  Garden, 
founded  for  the  cultivation  of  "  phisical  simples."  Again,  on 
the  occasion  of  a  visit  of  the  Managers  of  the  Royal  Institution, 
the  oldest  Botanic  Garden  in  England  was  the  only  University 
institution  of  importance  omitted  from  the  list  of  objects 
worthy  of  their  notice.  In  the  best  of  small  guides  to  Oxford 
and  its  colleges,  there  is  no  allusion  to  the  Garden,  although 
there  is  a  whole  chapter  devoted  to  the  University  collections. 
Professor  Vines  has  pointed  out  that  the  very  date  of  the 
foundation  of  the  Garden  is  in  most  cases  inaccurately  stated, 
being  wrong  by  a  decade.  And  lastly,  it  happened  a  few  days 
ago  that  we  came  across  a  new  book  with  the  alluring  title, 


PREFACE  ix 

"  Oxford,  its  Buildings  and  Gardens,"  which  justified  the  lively 
hope  (the  price  of  the  book  being  one  guinea)  that  at  least 
one  chapter  might  be  given  to  a  description  of  the  principal 
Garden ;  but  in  the  time  at  our  disposal,  we  could  find  no 
allusion  to  it. 

It  would  appear,  then,  that  the  last  word  upon  the  Garden 
has  not  yet  been  written  ;  we  would  welcome  a  comprehensive 
account  of  its  various  successes  and  failures,  and  of  the  varied 
activities  of  those  who  have  been  fortunate  enough  to  have 
charge;  but  such  an  account  would  require  not  only  the 
services  of  an  historian,  but  also  the  collaboration  of  those 
skilled  in  the  technicalities  of  the  produce,  whether  horticultural, 
forestal,  pharmacological,  or  botanical.  Nor  would  we  wish 
it  to  be  merely  a  catalogue,  but  a  work  that  a  garden-loving 
public  might  read  with  pleasure. 

The  present  little  book  does  not  claim  to  meet  this  require- 
ment ;  it  has  been  put  together,  a  labour  of  love,  to  recall  to 
this  and  future  generations  some  forgotten  details  of  the  work 
of  a  pioneer  of  natural  science  in  Oxford —the  many-sided 
Dr.  Daubeny ;  to  indicate  the  noble  trees  which  have  sprung 
from  seed  of  his  sowing.  We  leave  the  timber  rough-hewn  ; 
the  carving  will  be  for  the  more  skilful  chisels  of  those  that 
come  after.  We  hope  that  they  too  may  share  the 

backward  thoughts  of  sympathy 
With  him  who  writes,  for  memory's  sake. 

We  wish  that  we  might  possess  the  knowledge  necessary 
to  do  more  justice  to  the  recent  work  of  many  of  the  depart- 
ments, but  the  naval  rule  of  not  talking  to  the  man  at  the 
wheel  has  applied  here ;  we  could  not  venture  to  trouble  busy 
people  too  much. 

Our  friend  the  Professor  of  Botany,  to  whom,  however,  we 
did  apply,  has  helped  us  negatively  in  a  considerable  way, 
for  he  ended  our  quest  for  records  of  the  past  at  the  outset 


x  PREFACE 

by  the  statement  that  there  are  no  old  official  records  in  his 
possession.  Indeed,  when  we  consider  the  history  of  the 
management  of  the  Garden,  nothing  is  more  natural  than  that 
there  should  not  have  been.  And  so  the  chronicler  is  depen- 
dent upon  external  sources  of  information — sometimes  of  a 
very  scrappy  nature.  It  is  stated  that  now  a  private  register 
is  being  kept  of  the  date  of  accession  of  every  single  plant  in 
the  collection,  and  of  every  single  root,  bulb,  or  packet  of 
seeds  that  is  sent  away,  with  the  name  of  the  recipient. 
It  would  obviously  be  unfair  to  the  compilers  to  have  creamed 
so  stupendous  a  record,  even  had  it  been  accessible,  but 
occasional  consultations  might  have  saved  many  errors. 

The  chief  sources  of  information  other  than  those  to  which 
acknowledgment  is  made,  have  been  the  Garden  labels  and 
the  Oxford  University  Gazette.  I  have  required,  and  received, 
assistance  in  all  the  departments  touched  upon  in  this  book. 
To  past  and  present  officers  of  the  Royal  Gardens  at  my  old 
home  at  Kew  I  owe  much :  to  the  works  of  Sir  Joseph 
Hooker,  for  whose  recent  loss  to  the  world  of  Science,  botanists 
are  still  mourning,  and  to  the  late  Curator  of  the  Gardens, 
Mr.  George  Nicholson,  I  am  under  especial  obligations.  At 
Oxford,  Mr.  Baker  and  other  members  of  the  staff  have 
answered  occasional  questions  concerning  the  Garden,  its  books, 
and  its  plants.  Mr.  G.  C.  Druce  and  Mr.  Warde  Fowler,  to 
whom  all  must  turn  who  would  discourse  on  Oxford  botany 
or  Oxford  birds,  have  supplied  notes  on  that  flora  and  fauna 
of  which  they  are  the  greatest  living  exponents.  Messrs.  Hiley 
and  Hamm  have  supplied  lists  of  insects,  and  the  Rev. 
Hilderic  Friend  a  valuable  list  of  earthworms,  including  two 
new  forms  not  recorded  elsewhere.  The  photographs,  specially 
chosen  to  illustrate  the  appearance  of  the  Garden  in  Dr. 
Daubeny's  day,  were,  unless  otherwise  stated,  taken  by  Mr. 
Taunt,  who  has  generally  been  able  to  ascertain  the  exact 
date  of  each.  The  original  woodcuts  used  by  Dr.  Daubeny, 


PREFACE  xi 

by  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  James  Parker,  and  to  our  especial 
pleasure,  again  do  duty,  after  half  a  century.  Two  illustrations 
from  "  Riviera  Notes,"  and  two  others  from  "  Summer  Days  on 
the  Thames,"  have  been  lent  by  Mr.  Quaritch  and  by  Messrs. 
Seeley,  Service  &  Co.,  respectively.  To  both  I  return  thanks. 
Last  but  not  least,  I  must  thank  my  numerous  friends  in 
other  Colleges  who  have  been  so  kind  as  to  look  through 
the  paragraphs  on  their  own  gardens,  and  thus  greatly  to 
diminish  the  number  of  inaccuracies  in  my  compilation.  To 
Professor  Somerville  the  reader  is  indebted  for  one  of  the  first, 
if  not  actually  the  first,  published  accounts  of  the  trees  in  the 
University  Park. 

R.  T..G. 

February  1912. 


LEAF  OF  BROUSSONETTIA 


THE  DOG  OF  THE  BOTANIC  GARDEN  AND 
JUNIPERUS  CHINENS1S 

January  1912 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

THE  BOTANIC  GARDEN 

HISTORICAL  INTRODUCTION      .  .  .  .  .         i 

HARDY  PLANTS      .          .          .  .  ...  «       33 

TREES,  SHRUBS,  AND  WALL  PLANTS  .  •  .  .  .35 

Tree  Plan        .          .          .  .  .  i  .  .36 

HARDY  HERBACEOUS  PLANTS  .  .'  .  .  .53 

Plan  of  Beds  .          .          .  .  .  .  55 

HARDY  AQUATIC  PLANTS          .  .  .  .  .  .       90 

GLASS-HOUSES         .          .          .  .  .  .  •  ...       92 

3.  GREEN-HOUSE    .         .  .  .  ;  .  .       94 

4.  CONSERVATORY  .          .  «  .  .  .  .       95 

5.  FERN  HOUSE      .          .  .  .  .  .  .       99 

6.  WATER-LILY  HOUSE  .  ,  .  ^  «  •  .•  .     102 

7.  SMALL  STOVE-HOUSE  ......      107 

8.  PALM  HOUSE     .          .  .  .  .  .     113 

9.  ORCHID  HOUSE           .  .  .  .  ,     120 

10.  SUCCULENT  HOUSE     .          .          .          .          .         ,     123 

11.  PROPAGATING-HOUSE.          .          .         .         .         .      129 

12.  GREEN-HOUSE    .          .         .          .     •    .         y         .      130 

WEEDS  AND  WILD  PLANTS     .          .          .          .          .          .      132 

FAUNISTIC  NOTES  .          .         .         .....      135 

CLIMATE  AND  SOIL          .......      143 

WALL  PLANTS,  CLIMBERS,  ETC.        .....     144. 

HERBARIUM  .          .          .         .         .  .          .          .     148 

BOTANICAL  MUSEUM        .         .         .          .          .          .          .151 

LIBRARY         .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .      152 

LECTURE  ROOMS  AND  LABORATORIES       .          .          .  155 

PROFESSOR'S  HOUSE        .          .          .          .          .  .162 

EXPERIMENTAL  GARDEN  ......      165 

GOVERNMENT          .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .170 

xiii 


xiv  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

FINANCE        .         .          .          .          .          .          .  .  175 

VISITORS        .         .         .          .          .          .          .          .  .  180 

BOOKS  AND  PRINTS         .          .          .          .          ...  181 

APPENDICES 

A.  BASKERVILLE'S  ACCOUNT         .          .          .          .  .188 

B.  LIST  OF  SUCCULENTS  SENT  TO  KEW        .          .  .  193 

C.  "NEMO'S"  LEAFLET       .          .          .          .    "  '  .  v  .  194 

D.  FOREST  GARDENS.          .          ...          /  .  197 

E.  COLLEGE  GARDENS          .          .          .          .  '"~~ .  .  201 

CHRIST  CHURCH           .          .          .  .,         ,  .  203 

PEMBROKE           ,          .        ....          „.  .  207 

MERTON     .          .          .          .          .  -.   ,       .  •  .  207 

UNIVERSITY        ....  ...       .  .  209 

QUEEN'S    .          .          .          .          .  • »         .  .  209 

MAGDALEN          .                              .  ..         .  .  209 

NEW           .      •    .          .       ""  .  •        .          ."'!».,  .  222 

ALL  SOULS          .          .  C      .          ,  .       .  •  t      .    -  .  225 

BRASENOSE         .         '.          .          .  ....  225 

EXETER     .          ...          .                    .-"  .  225 

LINCOLN     .          .          .                    .    '  f          .  .  227 

TRINITY     .         .         .         .         .  .         .  .  228 

BALLIOL     .                    .          .          .  .          .  .  229 

ST.  JOHN'S         .          .         :.         .  ,   -    .  ;  .  230 

WORCESTER        ....          .  .          .  .  232 

WADHAM    ....          .          .          .  .  233 

F.  THE  PARKS  .          .  .       .          .          .  ..          ,  .  237 

MESOPOTAMIA         .         .         .         ,  .         ^  .  243 

G.  RADCLIFFE  OBSERVATORY       .          .  .          ,  .  245 
HIGH  STREET         .         .         .       •  -  ,         „      -  .  246 
HEADINGTON  HILL         .         .         .  4         .  .  248 
OXFORD  STREETS  .         '.         »         .  .         *  .  250 

H.  WILD  GARDENS     .          .          .          .  .         *  .  251 

I.  GARDENS  OF  WINDS  AND  BIRDS  IN  MESOPOTAMIA  .  253 

INDEX  TO  THE  BOTANIC  GARDEN         ,         ,  .          *  .  261 

INDEX  TO  THE  COLLEGE  GARDENS  AND  THE  PARKS     .  .277 


LIST   OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 

THE    DANBY    GATEWAY,    IQOI  .  .  .  .  Frontispiece 

PAGE 

CHRIST'S  THORN  .         .         .          .          .          ..    '  ...  vi 

LEAF    OF    BROUSSONETTIA        .  .  .  .  .  .  .         xi 

THE  DOG  OF  THE  BOTANIC  GARDEN  AND  JUNIPERUS  CHINENSIS    xii 
THE  DANBY  GATE,   1830        .          .          .          .          .          .          -3 

LOGGAN'S  PLAN  OF  THE  GARDEN,   1675  .         .         .          .7 

THE  BOTANIC  GARDEN,  CIRC.  1733,  AFTER  WILLIAMS      .  15 

THE  PROFESSOR'S  HOUSE,  1835     .          .         .         .         .          .16 

THE  DAUBENY  LABORATORY  AND  LECTURE  ROOM  .         .  FACING    35 
OXFORD  BOTANIC  GARDEN    .         .         .         .         .         .     ,,        46 

ECONOMIC,    WATER-LILY,    ORCHID,    AND    NO.    4    GREEN- 
HOUSES,  1851-94  .  .  .v          .  .  .  .      ,,          49 

THE    MUSEUM    AND    LECTURE    ROOM,     1879-19!  I  .  ,,  64 

HERACLEUM    GIGANTEUM  .  .  .  ....,,  64 

THE    MIDDLE    WALK,    LOOKING    SOUTH        .  .  .  ,,  9O 

THE    FOUNTAIN    IN    SUMMER  .  .  .  .  .        „  9! 

THE    FOUNTAIN    IN    WINTER    .  .  .  .  .  9! 

THE    OXFORD    HEATING    APPARATUS  .  .  .  Q2 

THE    GLASS   HOUSES          .......  FACING       96 

ECONOMIC,  VICTORIA    LILY,  AND    ORCHID    HOUSES,   1851-94  .       98 

THE    WATER    LILY    HOUSE          .  ..  .      <•        .  .  .  .  FACING    IO2 

THE    PALM    HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .        ,,          112 

THE  MUSEUM  AND  LABORATORY    .        •  .      T   .          .  ,,       152 

THE  PROFESSOR'S  HOUSE  AND  LIBRARY  .          .          .     ,,       152 

THE  ARCHITECTURAL  CONSERVATORIES  .          .          .          •     »       I53 

DAUBENY    COTTAGE    AND    THE    EXPERIMENTAL    PLOT  .        ,,          l68 

CLIPPED   YEWS      .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .189 

THE  MAGDALEN  OAK,   1675  .          .          .          .          .          .          .214 

WITCHES'  BROOM  .          .          .          .  .          .FACING  214 

THE  MAGDALEN  COLLEGE  WYCH  ELM     .          .  „       2l8 

THE  ELMS  IN  MAGDALEN  COLLEGE  GROVE      .          .  ,,       219 

WORCESTER  COLLEGE  GARDEN       ......   236 

jo.  PULLEN'S  TREE     .         .         ......  249 

THE    LAST    OF    THE    POPLARS  .  .  .  .  ,  .     2 $2 

XV 


THE  OXFORD  BOTANIC  GARDEN 

INTRODUCTION 

Now  was  there  made,  fast  by  the  tower's  wall, 
A  garden  faire. —  The  King*s  Quair. 

THE  Oxford  Botanic  Garden  is  the  oldest  in  Great  Britain. 

The  earliest  Botanic  Garden  in  England  was  that  of  the 
celebrated  herbalist,  John  Gerarde,  who  published  a  catalogue 
of  plants  growing  in  the  garden  of  his  house  in  Holborn  at  the 
end  of  the  sixteenth  century. 

The  establishment  of  a  Garden  at  Oxford  may  have  been 
suggested  by  one  at  South  Lambeth  which  had  been  recently 
formed  for  the  cultivation  of  exotic  plants  by  John  Tradescant,* 
gardener  to  King  Charles  I.,  and  was  doubtless  stimulated 
partly  by  the  example  of  foreign  towns,t  and  partly  by  a  lively 
interest  in  the  pursuit  of  botanical  knowledge  which  found 
expression  in  the  periodical  "  herbarizings "  of  the  "Socii 
itinerantes,"  as  the  members  of  the  Society  of  Apothecaries 
were  then  called. 

Henry  Lord  Danvers,  Baron  of  Dauntsey  in  the  county  of 
Wilts,  and  Earl  of  Danby  in  Yorkshire,  a  gentleman  commoner 
of  the  House,  who,  "  being  minded  to  become  a  benefactor  to 

*  Rather  more  than  a  century  later  Tradescant's  Garden  had  fallen 
into  total  neglect,  and  was  quite  covered  with  weeds,  and  of  the  exotic 
plants  only  a  few  survived,  including  two  large  Arbutus  trees  and  a  fine 
Rhamnus  catharticus  (William  Watson,  1749). 

f  The  dates  of  the  establishment  of  some  Botanic  Gardens  in  Europe 
indicate  the  rate  and  line  of  march  of  the  science  : 

1309.   Salerno.     Medical  Garden  of  Mathaeus  Sylvaticus. 

J333-  Venice.     Medical  Garden. 

1533.  Padua.     The  first  Botanic  Garden. 

1544.   Pisa.     Founded  by  Cosmo  de  Medici.         1577.   Leyden. 

Montpellier,  Breslau,  and  Heidelberg  before  1600. 
1597.   Paris.     Established  to  vary  the  bouquets  worn  at  Court,  but 

known  after  1635  as  \hejardin  des  Plantes. 
1621.  Oxford.  1680.   Edinburgh. 

1677.  Chelsea.  1760.  Kew. 


2  INTRODUCTION 

the  University,  determined  to  begin  and  finish  a  place  whereby 
learning,  especially  the  faculty  of  medicine,  might  be  improved," 
bought  out  Humphrey  Ellis,  the  tenant  of  5  acres  of  meadow, 
for  ^250,  and  arranged  that  the  University  should  lease  the 
ground  from  Magdalen  College  for  40^.  per  annum. 

"The  opening  ceremony  took  place  at  2  p.m.  on  the 
25th  of  July,  St.  James's  Day,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord, 
1621,  when  the  Vice-Chancellor  and  other  dignitaries  of  the 
University  went  solemnly  from  St.  Mary's  Church  to  the 
Garden,  where,  being  settled,  Mr.  Edward  Dawson,  a  Physician 
of  Broadgates  Hall,  and  Dr.  Clayton,  the  Regius  Professor  of 
Medicine,  each  spoke  an  oration.  Afterward  the  V.C.  laid 
the  first  stone,  with  the  offering  of  money  thereon,  according 
to  the  ancient  custom  ;  then  several  Doctors,  and  both  the 
Proctors ;  which  being  done,  the  Vice-Chancellor  concluded 
with  a  brief  Oration." 

The  direct  lease  of  the  ground  from  Magdalen  College  was 
dated  July  28,  and  by  November  6,  1621,  articles  between 
Lord  Danby  as  "  founder  of  the  publick  Garden  "  and  others 
had  been  drawn  up  and  signed,  and  obligations  had  been  laid 
upon  the  masons,  to  set  up  and  make  the  Garden  wall  "  well 
fair  and  sufficient  as  well  as  Al  soules  Colledge  walls,  Mag- 
delen  Colledge  Tower,  or  any  the  fairest  buildings  of  that  kind 
in  Oxford  both  for  truth  and  beauty."  * 

Meanwhile  the  land  was  raised  considerably  to  prevent  the 
overflowing  of  the  water,  and  "  4000  load  of  mucke  &  dunge 
Jaide  by  H.  Windiat  ye  Universitie  scavenger"  (1621-6). 

Gateway  and  wall  were  not  finished  until  1632  and  1633 
respectively :  the  gateway  was  built  by  Neklaus  Stone  from  a 
design  by  Inigo  Jones.  The  two  figures  of  Kings  Charles  I. 
and  II.,  which  stand  in  niches  on  the  right  and  left  of  the 
archway,  were  put  up  at  a  later  period  :  it  is  said  with  the  fine 
imposed  upon  Antony  a  Wood  for  a  libel  on  the  Earl  of 

*  The  document  is  in  the  custody  of  the  Keeper  of  the  University 
Archives,  to  whose  courtesy  I  am  indebted  for  inspecting  it. 


INTRODUCTION  3 

Clarendon.  The  total  cost  to  Lord  Danby  exceeded  ,£5,000. 
He  only  had  time  to  have  the  land  planted  with  "  divers  simples 
for  the  advancement  of  the  faculty  of  medicine  "  when  the  out- 
break of  the  Civil  Wars  stopped  his  munificent  designs  for 
the  encouragement  of  botanical  science,  and,  it  is  said,  John 
Tradescant  from  becoming  our  Gardener.  On  his  death,  on 
January  20,  1644-5,  ^  was  found  that  he  had  devised  to  the 


Porter's  Lodge 


THE  DANBY  GATE,  1830 


Cedar 


University  the  rectory  of  Kirkdale  in  Yorkshire,  for  the  use  of 
the  Garden ;  and  his  brother,  Sir  John  Danvers,  endeavoured 
to  effect  an  arrangement  by  which  the  Garden  should  be  kept  in 
order,  and  the  Professor  and  gardener  receive  a  stipend,  out 
of  the  revenues  of  the  said  estate.  Owing,  nevertheless,  to 
the  unsettled  state  of  the  times,  and  to  the  want  of  sufficient 
funds  from  the  estate,  which  turned  out  less  valuable  than 
had  been  thought,  no  step  was  taken  towards  the  settle- 


4  INTRODUCTION 

ment  of  a  Trofessor  till  the  year  1669,  when  Dr.  Robert 
Morison  *  made  application  to  the  University  for  the  appoint- 
ment ;  upon  which  it  was  agreed  that  an  annual  stipend  of 
^40  should  be  allowed  him  on  condition  of  his  reading  lectures 
at  certain  times,  most  convenient  to  himself,  during  the  spring 
and  autumn.  Accordingly  he  delivered  his  inaugural  lecture 
in  the  School  of  Medicine  on  September  2,  1670:  and 
on  the  5th  of  that  month  removed  to  the  Physic  Garden, 
where  he  "  read  in  the  middle  of  it  (with  a  table  before  him) 
on  herbs  and  plants  thrice  a  week  "  to  a  considerable  audience. 
The  following  spring  and  autumn  his  course  of  lectures  was 
repeated,  and  occasionally,  as  it  would  appear,  afterwards,  for 
in  1675  Evelyn  attended  one  of  them.  He  was  diverted, 
however,  from  continuing  them  regularly  by  the  prosecution 
of  his  great  work,  the  "  Historia  Plantarum  Oxoniensium," 
of  which  he  first  published  a  specimen  under  the  title  of 
"  Plantarum  Umbelliferarum  Distributio  nova,"  and  afterwards 
a  volume  of  the  same  work,  entitled  "  Plantarum  Historiae 
Universalis  Oxoniensis  pars  secunda,"  containing  a  description 
of  herbaceous  plants  only ;  the  account  of  the  trees  and 
shrubs,  which  was  to  constitute  the  first  part  of  his  work, 
having  never  been  printed. 

*  This  learned  botanist  was  a  native  of  Aberdeen,  where  he  received 
his  education.  Espousing  the  royal  cause  during  the  troubles,  he  received 
a  dangerous  wound  in  the  shoulder  at  the  battle  of  Brigg,  near  Aberdeen  ; 
and  upon  his  recovery  took  refuge  in  Paris,  where  he  applied  himself 
assiduously  to  the  study  of  anatomy,  botany,  and  zoology.  In  1648  he 
took  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Physic  at  Angers.  From  his  skill  in  botany 
he  was  appointed  superintendent  of  the  Duke  of  Orleans'  fine  garden  at 
Blois,  which  he  held  till  the  death  of  the  duke  in  1660.  Being  known  to 
Charles  II.,  he  was  invited  to  England  by  that  monarch,  and  appointed 
king's  physician  and  Professor  of  Botany,  with  an  appointment  of  ^200 
and  a  house,  as  superintendent  of  the  royal  gardens.  He  died  in  London, 
Nov.  9,  1683,  aged  sixty-three,  from  a  bruise  on  his  breast  by  the  pole  of  a 
coach  as  he  was  crossing  the  street  between  the  end  of  St.  Martin's  Lane 
and  Northumberland  House. 

Prof.  Vines  has  recently  delivered  a  lecture  on  Ray  and  Morison. 


INTRODUCTION  5 

Morison  seems  to  have  been  interested  in  the  problem  of  varie- 
gated plants,  for  a  "  greater  Maple,  miscalled  the  Sycamore, 
was  found  striped  white  in  Magdalen  College  Grove  and 
translated  thence  into  the  Physick-garden,"  where  there  was 
also  a  "  white-striped  Dulcamara  from  the  stock  at  the  Duke 
of  Orleans  his  house  at  Blois  which  Professor  Morison  ex- 
plained as  the  result  of  the  artificial  substraction  of  nourish- 
ment brought  about  by  the  lime  and  building  rubbish  in 
which  the  parent  plant  grew."  * 

During  the  period  that  the  Professorship  was  held  by 
Morison,  Jacob  Bobart  the  elder,  a  native  of  Brunswick,  was 
Horti  praefectus,  gardener  or  supervisor.t  He  had  been  ap- 
pointed to  the  post  at  the  age  of  thirty-three,  in  1632,  and  in 

*   Plot's  "  Oxfordshire." 
f  We  have  several  portraits  of  him  : 

J.  Size  8|  in  x  5|  in.,  D.  Loggan,  del.,  M.  Burghers,  sculp.  Sold  by 
M.  Burghers,  in  1709.  Beneath  the  head,  dated  1675,  ^s  inscribed  : 

Thou  Germane  Prince  of  plants,  each  yeare  to  thee 

Thousands  of  subjects  grant  a  subsidie. 

A  reprint  by  Wm.  Richardson  appeared  July  I,  1800. 

2.  Size  6|  in.  x  4  in.     A  full-length  portrait  of  Bobart   standing  near 
the  Danby  gateway  holding  a  flower  and  the  staff  of  Aesculapius,  and 
accompanied  by  a  goat,  a  dog,  and  a  stork  flying.     Clipped  plants  are 
seen  in  the  background.     Engraved  by  Burghers. 

3.  Small  whole-length  portrait  in  the  frontispiece  to  "  Vertumnus,"  8vo, 
Oxford,  1713.     In  this  he  is  dressed  in  a  long  vest,  and  is  holding  a  plant 
in  his  hand. 

In  all  we  see  the  long  beard  which  on  occasion  reached  to  the  waist, 
and  which,  on  "  rejoicing  days,"  he  used  to  have  tagged  with  silver 
(Granger's  "  Biog.  Hist.  Eng.").  It  is,  moreover,  related  that  on  his  walks 
abroad  he  was  attended  by  a  goat  instead  of  a  dog. 

Ray,  in  a  letter  to  Aubrey,  noted  his  diligence  in  observing  and  in 
making  a  collection  of  insects.  And  names  said  to  be  in  his  handwriting 
are  written  on  227  folio  drawings  of  plants  in  the  British  Museum. 

He  was  buried  in  the  churchyard  of  St.  Peter's-in-the-East,  and  against 
the  south  wall  is  a  small  tablet : 

To  the  Pious  memory  of  Jacob  Bobart,  a  native  German.  A  man  of  great 
integrity,  chosen  by  the  founder  to  be  keeper  of  the  Physic  Garden.  He  dyed 
Feb.  4,  1679,  in  the  8ist  year  of  his  age. 


6  INTRODUCTION 

1648  he  published  the  first  Catalogue  of  the  Plants  in  the 
Garden,*  which  shows  him  to  have  been  truly  "  an  excellent 
gardener  and  botanist,"  as  Dr.  Plot  described  him.  By  his 
diligence  the  valuable  contents  of  the  Garden  had  been  so 
largely  increased  that  there  were  sixteen  hundred  "  stirpes,"  -but 
very  many  were  varieties — for  instance,  of  Primulas  there  were 
"  Feild  Cowslips,  Feild  Oxelips,  Double  Paigles,  Cowslips  two  in 
a  hose,  Feild  Primerose,  Double  White  Primerose,  Single  White 
Primerose,  Single  Purple  Primerose,  Single  Blew  Primerose, 
Greene  Primerose,  and  Curld  Cowslip."  A  second  edition  of 
the  Catalogue  appeared  in  1658,  and  the  generic  name  Primula 
was  changed  to  Paralysis. t 

John  Evelyn  tells  us  that  the  sensitive  plant  was  shown 
in  July,  1654,  as  a  great  wonder.  "There  grew  canes,  olive- 
trees,  rhubarb,  but  no  extraordinary  curiosities,  besides  very 
good  fruit,  which  when  the  ladys  had  tasted,  we  returned  in 
our  coach  to  our  lodgings."  And  again,  that  in  October,  1664, 
there  "  were  two  large  locust  trees,  and  as  many  platani, 
and  some  rare  plants  under  the  culture  of  old  Bobart,"  who 
in  1669  was  able  to  show  to  Ashmole  "many  choice  plants, 

By  will  he  devised  "  unto  my  eldest  son  Jacob  Bobert,  the  lease  of  my 
Greyhound  Inn  and  meadow,  holden  from  Magdalen  College,  and  all 
my  garden  plants  and  half  my  books."  Tilleman  Bobart  had  the  other 
half  of  the  boo.ks. 

See  Bobart,  H.  Tilleman,  "A  Biographical  Sketch  of  Jacob  Bobart 
of  Oxford,  together  with  an  account  of  his  two  sons  Jacob  and  Tilleman." 
With  a  portrait  reprinted  from  the  "Journal  of  Horticulture,"  Oct.  21, 
1875.  Printed  for  private  circulation  only,  1884. 

*  "  Catalogus  Plantarum  Horti  Medici  Oxoniensis.  Sc.  Latino- 
Anglicus  and  Anglico-Latinus,  Eas  Alphebetico  ordine  accurate  Ex- 
hibens."  I2mo,  1648. 

f  The  second  edition  of  the  "Catalogus  Horti  Botanici  Oxoniensis" 
was  much  improved  by  the  joint  labours  of  Dr.  Philip  Stephens,  Fellow  of 
New  College,  and  sometime  Principal  of  Magdalen  Hall ;  William  Browne, 
Fellow  of  Magdalen  College  ;  Jacob  Bobart,  the  first  Keeper  of  the 
Garden  ;  and  his  son  Jacob  Bobart,  the  Professor. 


South  Elevation  of  the  Conservatory 


East  Bridge 

AFTER  LOGGAN'S  PLAN  OF  THE  GARDEN,  1675 


8  INTRODUCTION 

herbs,    grafts,    and   other   curiosities    to    his    great    content " 
(Wood's  "  Athenae  "). 

The  art  of  grafting  was  also  practised  in  the  Garden  by 
"  The  Reverend  and  Ingenious  Robert  Sharrock,  LL.D.  and 
Fellow  of  New  College,  who,  after  many  unsuccessful  tryals 
of  grafting  one  Fruit  upon  another,  made  at  last  a  very 
pleasant  one,  and  to  good  advantage  too,  upon  different 
Vines,  which  in  so  great  measure  answer'd  their  hopes,  that 
they  have  now  signal  proof  in  the  Physick  Garden  of  the 
white  Frontiniac  grafted  upon  the  Parsly  Vine,  growing  and 
bearing  very  well ;  and  to  this  advantage,  that  they  think  the 
early  ripening  stock  of  the  Parsly  Vine  to  conduce  some- 
what to  the  earlyer  ripening  of  the  white  Frontiniac,  naturally 
late. 

"  They  have  also  grafted  the  early  red-cluster  or  Currant 
grape  upon  that  large,  luxuriantly  growing  Vine,  called  the 
Fox-grape,  which  seems  to  produce  much  fairer  and  stronger 
Fruit  than  that  grape  is  usually  upon  its  own  stock  "  (Plot,  I.e.). 

The  plan  on  page  7,  taken  from  Loggan,  and  published  in 
1675,  wiU  serve  to  show  the  manner  in  which  the  Garden  was 
laid  out  at  the  period  of  its  original  foundation,  and  the 
Conservatory  for  tender  exotic  plants,  60  feet  long.  It  backed 
on  to  the  High  Street,  to  the  eastward  of  the  Danby  gateway, 
and  was  covered  with  a  roof  of  stone  slates. 

In  Bobart's  time,  fashion  in  gardening  was  setting  in  in 
favour  of  the  stiff  symmetry,  geometric  walks,  clipped  shrubs, 
and  the  buxus  multiformis  of  Pliny.  Nor  were  other  gardens 
without  their  examples  of  topiary  art  :  "  a  Dial  cut  in  Box  was 
a  rareity  in  New  College:  in  Exeter  Garden  they  fashioned 
their  College  arms  in  the  same  material.  British  gardeners," 
wrote  a  Fellow  of  Magdalen,*  who  must  have  seen  the  Garden 
within  a  few  years  of  the  death  of  Bobart,  "  instead  of  humour- 
ing nature,  love  to  deviate  from  it -as  much  as  possible.  Our 

*  Addison,  "  Spectator,"  No.  414,  1713. 


INTRODUCTION  9 

trees  rise  in  cones,  globes,  and  pyramids.     We  see  the  marks 
of  the  scissars  upon  every  plant  and  bush." 

The  suffering  eye  inverted  nature  sees, 

Trees  cut  to  statues,  statues  thick  as  trees.— POPE. 

Two  large  yews  were  clipped  to  represent  two  giants 
guarding  the  entrance  to  the  Garden,  which  were  the  subjects 
of  much  rival  wit  in  the  University.  Three  ballads  appertain- 
ing to  them  are  preserved  in  "  Wood's  Collection  "  among  the 
Ashmolean  books.  (For  one,  see  Appendix  A.) 

A  matter  of  far  greater  scientific  importance  is  the  claim  of 
the  Oxford  Garden  to  a  share  in  the  discovery  of  the  sexuality 
of  plants,  which  was  first  clearly  demonstrated  by  experiment 
by  Camerarius  of  Tubingen  in  1691-4.  More  than  a  decade 
earlier  our  Oxford  Sedleian  Professor  of  Natural  Philosophy,  Sir 
Thomas  Millington,  suggested  to  Grew  *  that  the  stamens  or 
attire  "  served  as  the  male  for  the  generation  of  the  seed  " ;  and 
Dr.  Daubeny  inferred,  with  some  probability,  that  the  facts  by 
which  Millington  had  arrived  at  this  conclusion  would  be 
drawn  from  observations  made  on  plants  growing  in  the 
Botanic  Garden  of  his  own  University,  then  recently  founded. 
Unfortunately,  we  have  none  of  Millington's  own  botanical 
writings  ;  and  Grew  had  a  habit  of  mixing  up  his  botany  with 
the  fantastic  chemical  theories  of  his  contemporaries. 

On  the  death  of  Morison  in  1683,  the  son  of  Bobart, 
also  named  Jacob,  succeeded  to  the  chair  of  botany,  and 
continued  the  labours  of  his  predecessor  by  the  publication 
of  the  third  part  of  the  Oxford  History  of  Plants. 

Jacob  Bobart,  the  younger,  appears  to  have  been  the  first 
to  circulate  an  Oxford  Seed-list  t  among  the  gardeners  of 

*  Grew,  "  Lecture  on  the  Anatomy  of  Flowers,"  "  Philosophical  Trans- 
actions," Nov.  1676. 

t  A  copy  is  still  extant  in  the  British  Museum  (Sloane  MS.  3343), 
where,  too,  are  preserved  forty-two  of  his  letters  to  Sir  Hans  Sloane 
and  to  James  Petiver,  F.R.S.,  who  dedicated  to  him  Table  xiii.  of 
"  Gazophylacii  Naturae  et  Artis,"  8vo,  London,  1702.  The  poem  en- 


io  INTRODUCTION 

his  day — a  practice  which  was  revived  two  centuries  later, 
with  good  results  to  the  Garden,  and  he  even  advertised  his 
seeds  in  the  papers  : 

"  Good  new  St.  Foyn  Seed  may  be  had  at  Mr.  Jacob 
Bobart's,  at  the  Physic  Garden,  in  Oxford "  (London 
Gazette,  No.  2633,  Feb.  5,  1690). 

Nevertheless,  the  Garden  does  not  seem  to  have  been  quite 
up  to  the  mark  as  compared  with  other  gardens.  It  may  be 
that  he  devoted  his  energies  to  literary  and  professional  duties 
rather  than  to  the  Garden,  or  perhaps  he  lived  during  a  period 
unfavourable  to  vegetation.  During  the  winter  of  1682-3 
there  was  so  great  a  frost  that  "  oaks,  ashes,  walnut-trees 
were  miserably  split  and  cleft,  so  as  they  might  be  seen 
through,  and  this  also  with  terrible  noises,  like  the  explosion 
of  fire-arms,  and  that  the  clefts  were  not  only  in  the  bodies, 
but  continued  to  the  larger  boughs,  roots,  etc."  * 

Then,  too,  the  Garden  was  overstocked  with  shrubs  of 
fanciful  forms — 

In  living  trees, 
Here  frowns  a  vegetable  Hercules. — TICKELL. 

titled  "  Vertumnus,"  1713,  by  Dr.  Evans,  the  author  of  "  The  Apparition," 
is  a  eulogium  on  him.  Vicia  bobartia  and  the  Grass  genus  Bobartia 
were  named  after  him  by  Forster  and  Linnaeus  respectively.  His 
Herbarium  of  about  2,000  specimens  is  the  oldest  collection  but  one 
of  dried  plants  in  the  University  Herbarium.  An  amusing  anecdote  is 
preserved  by  Dr.  Zachary  Grey  in  his  notes  upon  "  Hudibras,"  i.  p.  25  : 

"  Mr.  Jacob  Bobart  -did  about  forty  years  ago  (in  1704)  find  a  dead 
rat  in  the  Physic  Garden,  which  he  made  to  resemble  the  common 
picture  of  dragons,  by  altering  its  head  and  tail,  and  thrusting  in  taper 
sharp  sticks,  which  distended  the  skin  on  each  side  till  it  mimicked  wings. 
He  let  it  dry  as  hard  as  possible.  The  learned  immediately  pronounced 
it  a  dragon,  and  one  of  them  sent  an  accurate  description  of  it  to  Dr. 
Magliabechi,  Librarian  of  the  Grand  Duke  of  Tuscany.  Several  fine 
copies  of  verses  were  wrote  upon  so  rare  a  subject,  but  at  last  Mr.  Bobart 
owned  the  cheat.  However  it  was  looked  upon  as  a  masterpiece  of  art ; 
and  as  such,  deposited  in  the  Museum,  or  Anatomy  School,  at  Oxford." 

*  "  Philosophical  Transactions,"  1683  ;  Cater,  "  Horti  Bot.  querela." 


INTRODUCTION  n 

Sorbiere,  a  French  physician  travelling  in  1664,  considered 
the  Garden  "more  like  an  orchard  than  a  garden."  * 

Zacharias  Conrad  von  Uffenbach  f  visited  the  Garden  in 
August,  1710,  and  found  it  full  of  plants,  but  with  few  rarities. 

Like  other  visitors  he  mentions  the  fine  yews,  the  best  he 
had  seen  on  his  travels,  and  describes  Hercules  at  one  end 
and  a  pair  of  flower-vases  standing  on  columns  at  the  other. 
But  what  surprised  him  most  was  the  appearance  of  the 
Professor,  which  ill  accorded  with  the  high  esteem  in  which  he 
was  held.  "  Bobart,"  wrote  Uffenbach,  "  had  an  ugly  type  of 
countenance  and  an  evil  appearance.  His  nose  was  unusually 
long  and  pointed,  eyes  small  and  deeply  sunk,  mouth  awry, 
with  next  to  no  upper  lip,  a  great  deep  scar  furrowed  his  cheek, 
and  his  face  and  hands  were  as  black  and  coarse  as  those  of 
the  veriest  labourer.  His  clothes,  and  especially  his  hat,  were 
in  bad  state,  and  his  wife,  who  accompanied  him,  was  old  and 
dirty.  Such  was  the  aspect  of  the  Herr  Professor  that  no  one 
would  have  taken  him  for  anything  but  a  gardener,  and,  as  a 
matter  of  fact,  he  devotes  himself  principally  to  garden  work, 
and  also,  with  praiseworthy  energy,  to  bringing  out  the  book 
of  his  predecessor,  Morison.  But  he  is  a  good  horticulturist 
rather  than  a  scientific  botanist. 

"  He  showed  us  round  the  garden  and  all  that  he  had  with 
great  willingness.  There  were  a  great  number  of  plants,  but 
the  collection  was  not  equal  to  that  at  Leyden  or  at  Amsterdam. 
The  arrangement  was  nothing  remarkable,  but  somewhat 
irregular.  The  rarer  plants  were  all  grouped  at  the  end  of  the 
garden  in  an  enclosure  and  behind  the  house;  in  the  middle 
of  the  garden  were  common  culinary  vegetables — run  wild. 
Behind  the  house  in  which  he  lived  is  a  small  garden  and  a 
small  Orangery,  built  of  stone  in  the  centre,  but  with  a  small 

*  Boase's  "  Oxford."  But  Celia  Fiennes,  circ.  1695,  found  great  diver- 
sion and  pleasure  :  "  the  variety  of  flowers  and  plants  would  have  entertained 
one  a  week."  She  also  described  the  new  Library. 

t  Z.  C.  von  Uffenbach's  "  Reise,"  Ulm,  1754. 


12  INTRODUCTION 

glasshouse  on  either  side,  which  were  not  badly  warmed  by  the 
sun,  and  where  plants  were  protected  from  cold.  In  summer 
they  were  used  for  forcing.  The  whole  appearance  was  satis- 
factory. Bobart  complained  that  two  years  previously  he  had 
lost  many  plants  through  frost,  to  which  Herr  D.  Biittner 
answered  very  neatly,  that  that  cold  winter  had  done  much 
injury  to  Botany,  for  it  had  not  only  removed  very  many  plants, 
but  also  three  eminent  Botanists,  Tournefort  in  Paris,  Hotton 
in  Leyden,  and  Trionfetti  in  Rome. 

"  Bobart  showed  us  an  Amygdalum  Nanum  Aegyptiacum  flore 
pleno,  saying  that  when  it  first  arrived,  Mr.  D.  Hermann  of 
Leyden  was  with  him  in  Oxford,  and  when  he  saw  the  plant  his 
eyes  filled  with  tears  and  he  called  out,  '  That  is  my  plant.' 
And  that  was  quite  true ;  for  the  ship  with  it  and  with  many 
other  plants  which  he  had  himself  collected  with  the  greatest 
trouble  in  India,  had  been  captured  by  a  French  privateer,  and 
a  selection  of  them  found  their  way  to  Oxford."  We  are  glad 
to  think  that  Bobart  restored  a  few  to  the  possession  of  their 
rightful  owner,  Mr.  Hermann.  Uffenbach  also  noticed  a  small 
stone  basin  in  the  middle  of  the  small  garden,  in  which  some 
green  thing  floated  on  the  water.  Bobart  asked  him  if  he  did 
not  know  the  saying  Vilior  alga,  for  this  was  an  Alga  which 
grew  floating  in  the  water. 

The  less  critical  Dr.  John  Ayliffe,  however,  gave  the  Garden 
a  better  character  in  1714,*  stating  that  it  contained  many 
thousands  of  plants  "  for  the  Use  and  Honour  of  the  University  ; 
serving  not  only  for  Ornament  and  Delight  and  the  pleasant 
Walking  and  Diversion  of  Academical  Students  and  of  all 
Strangers  and  Travellers ;  but  of  great  use  also,  as  is  easily 
found,  among  all  Persons  willing  to  improve  their  Botanical 
inclinations  and  studies  ;  and  for  the  pleasant  Contemplation 
and  Experience  of  Vegetative  Philosophy,  for  which  is  here  sup- 
posed to  be  as  good  Convenience  as  in  any  Place  of  Europe 
(if  not  the  best)  and  also  for  the  service  of  all  Medicinal  Prac- 
*  "  The  Antient  and  Present  State  of  the  University  of  Oxford,"  1714. 


INTRODUCTION  13 

titioners,  supplying  the  Physicians,  Apothecaries  and  who  else 
shall  have  occasion  for  things  of  that  nature  with  what  is  right 
and  true,  fresh  and  good  for  the  Service  of  Health  and  Life." 

Bobart  was  compelled  to  resign  his  Professorship  in  or 
shortly  before  March,  1719,  according  to  a  letter  of  Consul 
W.  Sherard,  by  the  Vice-Chancellor,  Dr.  Skippen,  Principal 
of  B.N.C.,  and  he  died  shortly  after  on  December  28 
following,  aged  seventy-eight.*  "They  ought  to  have  let  him 
spend  the  short  remainder  of  his  time  in  the  Garden " 
(Sherard,  Letter  of  July  8).  How  frequent  such  cases  are ! 

Of  his  two  immediate  successors,  Edwyn  Sandys,  D.M. 
of  Wadham  College,  and  Gilbert  Trowe,  D.M.  of  Merton, 
nothing  particular  is  recorded  ;  but  in  the  year  1728  the  whole 
establishment  was  placed  upon  an  improved  footing,  and  its 
permanence  more  effectually  secured,  through  the  munificence 
of  Dr.  William  Sherard.t 

This  distinguished  patron  of  botanical  science  was  born  in 
1658,  and  after  passing  through  Merchant  Taylors'  School, 
entered  at  St.  John's  College,  Oxford,  1677,  and  afterwards 
became  a  Fellow  of  that  society.  He  travelled  much  on  the 
continent,  chiefly  occupied  in  collecting  plants,  and  in  form- 
ing connections  with  the  most  celebrated  foreign  botanists  of 
the  day,  such  as  Hermann,  Boerhaave,  and  Tournefort.  Being 
appointed  consul  at  Smyrna,  he  availed  himself  of  the  oppor- 

*  There  is  a  portrait  of  him  in  the  Oxford  Almanack  for  1719.  An 
unfeeling  epitaph  in  Amherst's  "  Terrae  Filius,"  1726,  affords  a  suggestion 
of  the  pronunciation  of  his  name  : 

Here  lies  Jacob  Bobart 
Nailed  up  in  a  cupboard. 

Jacob's  brother  Tilleman  seems  to  have  acted  as  Keeper  of  the  Garden 
for  some  time.  He  did  work  for  the  Government  in  laying  out  gardens 
at  Hampton  Court  and  Blenheim  Park,  where  he  planted  the  elm-trees 
in  the  same  order  that  the  British  troops  fought  against  the  French  at 
the  Battle  oi  Blenheim. 

f  B.  D.  Jackson  has  a  notice  of  him  in   "  Journal  of  Botany  "  for  May, 
1874.     An  unnamed  portrait  in  the  Botanical  Library  may  be  of  him. 


14  INTRODUCTION 

tunities  which  his  residence  in  the  East  afforded,  to  collect 
the  plants  of  Natolia  and  Greece,  of  which  the  dried 
specimens  still  exist  in  his  herbarium  preserved  at  the  Botanic 
Garden.  On  his  return  he  met  with  the  celebrated  Dillenius, 
whom  he  induced  to  accompany  him  to  England  in  1721  ; 
and  in  the  year  1726  he  commenced  his  designs  for  the 
advancement  of  botany  at  Oxford,  by  giving  ^500  towards 
enlarging  the  conservatory,  and  by  presenting  a  great  number 
of  curious  plants  and  a  library  of  botanical  works  to  the  same 
establishment.  He  likewise  made  over  to  the  Physic  Garden 
an  herbarium,  which  rendered  Oxford,  in  the  eyes  of  Linnaeus, 
pre-eminent  in  this  respect  among  the  Universities  of  Europe ; 
containing,  as  it  did,  original  specimens  from  most  of  the 
eminent  botanists  of  that  day,  named  by  themselves,  and 
accompanied  by  their  remarks,  or  by  queries,  says  Sir 
E.  G.  Smith,  scarcely  less  instructive.  On  his  death,  which 
took  place  two  years  afterwards,  Sherard  was  found  to  have 
bequeathed  ^3,000  to  provide  a  salary  for  the  Professor  of 
Botany,  on  condition  that  the  University  should  supply  the 
annual  sum  of  ^150  towards  the  maintenance  of  the  Garden, 
and  that  Dr.  Dillenius  should  be  chosen  the  first  Professor 
— terms  which  were  accepted  by  Convocation. 

The  Garden,  as  it  existed  in  Sherard's  time,  was  divided 
into  quarters,  by  means  of  a  double  yew  hedge  which  ex- 
tended from  the  principal  gateway  to  the  opposite  extremity, 
and  of  a  similar  one,  which  ran  from  east  to  west,  intersecting 
the  former  at  right  angles.  Between  these  hedges  the  public 
were  allowed  to  walk,  and  there  was  at  one  time  a  thorough- 
fare into  Christ  Church  meadow  through  the  centre.  But  the 
square  plots  of  ground  enclosed  within  these  hedges,  which 
contained  the  plants,  appear  to  have  been  less  easy  of  access, 
and  to  have  been  kept  under  lock  and  key.  Of  these  hedges, 
the  one  which  extended  across  the  Garden  from  east  to  west 
was  cut  down  in  the  time  of  the  younger  Dr.  Sibthorp;  whilst 
the  other,  which  divided  the  Garden  longitudinally,  remained 


i6 


INTRODUCTION 


standing  till  the  year  1834;  when,  having  lost  much  of  its 
former  beauty,  and  being  in  the  way  of  new  arrangements, 
it  shared  the  same  fate. 

The  arrangement  of  the  Garden  is  shown  in  detail  in 
W.  Williams'  engraving  in  "  Oxonia  depicta,"  plate  8,  which 
must  have  been  drawn  about  1733. 

At  this  period  there  appears  to  have  been  a  long  building 
fronting  the  street,  first  used  as  the  conservatory,  but  afterwards, 


THE  PROFESSOR'S  HOUSE,  1835 

by  the  addition  of  an  upper  story,  converted  into  a  receptacle  for 
the  herbarium,  and  into  a  residence  for  the  Professor.  This 
building  having  been  pulled  down  about  the  year  1790,  by 
order  of  the  Street  Commissioners,  in  order  to  improve  the 
approaches  to  the  bridge,  then  recently  erected,  the  original 
intention  of  the  founder  of  the  Professorship  as  to  the  resi- 
dence of  the  Professor  at  the  Garden,  was  for  nearly  half 


INTRODUCTION  17 

a  century  departed  from,  until  Dr.  Daubeny,  soon  after  his 
accession  to  office,  erected  a  new  dwelling-house  at  the  back  of 
and  over  the  Library.  The  annexed  wood-cut  presents  the 
fagade. 

This  building  originally  comprised  a  lecture  -  room,  as 
well  as  apartments  for  the  Professor's  private  use,  and 
received  the  collection  of  books  belonging  to  the  establish- 
ment ;  the  whole,  however,  was  soon  given  up  for  the  purposes 
of  a  dwelling-house,  as  in  1847  tne  society  of  Magdalen 
College  permitted  Dr.  Daubeny  to  erect  a  building  upon 
their  own  ground,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  gateway,  in 
which  his  lectures  were  henceforth  delivered. 

In  compliance  with  the  terms  of  Dr.  Sherard's  will,  Dillenius 
was  appointed,  on  Trowe's  death,  Sherardian  Professor  in  the 
year  1734,  and  was  admitted  to  the  degree  of  D.M.  in  1735.* 
In  1736  he  received  a  visit  from  Linnaeus,  whose  new  system 


*  J.  J.  Dill,  Dillen.  or  Dillenius,  b.  Darmstadt,  1684,  F.R.S.  1724, 
M.D.  Oxon.  1735,  was  educated  at  the  University  of  Giessen,  and 
published  a  catalogue  of  the  plants  growing  in  that  neighbourhood,  a 
work  which  established  his  reputation  as  a  botanist.  He  also  communi- 
cated various  memoirs  to  the  Academia  Naturae  Curiosorum,  which  appear 
in  their  Transactions,  called  "Miscellanea  Curiosa."  But  his  great  strength 
lay  in  cryptogamic  botany  ;  and  this,  which  attracted  the  attention  of 
Sherard,  who  was  himself  attached  to  this  department,  led  him  to  invite 
him  to  England.  Whilst  in  this  country,  he  engaged  himself  in  the  task 
of  describing  and  delineating  the  rare  plants  contained  in  the  garden  at 
Eltham,  near  London,  belonging  to  Dr.  James  Sherard,  the  brother  of  his 
patron,  who  was  likewise  an  enthusiastic  botanist.  This  splendid  publica- 
tion appeared  in  1732,  in  two  vols.  folio,  under  the  name  of  "  Hortus 
Elthamensis,"  and  was  pronounced  by  Linnaeus  one  of  the  most  complete 
works  of  its  kind  ever  published.  Dillenius  also  brought  out  a  new  edition 
of  Ray's  "  Synopsis,"  with  sundry  additions ;  but  his  most  important  work  was 
the  "  Historia  Muscorum,"  which  he  brought  to  completion  at  Oxford,  and 
published  at  the  Sheldon  Press  in  1741.  All  the  subjects  noticed  in  this 
volume  were  drawn  and  etched  with  his  own  hand  ;  and,  in  spite  of 
subsequent  improvements,  the  labour,  accuracy,  and  discrimination  dis- 
played throughout  the  whole  work  will  prevent  it  from  ever  becoming 
2 


i8  INTRODUCTION 

of  botany  he  did  not  choose  to  countenance,*  "  conceiving 
Linnaeus'  '  Genera '  to  be  written  against  him,  but  he  afterwards 
detained  him  a  month  without  giving  Linnaeus  an  hour  to 
himself  the  whole  day  long  ;  and  at  last  took  leave  of  him 
with  tears  in  his  eyes,  after  having  given  him  the  choice  of 
living  with  him  till  his  death,  as  the  salary  of  the  Professorship 
was  sufficient  for  them  both."t  Their  intercourse  produced 
a  mutual  respect  for  each  other's  acquirements,  and  led  to  a 
correspondence  which  seems  to  have  continued  to  the  death 
of  the  Oxford  Professor  in  1747.  After  his  return  home 
Linnaeus  wrote,  "  In  Anglia  nullus  est  qui  genera  curet  vel 
intelligat  praeterquam  Dillenius,"  "  and  he  founded  the  genus 
Dillenia,  of  all  plants  the  most  distinguished  for  the  beauty 
of  its  flower  and  fruit,  like  Dillenius  among  botanists."  J 

Dillenius  had  such  an  enthusiasm  for  plants  that  he  was 
in  the  habit  of  scattering  strange  seeds  about  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  the  city  :  some  of  their  descendants  have  caused 
surprise  to  later  generations  of  botanists.  So  it  was  but 
natural  he  should  remove  the  cause  of  Uffenbach's  reproach. 

obsolete.  He  was  buried  in  the  churchyard  of  St.  Peter-in-the-East,  and 
there  is  a  tablet  to  him  near  the  south  door  of  the  church. 

An  oval  portrait  of  James  Dillenius,  M.D.,  holding  an  Amaryllis 
flower  in  his  hand,  measuring  4.5  in.  x  3^-  in.,  was  engraved  by  Jas.  Heath 
from  the  original  painting  in  the  Botanic  Garden  in  Oxford. 

*  Linnaeus,  it  is  said,  surprised  Dillenius  in  company  with  his  patron, 
Dr.  Sherard,  and,  having  apologised  in  Latin  for  his  inability  to  speak 
English,  threw  Dillenius  off  his  guard,  who  said  carelessly  to  Sherard, 
"This  is  the  young  man  who  would  confound  the  whole  of  botany." 
Linnaeus  gathered  the  meaning  of  this  speech  by  tracing  the  verb  confound 
to  its  Latin  root,  and  he  soon  took  an  opportunity  of  retaliating,  by 
slightly  alluding  to  it  while  he  was  demonstrating  in  the  Garden  some  of 
the  new  genera  to  which  Dillenius  had  particularly  objected.  He  quickly 
constrained  the  Oxford  Professor  to  form  a  high  opinion  of  his  abilities, 
but  could  never  succeed  in  making  him  a  proselyte.  There  are  two  or 
three  variants  of  the  story. 

t  Linnaeus'  Diary,  517,  quoted  in  Druce's  "Flora  of  Oxfordshire." 

\  Druce's  "  Flora  of  Berkshire."  Also  cf.  his  "Dillenian  Herbarium,"  1907. 


INTRODUCTION  19 

And  we  find  that  by  the  end  of  his  custodianship  there  was  no 
lack  of  rarities  in  the  Garden.  There  were  these  "  Curiosities 
among  many  other  scarce  and  rare  exotics  of  all  kinds. 

1.  The  true  African  Rhubarb. 

2.  The  Aloe  Plant,  with  a  white  Flower  on  it.     The  Aloe 

is  so  succulent  a  Plant,  that  it  has  been  preserv'd 
10  years  above  ground  without  either  earth  or  water, 
and  'tis  thought  may  be  preserv'd  so  20  years,  as 
I  was  inform'd  by  the  late  excellent  Botanist  Mr 
Bobart,  Master  of  this  Garden. 

3.  The  true  Indian  Tobacco  Plant,  and  Indian  Wheat. 

4.  Guinea  Pepper  Tree. 

5.  Pomum  Amor  is. 

6.  Sorbus  Vera,  the  Sorb  or  Quicken  Tree. 

7.  Helianthemus  or  Sun-Flower,   of  a    fleshy  colour  and 

five  leaves. 

8.  Scylla  mm  which  was  a  six  leav'd  Flower  almost  of  a 

lead  Colour. 

9.  Arbor  Balsami  Peruviana. 

10.  Cedrus  Vera^  from  Mount  Lebanon  with  leaves  like  a 

star;  rais'd  from  a  seed,  as  the  aforemention'd  Tree  was. 

11.  Paliurus    or    Thorn    with     which     our     Saviour     was 

crowned,  as  Mr  Bobart  told  me  he  has  great  Reason 
to  believe.  It  grows  in  the  Corner  between  the  Gate 
and  the  House. 

12.  Pistaria   Vera,  the  true  Pistacia  Tree,  with  leaves  like 

a  walnut. 

13.  The  Currant  Grape  grafted  upon  the  Fox-Grape. 

14.  The  White  Frontiniac  Vine,  grafted  upon  the  Parsley  Vine. 

15.  The  Sensible  Plant  call'd  by  some  the  Chaste  Plant, 

because  if  it  be  touched  the  jagged  part  of  the  leaves 
shrink  and  run  together  as  if  they  were  wither'd,  but 
when  the  hand  that  touch'd  it  is  remov'd,  it  opens 
itself  and  thrives  again.  This  unaccountable  plant 
grows  in  the  Island  Barbada  in  North  America.  .  .  . 


20  INTRODUCTION 

1 6.  And  besides  these  Natural  Curiosities,  here  are  several 
instances  of  Nature  improved  by  Art,  as  Trees  cut  into 
curious  shapes.  17.  To  which  we  may  add  the  curious  piece 
of  Rustic  Rock-work  over  the  Gate  on  each  side  of  which  are 
the  Statues  of  King  Charles  I.  and  II.  and  over  all  the  Earl 
of  Danby's  Statue  in  Busto,  the  founder  of  this  Garden. 
1 8.  Another  curiosity  are  the  Sphinges  Megaricae,  on  each 
side  of  the  Iron  Gate  that  leads  into  the  Court  before  the 
Garden,  which  Sphinxes  are  Hieroglyphics  (says  the  learned 
Montfaucon)  and  Emblems  of  Wisdom."* 

Dillenius  was  of  a  retired  disposition,  and  recluse  habits. 
His  corpulency,  combined  with  his  close  application  to  study, 
probably  brought  on  an  attack  of  apoplexy,  which  terminated 
his  existence  in  the  sixtieth  year  of  his  age. 

Of  his  successor,  Dr.  Humphrey  Sibthorp,  of  Magdalen 
College,  little  notice  is  preserved;  he  gave  "one  not  very 
successful  lecture  .  .  .  and  every  scientific  object  slept  during 
the  40  years  he  held  the  post."t  The  genus  Sibthorpia  (Linn.) 
was  dedicated  to  him  and  not  to  his  son.  The  latter,  John 
Sibthorp,  M.D.  of  Lincoln  College,  appointed  to  the  chair 
in  1784,  will  be  ever  memorable  in  the  annals  of  botany 
for  his  zeal  in  the  pursuit  of  science,  no  less  than  for  his 
munificent  designs  to  promote  its  advancement.  The  former 
feeling  led  him  to  undertake  two  journeys  into  Greece  and  the 
Archipelago,  the  first  when  Travelling  Fellow,  in  1784,$  the 
second,  when  Professor  of  Botany,  in  i794.§  On  his  death, 

*  John  Pointer's  "  Oxoniensis  Academia,"  1749. 

f  Sir  James  Smith,  quoted  from  Druce's  "  Flora  of  Oxfordshire." 

%  It  was  perhaps  during  Sibthorp's  absence  that  one  of  the  first  balloon 
ascents  in  England  was  made  from  the  Physic  Garden.  On  Nov.  12, 
1784,  Mr.  Sadler  went  up,  watched  by  "a  surprising  concourse  of  people 
of  all  ranks ;  the  roads,  streets,  fields,  trees,  buildings,  and  towers  of  the 
parts  adjacent  being  crowded  beyond  description." 

§  In  the  first  of  these  journeys  he  engaged  at  Vienna,  as  draughtsman, 
the  celebrated  Ferdinand  Bauer,  with  whom  he  visited  Constantinople, 
Crete,  Cyprus,  and  other  islands  of  the  Grecian  Archipelago.  He  also 


INTRODUCTION  21 

in  1795,  ne  evinced  his  anxiety  for  the  future  advancement 
of  his  favourite  science  by  making  over  to  the  Botanic  Garden 
all  his  drawings,  books  of  natural  history,  and  collections  : 
and  still  more  by  bequeathing  a  freehold  estate,  for  the 
purpose,  first,  of  publishing  his  "  Flora  Graeca,"  in  ten  folio 
volumes,  with  100  coloured  plates  in  each;  and  afterwards 
of  endowing  a  Professorship  of  Rural  Economy  in  Oxford, 
which  was  to  be  held  by  the  Professor  of  Botany  for  the 
time  being. 

The  work  was  only  completed  after  the  lapse  of  more  than 
forty  years  from  the  time  of  his  decease,  but  as  the  great  cost 
limited  the  original  subscribers  to  a  very  small  number,  Mr. 
Henry  Bohn,  the  publisher,  was  allowed  the  use  of  the 
copper-plates,  in  order  to  enable  him  to  bring  out  a  second 
edition  on  more  moderate  terms. 

We  must  not  omit  to  mention  James  Benwell,  in  the  employ 
of  the  Garden,  whose  portrait  adorns  the  library.  He  attended 
Sibthorp  on  his  botanical  excursions  in  the  country  and  dis- 
covered some  rare  plants.  "  His  integrity,  industry,  and  a 

travelled  over  a  considerable  part  of  the  Morea,  and  did  not  return  to 
England  till  the  autumn  of  1787.  The  value  of  the  services  which  Dr. 
Sibthorp  had  rendered  to  botany  during  these  travels  was  generally 
appreciated,  and  in  consideration  of  them  the  Crown  made  an  addition 
to  his  stipend  as  Professor  in  1793.  This  augmentation,  consisting  of 
;£ioo  per  annum,  exclusive  of  the  same  sum  granted  towards  the  keeping 
up  of  the  Garden,  was  then  charged  on  the  privy  purse  ;  but  has  since 
been  annually  voted  by  Parliament.  Dr.  Sibthorp,  convinced  that  much 
remained  to  be  done  for  the  completion  of  his  great  undertaking,  set 
out  a  second  time,  in  1794,  for  the  same  country,  attended  by  Francis 
Borone,  as  botanical  assistant,  and  accompanied  by  his  friend  Mr.  Hawkins. 
With  them  he  visited  Bithynia,  Mount  Olympus,  the  Troad,  the  isles  of 
Lemnos  and  Imbros,  Mount  Athos,  Attica,  Patras,  and  Zante.  Of  the 
following  year  they  spent  two  months  in  Morea,  after  which  Dr.  Sibthorp 
parted  from  his  companion,  Mr.  Hawkins,  and  returned  to  England  by 
Otranto.  A  severe  cold  caught  during  the  voyage  to  that  port  brought 
on  a  pulmonary  affection  ;  which,  after  his  return  to  England,  carried 
him  off  in  the  February  of  the  subsequent  year. 


22  INTRODUCTION 

natural  propriety  and  courtesy  of  manners  gained  him  the 
respect  and  esteem  of  all  who  knew  him."  He  died,  aged 
eighty-four,  in  1819. 

Dr.  Sibthorp  was  succeeded  by  Dr.  George  Williams,  of 
C.C.C.,  who  continued  in  possession  of  the  chair  till  his 
death  in  1834. 

The  Curator  of  the  Garden  was  William  Baxter,  an  in- 
defatigable botanist,  appointed  in  1813.  During  the  earlier 
years  of  his  curatorship  "  Botany  had  sunk  at  Oxford  to 
its  lowest  level.  Dr.  Williams,  although  an  elegant  scholar, 
added  nothing  to  botanical  science,  and  for  practical  instruc- 
tion in  botany  the  undergraduates  in  Oxford  had  recourse 
to  the  teachings  of  Mr.  Baxter."  *  He  got  together  a  nearly 
complete  collection  of  living  British  grasses  and  willows  and 
brought  the  collection  of  hardy  herbaceous  plants  to  a  high 
level.  No  one  better  understood 

The  culture  suiting  to  the  several  kinds 

Of  seeds  and  plants,  and  what  will  thrive  and  rise, 

And  what  the  genius  of  the  soil  denies. — DRYDEN'S  "  Georgics," 

But  in  Dr.  Williams'  time  he  was  denied  the  opportunities 
which  his  talents  deserved.  In  1851  he  retired  upon  an 
inadequate  pension  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  W.  H. 
Baxter. 

A  letter  written  by  Professor  Schultes,t  of  Landshut,  in 
Bohemia,  describing  his  visit  gives  us  a  good  idea  of  the  state 
of  things  in  1824  : 

"  We  were  anxious  to  take  advantage  of  one  of  those  clear 
days  which  are  so  uncommon  in  England,  in  order  to  visit 
Oxford,  which  is  only  about  fifty-eight  miles  distant  from  the 
metropolis.  We  performed  the  distance  in  less  than  six  hours, 

*  Quoted  in  Druce's  "  Oxford  Flora,"  from  Card.  Chron.,  Nov.  4, 
1871. 

f  Hooker's  "  Botanical  Miscellany,"  vol.  i- ;  also  see  "  Phil.  Mag." 
1829. 


INTRODUCTION  23 

though  at  some  risk  of  breaking  our  necks.  Sir  J.  E.  Smith 
had  been  so  obliging  as  to  give  us  a  letter  to  his  friend, 
Dr.  Williams,  Professor  of  Botany  and  Librarian  to  the 
Radcliffe  Library. 

"The  danger  of  inundation  to  which  it  is  exposed,  both  in 
winter  and  summer,  still  exists.  The  water  frequently  stands 
knee-deep  above  the  plants ;  and  as  the  lower  parts  of  the 
garden  cannot  be  sufficiently  raised  without  an  immense 
expense,  these  portions  are  left  quite  uncultivated.  The 
active  gardener,  who  is  a  Scotchman  named  Baxter,  devotes 
his  attention  chiefly  to  the  Cryptogamia  ;  partly  from  mortifi- 
cation at  finding  it  impossible  to  make  the  garden  such  as  he 
could  wish.  .  .  .  Mr.  Baxter  also  cultivates  with  zeal  the 
English  Willows,  having  a  living  individual  of  almost  every 
species,  in  a  proper  Salicetum.  To  the  Grasses,  likewise,  he 
gives  much  attention  ;  .  .  .  This  industrious  man, — with  the 
assistance  of  three  persons,  each  of  whom  receives  two 
shillings  per  day, — cultivates  between  4,000  and  5,000  species 
of  plants  in  the  wretched  houses  of  this  garden,  though,  in 
fact,  there  is  only  one  stove,  properly  so  called,  and  this  is 
much  too  small. 

"The  Oxford  Garden  is  inadequate  to  the  purposes  of 
botanical  instruction  in  the  present  state  of  science." 

A  later  critic  tells  us  that  the  Garden  had  fallen  "  into  bad 
repute,  from  the  sorry  and  dilapidated  condition  of  the  houses, 
which  its  benefactors,  a  century  back,  at  a  time  when  horti- 
culture was  in  its  infancy,  had  provided  for  the  reception  of 
exotics " ;  and  Dr.  Williams  must  have  been  fully  cognisant 
of  the  state  of  things,  for  on  his  death  it  was  found  that  he 
had  desired  his  sister  and  executrix  to  contribute  ^500  3-per- 
cent. Consols  to  the  Garden  Fund. 

His  successor,  Dr.  Daubeny,  thus  found  himself  in  possession 
of  a  nucleus  of  a  fund  for  the  improvement  of  the  Garden, 
which,  by  means  of  a  liberal  subscription  raised  in  the 
University,  augmented  by  a  contribution  from  the  Radcliffe 


24  INTRODUCTION 

Trustees  of  .£500,  was  soon  sextupled.  It  speaks  volumes  for 
the  popularity,  reputation,  and  energy  of  the  new  Professor  of 
Chemistry  and  Botany  that  the  money  came  in  so  promptly 
that  on  May  i,  the  day  of  his  inaugural  lecture,  he  was  able  to 
announce  over  ^1,600  in  addition  to  the  ^500.* 

Charles  Giles  Bridle  Daubeny  was  thirty-nine  years  old  when 
he  was  appointed  on  February  8,  i834,t  to  his  second  chair 
by  the  Electors,  the  President  and  Fellows  of  the  Royal 
College  of  Physicians.  In  appointing  him  they  no  doubt  felt 
that  they  could  not  go  wrong  in  taking  an  Oxford  man  with  a 
European  reputation  for  his  books  on  Volcanoes  and  on  the 
Atomic  Theory,  who  had,  moreover,  only  a  month  or  two 
before,  imparted  to  the  Linnean  Society  the  results  of  im- 
portant research  on  the  "  Selection  exercised  by  plants, 
with  regard  to  the  earthy  constituents  presented  to  their 
absorbing  surface,"  who  had  given  an  excellent  account  of 
the  Irritability  of  Plants  to  the  Ashmolean  Society,  and  who 
had  made  an  important  contribution  to  Walker's  "  Flora  of 
Oxfordshire."* 

It  would  take  too  much  space  here  to  rehearse  his  report 
upon  the  shortcomings  of  the  Garden,  his  story  of  useless 
green-houses  without  top  light  and  out  of  repair,  of  extravagant 
management,  neglected  herbaria,  damp  books, — but  the 
attention  of  those  in  power  may  well  be  drawn  to  his  pietas 
in  carrying  out  the  express  enjoinders  of  the  Statute  relating  to 
the  Sherardian  Professorship,  and  also  those  of  the  benefactor 
John  Sibthorp,  viz.  that  a  portion  of  the  Garden  should  be 
devoted  to  plants  employed  in  Medicine,  Agriculture,  or  the 

*  Of  a  total  of  £2,974  8s.  iod.,  private  subscribers  gave  £1,618  : 
£1,914  6s.  lod.  was  spent  on  the  Garden  and  £1,000  on  the  Library  and 
Collections  Building. 

f  But  by  bureaucratic  oversight  he  was  not  formally  elected  by  the 
University  until  June  25,  1840.  .' 

J  For  a  bibliography  of  Dr.  Daubeny's  works  see  the  author's  "  History 
of  the  Daubeny  Laboratory,"  Appendix  D, 


INTRODUCTION  25 

Arts,  and  that  the  Professor  of  Botany  should  reside  at  the 
Garden.* 

With  the  money  raised,  a  new  stove-house,  built  to  the 
plans  of  Mr.  Toby  of  Chelsea  for  ^450,  was  immediately 
commenced ;  the  Stone  Yard,  an  eyesore  near  Magdalen 
Bridge,  was  purchased  from  the  Street  Commissioners  for 
,£150,  only  to  be  surrendered  again  for  the  widening  of  the 
bridge  in  1882-3  ;  additions  were  made  to  the  Gardener's 
House  and  a  noisome  ditch  bridged  over ;  the  two  round 
tanks  for  aquatics  were  made  at  a  cost  of  £14$  8.r.  6d. ;  a 
porter's  lodge  for  £i  1 7  8s.  6d.,  and  new  rooms  on  the  north  side 
of  the  Library  cost  ^885, — these  were  among  the  improvements 
made  in  Daubeny's  first  year.  An  experimental  garden  was 
also  laid  out,  and  Baxter's  long-cherished  scheme  for  raising 
and  levelling  was  commenced.  Private  benefactors  sent 
valuable  plants  :  among  others  Lord  Carnarvon  sent  a  col- 
lection of  species  of  Crinum  and  Pancratium  from  Highclere; 
J.  Bateman  sent  Orchids,  and  William  Borrer,  Aquatics  ;  seeds 
were  received  from  Dr.  Wallich  of  Calcutta.  New  houses 
were  added  in  the  next  few  years,  one  in  July,  1839,  and 
the  Orchid  and  Victoria  Lily  houses  in  1851.  A  Botanical 
Museum  containing  specimens  too  large  for  the  Herbarium 
and  others  of  economic  importance  was  also  formed. 

During  this  period  the  affairs  of  the  Garden  were  nominally 
directed  by  a  Garden  Committee  consisting  of  the  Vice- 
Chancellor  and  Proctors,  with  certain  medical  graduates  resident 
in  Oxford,  but  in  February,  1856,  the  University  put  its  Garden 
under  a  "  Delegacy."  So  much  was  done  and  so  much  more 
needed  doing  that  their  finances  were  oftentimes  much  straitened; 
in  fact,  had  the  Professor  not  frequently  put  his  hand  into  his 
own  pocket,  they  would  never  have  got  on  at  all.  Quite 

*  For  close  on  thirty  years  the  University  has  preferred  dried  herbs 
to  a  live  Professor  as  tenant  for  the  Professor's  House  at  the  Garden, 
agreeable  to  the  policy  of  several  Oxford  Colleges,  which  ensures  that 
University  and  College  officials  shall  live  as  far  from  their  work  as  possible  ! 


26  INTRODUCTION 

early  in  his  tenure  of  the  office  it  was  currently  reported 
that  he  had  spent  ^2,000  of  his  own  money  on  the  Garden. 
Notwithstanding,  there  was  at  any  rate  one  member  of  the 
University  who  was  ungracious  enough  to  publish  a  grumble 
against  the  shilling  entry-fee  to  the  green-houses  which  the 
Committee  had  felt  it  their  duty  to  impose.  Daubeny's  letter 
of  March  18,  1856,  to  Convocation  was  a  very  satisfactory 
answer  to  his  critic. 

In  his  time  the  Garden  was  frequently  the  scene  of  receptions 
and  social  functions,  as,  for  instance,  on  the  memorable 
occasion  of  the  Meeting  of  the  British  Association  in  1847, 
when  the  Garden  Party  was  attended  by  Tiglath  Pileser,  Frank 
Buckland's  bear,  dressed  up  as  a  student  of  Christ  Church, 
with  cap  and  gown,  which  was  introduced  to  Sir  Charles  Lyell, 
Prince  Charles  L.  Bonaparte,  and  Milne  Edwards.  The  Show 
of  the  Oxfordshire  Horticultural  Society  held  here  in  June, 
1839,  will  be  long  remembered  in  literature  as  having  been 
visited  by  the  sisters  of  Mr.  Verdant  Green. 

Some  of  the  flowers  grown  in  1859  may  still  be  seen  in 
stone  carved  with  great  skill  on  the  corbels  and  capitals  of  the 
University  Museum.  And  again  much  of  the  sculpture  of  1906 
was  inspired  in  a  similar  manner. 

Many  are  the  references  in  biographies  to  parties  at  Dr. 
Daubeny's  "pleasant  residence"  at  the  Botanic  Garden. 
During  his  later  years  Dr.  Daubeny  kept  monkeys  in  a  cage 
let  into  the  Danby  gateway,  which  were  shown  to  guests  after 
dinner.  One  night  it  was  found  that  the  door  had  been  forced 
and  the  monkeys  liberated.  The  Professor  was  much  vexed, 
but  did  not  discover  the  culprit,  whom  Tuckwell  believed  to 
be  Harry  Wilkins  of  Merton.  The  monkeys  were  captured 
next  day  "  wandering  dismal  on  the  Iffley  Road,  or  perched, 
crepitantes  dentibus^  on  the  railings  in  Rose  Lane."  The  Oxford 
CfowzzV/d  for  January  18,  1868,  contained  the  unusual  announce- 
ment of  the  "Sale,  by  Dr.  Daubeny's  executors,  of  furniture, 
old  wines,  some  of  the  pictures,  MONKEYS  and  CAGE,  and 


INTRODUCTION  27 

valuable  miscellaneous  effects.  At  the  Botanical  Gardens, 
Oxford:' 

Dr.  Daubeny,  in  the  words  of  his  biographer,  lived  to  see 
the  old  Garden  entirely  arranged,  enriched  with  extensive 
houses,  extended  in  area,  and  made  both  attractive  and 
beautiful. 

Yet  Professor  Phillips,  in  an  Obituary  Address  to  the 
Ashmolean  Society,  stated — and  no  one  was  in  a  better 
position  to  know — that  the  delightful  study  of  plants,  which 
tempted  the  great  Swedish  naturalist  to  visit  most  of  the 
gardens  of  Europe,  would  hardly  induce  a  resident  in  Oxford 
to  pass  beneath  the  graceful  arch  which  records  the  foundation 
among  us  "of  what  was  once,  and  perhaps  may  be  again, 
considered  to  be  one  of  the  most  important  of  the  Natural 
History  studies  approved  by  the  University." 

Dr.  Daubeny's  successor,  Mr.  M.  A.  Lawson,*  was  not  the 
man  to  impress  his  contemporaries  with  the  importance  of  his 
subject.  His  energies  were  principally  directed  to  the  class- 
teaching  of  microscopic  anatomy  and  histology  of  plants,  less 
to  the  care  of  the  Garden. 

The  early  seventies  were  very  critical  years  in  the  history 
of  the  Garden.  The  entire  family  of  the  Natural  Sciences  had 
assembled  in  the  University  Parks,  to  the  mutual  assistance 
and  great  contentment  of  its  members.  Botany  was  the  only 
absentee  from  the  circle.  Her  presence  was  urgently 
required  to  aid  the  Palaeontologist  with  his  fossil  plants,  the 
Physiologist  with  material  for  vivisection  without  licence, 
students  in  general  and  botanical  students  in  particular  with 
a  garden  in  which  they  might,  without  loss  of  time,  gather 
valuable  information  and  maintain  health  while  (as  Sir  J.  E. 
Smith  expressed  it)  "conversing  with  God  in  the  garden  of 
Creation." 

*  Born  at  Seaton  Carew,  co.  Durham,  1840  ;  M.A.  Trinity  College, 
Cambridge.  He  died  as  Director  of  the  Botanical  Department,  Ootaca- 
mund,  India,  at  Madras,  1896. 


28  INTRODUCTION 

The  idea  was  that  five  acres  might  be  railed  off  from  the 
Parks  as  a  "  Garden  of  Instruction  "  while  a  newly  planted 
and  carefully  chosen  series  of  trees  would  become  in  time 
a  useful  Arboretum,  without  additional  cost.  Moreover,  the 
Botanic  Garden  would  then  be  the  actual  property  of  the 
University  instead  of  the  property  of  Magdalen  College. 
Sir  William  Hooker  and  Professor  Daubeny  were  reported 
to  have  favoured  the  idea  of  the  move. 

In  1873  tne  Garden  Committee  consulted  with  Dr.  Hooker, 
Director  of  the  Royal  Gardens,  Kew,  who  reported  upon 
various  plans,  and  gave  it  as  his  opinion  that  as  the  erection 
of  new  Glass-houses  had  become  absolutely  necessary,  even  if 
the  Garden  were  to  be  retained  upon  its  ancient  site,  the  expense 
of  making  a  new  Garden  would  be  some  ,£2,000  greater  than 
the  repair  and  improvement  of  the  old  Garden  ;  and  that, 
moreover,  the  Professor  would  lose  his  official  residence.  On  the 
whole  Dr.  Hooker  was  adverse  to  the  removal  of  the  Garden,* 
and  Professor  Lawson,  on  second  thoughts,  was  with  him. 

Dr.  Acland  took  the  matter  up  with  characteristic  energy. 
His  life-scheme  of  a  united  Scientific  Institute  in  Oxford  with 
the  grand  design  of  the  development  of  a  complete  national 
education  in  science  was  in  danger  of  remaining  incomplete 
—perhaps  for  ever. 

On  Tuesday,  May  23,  1876,  the  University  settled  the 
question  by  voting  £2,200  for  the  new  Class  Room  and 
Laboratory,  and  for  refitting  the  Herbarium  as  a  Lecture 
Room,  and  thus  the  Garden  and  Laboratories,  according  to  the 
words  of  Dr,  Acland,  remained  "  on  a  leasehold,  apart  from 
the  rest  of  the  Scientific  apparatus  of  the  University,  but 
attached  to  the  Scientific  Department  of  Magdalen." 

*  "A  Letter  to  Dr.  Hooker,  Director  of  the  Royal  Gardens  at  Kew, 
President  of  the  Royal  Society,"  2nd  edit.,  published  by  James  Parker 
&  Co.,  Oxford  and  London,  1875.  The  first  imprint  of  this  second 
edition  contained  a  personal  remark  for  which  it  was  recalled.  We 
reprint  the  effective  skit  on  it  as  an  Appendix. 


INTRODUCTION  29 

The  building  of  the  new  Glass-houses,  although  strongly 
recommended  by  Lawson  and  his  successor,  was  not  as  a 
matter  of  fact  commenced  until  1893. 

During  the  fourteen  years  of  Mr.  Marmaduke  Lawson's 
tenure  of  the  chair,  but  few  improvements  were  made  in  the 
Garden,  nor  was  the  output  of  scientific  work  considerable. 
One  fact,  however,  is  well  established,  and  that  is  that  just 
before  Professor  Lawson's  departure  to  a  new  post  in  India,  he 
caused  an  irreparable  loss  to  the  Garden  by  the  disposal  of 
the  gems  of  the  succulent  collection,  unique  specimens,  to  Kew. 

An  incident  of  more  than  passing  interest  was  the  in- 
auguration of  the  Oxfordshire  Natural  History  Society, 
founded  by  Mr.  G.  C.  Druce  and  Professor  Westwood,  in 
the  Lecture  Room  on  May  27,  1880.  Professor  Lawson  was 
in  the  chair. 

During  1883,  before  the  election  of  Professor  Lawson's 
successor,  one  of  the  Curators,  Mr.  Edward  Chapman,  of 
Magdalen  College,  took  entire  charge  of  the  Garden.  He  saw 
to  the  auditing  of  the  accounts,  paid  the  bills,  delivered  lec- 
tures on  Vegetable  Physiology  to  undergraduates  reading  for 
the  Honour  School  of  Natural  Science,  and  superintended  their 
practical  work  with  Mr.  C.  H.  Wright,  acquired  and  obtained 
reports  upon  Baxter's  extensive  Herbarium,  recorded  the 
flowering  of  the  Aloes,  got  a  guide  convicted  of  wilfully 
plucking  flowers  and  fined  los.  and  costs,  and  reported  to 
his  colleagues. 

In  the  leading  horticultural  journal  appeared  the  notice : 
"For  the  first  time  in  our  remembrance  we  have  received  a 
report  of  the  Oxford  Botanic  Garden,  and,  in  so  far  an 
interregnum,  seems  to  have  advantages  over  a  regular  govern- 
ment." We  might  go  a  step  further  in  the  direction  of  the 
definite,  and  add  that  government  by  one  man  who  knows  and 
has  the  real  interests  of  his  work  at  heart  has  advantages  over 
government  by  members  of  a  committee  chosen  because  there 
is  nobody  else,  and  they  happen  to  be  there  ! 


30  INTRODUCTION 

Professor  Balfour,*  unfortunately,  was  not  with  us  long  enough 
to  carry  through  all  his  intended  reforms,  but  the  Report  pub- 
lished by  him  upon  the  state  of  the  Garden  was  of  assistance  to 
those  who  came  after.  The  systematic  herbaceous  beds  were 
remodelled  under  his  direction. 

The  changes  were  not  popular  with  every  one,  but  they 
hardly  merited  the  biting  words  of  Tuckwell :  "  New  brooms 
swept  the  unique  old  Garden  clean  ;  young  men  arose  who 
knew  not  Joseph  ;  young  men  in  a  hurry  to  produce  a  little 
Kew  upon  the  incongruous  Cherwell  banks.  So  Baxter  fils 
was  cashiered,  the  Linnean  borders  razed,  the  monumental 
plants  uprooted." 

With  the  appointments  of  Dr.  Vines  as  Professor  and  of 
Mr.  Baker  as  Curator  in  1888,  a  new  era  may  be  said  to  have 
commenced.  The  University,  after  turning  deaf  ears  to  the 
reports  of  Committees  and  Professors  for  a  score  of  years,  at 
length  voted  the  much-needed  money  for  new  Glass-houses. 

In  1889  a  Seed-list  was  compiled  by  Mr.  Baker,  and  was 
printed  and  circulated  far  more  widely  than  its  predecessor 
200  years  before.  The  advantage  to  the  Garden  was  great 
and  immediate — in  fact,  in  the  first  year  the  Garden  received 
880  plants  and  930  packets  of  seeds.  The  labour  involved  by 
this  branch  of  garden  work  alone  may  be  gathered  from  Mr. 
Baker's  figures  published  with  the  Curators'  annual  reports, 
from  which  it  appears  that  in  the  twenty-one  years  since  the 
appearance  of  the  annual  Seed-list  the  Garden  has  distributed 
12,827  plants,  2,416  bulbs,  and  69,721  packets  of  seeds — 
receiving  in  exchange  10,887  plants,  3,148  bulbs,  and  37,149 
packets  of  seeds. 

During  the  same  period  the  increase  of  the  Medical  School, 
and,  more  recently,  the  transference  to  Oxford  of  the  School 

*  Born  1853  ;  M.D.  Edin.,  D.Sc.,  F.R.S. ;  Regius  Professor  of  Botany, 
Glasgow,  1879-84 ;  Sherardian  Professor,  Oxford,  1884-8  ;  Regius 
Professor  of  Botany,  Edinburgh,  and  King's  Botanist  in  Scotland,  since 
1888. 


INTRODUCTION  31 

of  Indian  Forestry  from  Cooper's  Hill,  have  so  greatly  swelled 
the  numbers  of  undergraduates  studying  laboratory  botany 
that  the  very  limited  accommodation  in  the  old  buildings  at 
the  Garden  proved  insufficient,  and  the  present  scheme  was 
evolved,  of  teaching  parts  of  the  science  at  four  different 
centres  outside  the  Garden.*  It  is  an  unfortunate  plan,  wasteful 
alike  of  University  and  College  funds  and  space,  and  of  the  time 
and  energy  of  teachers  and  students.  For  such  mismanagement 
the  Hebdomadal  Council  and  the  Oxford  system  of  government 
by  Committees  are  principally  to  blame.  They  have  pro- 
mulgated no  comprehensive  scheme  for  the  development  of 
botanical  science,  nor  does  it  appear  likely  that  any  single 
member  of  that  Council  can  have  the  time  during  the  present 
period  of  frenzied  legislation  to  study  fully  the  needs  of  all  its 
multifarious  departments  or  the  true  relationships  between 
them  and  the  other  scientific  departments  of  the  University. 

But  it  is  with  the  open-air  Garden  that  we  are  now  more 
immediately  concerned.  Let  us  hope  that  better  and  better 
uses  may  be  made  of  the  ground  available,  always  bearing  in 
mind  the  purposes  for  which  it  was  originally  intended,  and 
for  which  generations  of  benefactors  have  given  of  their 
wealth.  It  is  none  too  large  for  the  purpose  :  plot  after  plot 
cannot  be  sacrificed  to  the  ever-increasing  number  of  branches 
of  the  science  and  to  the  apparatus  necessary  for  their  study, 
without  damage  by  corrosion  to  the  ancient  institution  in  which 
we  take  so  much  pride. 

Less  than  twenty  years  ago  the  University  of  Oxford  could 
boast  the  possession  of  three  venerable  institutions,  the  Bodleian 
Library,  the  Ashmolean  Museum,  and  the  Botanic  Garden, 
each  the  oldest  of  its  kind  in  England  and  among  the  oldest 
in  Europe.  Visitors  from  all  parts  of  the  civilised  world  come 

*  Department  of  Comparative  Anatomy,  at  the  University  Museum  ; 
Department  of  Rural  Economy,  Parks  Road ;  Department  of  Pathology, 
Parks  Road  ;  and  the  Daubeny  Laboratory  of  Magdalen  College. 


32  INTRODUCTION 

expecting  to  see  original  collections  in  original  cases  in  coeval 
buildings.  By  the  vandalism  of  1894  this  unique  arrangement 
was  destroyed  at  the  Museum,  and  with  the  approval  of  the 
Keeper,  and  so  only  two  out  of  the  three  institutions 
remain  in  anything  like  their  original  condition.  With  such 
an  example  before  our  eyes  we  should  be  the  more  careful 
of  our  unique  heritage  at  the  Botanic  Garden.  Let  us 
endeavour  to  preserve  it  as  one  of  those  precious  memorials 
of  the  past  which  our  visitors  expect  to  find  in  Oxford.  Let 
us  not  aim  at  employing  our  limited  means  in  making 
a  third-rate  imitation  of  the  speciality  of  others ;  let  us 
rather  cherish  whatever  of  the  distant  past  is  still  left  to 
us,  and  let  incongruous  modern  developments  seek  ground 
elsewhere. 

In  the  future  perhaps  we  may  hope  to  see  a  further  exten- 
sion southward  in  the  direction  of  the  walks  round  Christ 
Church  meadow,  and,  with  the  concurrence  of  that  House,  the 
planting  there  of  varieties  of  hardy  trees  and  larger  shrubs,  for 
which  there  is  no  room  within  the  walls,  to  form  an  Arboretum 
worthy  of  the  oldest  Botanic  Garden  and  University  in  England. 
On  the  Cherwell  eyots  too,  both  above  and  especially  below 
Magdalen  Bridge,  there  is  room  not  only  to  re-establish 
Baxter's  Salicetum,  but  for  water-gardens  and  collections  of 
marsh  plants  such  as  no  horticulturist  has  yet  seen. 

The  Cherwell,  with  his  occasional  floods,  may  be  trusted  to 
do  his  part,  for  either — 

In  ninefold  volume  now,  a  Stygian  stream, 

Uncertain  of  his  willows  Cherwell  glides 

Athwart  his  vale,  and  o'er  his  wanderings 

A  dense  white  level  pall  of  mist  is  spread. — W.  MOORE. 

Or, 

He  makes  sweet  music  with  the  enamelled  stones, 

Giving  a  gentle  kiss  to  every  sedge 

He  overtaketh  in  his  pilgrimage, 

And  so  by  many  winding  nooks  he  strays 

With  willing  sport  to  the  wild  ocean.  — BROWNING. 


THE   HARDY   PLANTS 
The  arrangement  of  the  Oxford  Garden  is  always  changing — 

Times  do  change  and  move  continually, 
So  nothing  here  long  standeth  in  one  stay  : 
Wherefore  this  lower  world  who  can  deny 
But  to  be  subject  still  to  mutability. 

Bobart's  Garden  was  divided  into  small  beds  by  many  paths, 
as  shown  in  Loggan's  plan  of  1675,  an(^  roughly  indicated 
in  his  reduced  plan,  reprinted  on  p.  7.  The  total  length  of 
beds  must  have  exceeded  10,000  ft.  Later,  the  number  of 
clipped  shrubs  was  increased  and  the  arrangement  of  the  beds 
altered  (cf.  Williams'  plan,  p.  15).  The  chief  interest  of  the 
Garden  lay  in  its  medicinal  herbs,  and  no  doubt  the  grouping 
of  the  plants  followed  the  views  of  the  herbalists.  In  these 
early  days  many  more  species  and  varieties  of  hardy  plants 
seem  to  have  been  grown,  than  is  the  case  at  the  present 
day,  but  then  there  were  no  large  trees.  An  early  list  of 
species  is  preserved  in  the  British  Museum  (MS.  Sloane,  1038). 

Later  the  results  of  the  travels  of  scientific  botanists  such 
as  Sibthorp  bore  fruit,  and  the  purpose  of  Botanic  Gardens 
came  to  be  considered  to  illustrate  the  floras  of  the  different 
regions  of  the  world.  And  so,  by  the  beginning  of  the 
nineteenth  century,  the  arrangement  of  the  Garden  had  come 
to  be  primarily  a  geographical  one,  and  secondarily  according 
to  the  various  kinds  of  plants,  whether  trees,  perennials,  or 
annuals. 

In  the  thirties,   Dr.    Daubeny  caused  the  beds  to  be  re- 
arranged so  that  the  plants  might  be  disposed  with  reference 
to  their  natural  affinities ;  but  of  course  the  older  shrubs  and 
trees   necessarily    remained    as    before,   and    traces    of    the 
3  33 


34 


HARDY   PLANTS 


geographical  method  may  still  be  noted.  According  to  his 
impartial  scheme  (1834)  the  Linnean  Classification  was 
illustrated  by  the  eastern  half,  the  Natural  System  as  stated 
by  De  Candolle,  by  the  western  half  of  the  Garden,  but  the 
Materia  Medica  and  Grasses  were  outside  the  walls,  beyond  an 
Experimental  Garden  which  was  also  laid  out  there  by  Dr. 
Daubeny. 

Modifications  to  meet  the  views  of  practical  horticulturists 
such  as  Baxter  and  his  successors  have  from  time  to  time 
been  made,  but  the  systematic  grouping  has  on  the  whole 
been  fairly  maintained. 

S.  Gate 


Sedges     P'ern  Border 

British  Aquarium 

2 

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PQ 

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E.  Gate 


oo 
Id 

BRITISH             ^ 

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PERENNIALS          % 

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p         w  —  • 
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W.  Gate 


Danby  Gate 

THE  OXFORD  BOTANIC  GARDEN  IN  THE  EARLY  PART  OF  THE 
NINETEENTH  CENTURY 


THE  TREES,   SHRUBS,   AND   WALL   PLANTS 

Par  ses  fruits,  par  ses  fleurs,  par  son  beau  vetement, 

L'arbre  est  de  nos  jardins  le  plus  bel  ornement : 

Pour  mieux  plaire  a  nos  yeux  combien  il  prend  de  formes. 

DELILLE,  Les  Jardins. 
For  detailed  lists  of  the  Wall  Plants,  see  p.  144. 

On  the  strip  of  land  intervening  between  the  Botanic 
Garden  proper  and  High  Street  is  a  specimen  of  Wellingtonia, 
Sequoia  gigantea,  the  tallest  growing  tree  in  the  world,  which, 
should  it  ever  attain  to  its  full  height,  would  extend  without 
a  branch  to  the  height  of  Magdalen  Tower,  and  would 
then  support  a  pyramid  of  branches,  the  topmost  of  which 
would  reach  to  the  dizzy  height  of  three  Towers  one  on  top 
of  the  other  !  The  girth  of  such  a  tree  would  be  90  ft. ; 
our  specimen  measuring  but  7  ft.  i  in.  An  American 
botanist  has  renamed  this  genus  Washingtonia  :  there  is  no 
end  to  the  confusion  introduced  into  scientific  nomenclature 
by  the  ignorance  or  jealousy  of  "  scientists  "  over  the  water. 

The  Cedar  of  Lebanon,  with  a  trunk  girth  of  8|  ft.,  was  a 
fine-grown  tree  before  the  weight  of  the  snowfall  of  April  25, 
1908,  when  1 8  in.  of  snow  fell  and  brought  down  one  limb  : 
the  building  of  Professor  Vines'  new  Laboratory  in  1911 
bringing  down  another.  In  1836  it  was  already  30  ft.  high, 
with  a  trunk  diameter  of  i  ft.  3  in.,  and  a  head  diameter  of 
27  ft.  One  day,  let  us  hope,  its  place  will  be  adequately 
taken  by  the  two  young  cedars  near  by ;  but  the  soil  does 

35 


BOAR 


TREE 

DANBY 


Thuja  menziesia  Cupressus  lawsoniana 

var.  lutea 

Juniperus      sphaerica, 
Lindl.,  N.  China 

Corn  us     tartaricus,     var. 

Spathii 

Juniperus  chinensis,  Lin.,    Tsuga  canadensis,  N.E. 
China  America 

c 

Berberis    buxifolia,    Ma- 
gellan Region 

Libocedrus  decurrens,     Cupressus  lawsoniana, 
Torr. ,  California  Silver    Queen 

Thuja    orientalis,    Japan 
Cupressus    lawsoniana     Cupressus    sempervirens, 


viridistricta 


Levant 


R<  BINIA  PSEUDACACIA        Chamaeocyparis    obtusa, 
Prunus  spectabilis,  China        Japan,  var.  plumosa 
Coryluscolurna ,  L.,  Him-     Retinospora  obtusa,  Jap. 
alaya  6  ft. 

Thuja 

[Prunus  cocomilia,  Ten.] 


Abies  veitchii,  Japan 
Ilex  aquifolium,  Europe 
Pinus     monticola,     Cali- 
:     fornia 


Crataegus  oxyacantha 


GYMNOCLADUS 
CANADENSIS,  L., 

N.  America 

*    •• 
Cupressus  lawsoniana, 

California 

Picea  pungens 
Pinus  sylvestris 


For  lists  of  wall-plants,  see  p,  144 


Biota  orientalis,  var.  TAXODIUM   DISTICHUM 

compacta  N.  America 
Syringa 

Clerodendron       trichoto-  Laburnum    vulgare,   var 

mum,  Japan  quercifolium 

Juniperus     communis, 
Europe 


Phillyrea  villemoriana,  Euonymus  latifolium 

Asia  Minor 
Cupressus  macnabiana, 

California  j« 

g"       Philadelphus     grandi- 
rlalesia  hispida,  Japan  .2  florus 


Thuja  orientalis,  var.   j| 
elegantissimum 


PVRUS        INTERMEDIA, 

Erh  ,  Europe,  5'  9" 


FOUN 

Aesculus  flava        6'  4"\ 

Cupressus  fastigiata  Fraxinus       pubescens. 

N.  America  4'  8' 

Buxus  balearica,   S.  Eu-    Cladrastis   tinctoria, 

rope  Rafin.,  N.  America 

Chamaeocyparis  pisifera,    AESCULUS      RUBICUNDA, 

Japan,  var.  aurea  Lodd.,  N.  America 

6  ft.  6  in. 


Abies  brachyphylla, 

Japan  .£  <£  o.  Diospyros    virginiana. 

Cupressus    lawsoni-    u  "£'  3        N.  America        3  ft. 

ana,  var.  alumi        <3      ^   Viburnum  prunifolium. 


«      «. 

«""  o  ^       L. ,  N.  America 
Pinus  cembra,   Eu-  3i  |  -f 

rope  8^1    ^'n^S° 

Lonicera    albigena      rt  ^"  « 
AILANTHUS  GLAND-  "2  -"  "•*  TAXUS   BACCATA 

2    c    jy 
ULOSA,  Desf.,  China    buo  ^  ^        Europe 

6  ft.  3  in.  ^      ^ 

SOUTH 


PLAN,  1911 
GATE 


DOG 


OPHORA  JAPONICA 

Juniperus  chinensis,  var. 

Prunus   serotina,    N. 

aurea 

Thuja  orientalis,  L., 

America          3  ft.  6  in. 

'otoneaster  nummularia 

,     Laurus  benzoin 

China 

N.  Africa 

Cupressus  lawsoniana, 

Cupressus     noolkatensis, 

Pyrus  germanica 

var.  lutea 

Lamb,    Oregon,     var. 

lutea 

piraeas 

Cistus  laurifolius 

Calycanthus  floridus,  L.  , 

N.  America 

F 

A 

Juniperus  thurifera,  S.W. 

Thuja   occidentals,   var. 

Europe 

vervaeneana 

Elaeagnus  macrophyllus, 

Cistus  cyprius 

'yrus  sorbus,  Europe 

Thunb.  ,  Japan 

Chamaeocyparis    obtusa, 

Chamaeocyparis    filifera, 

Crataegus  orientalis,  Le- 

Japan,    var.     plumosa 

Japan 

vant                 2  ft.  9  in. 

Willows 

aurea 

Crataegus     tanacetifolia, 

OSTRYA   CARPINIFOLIA,   S.    Europe           4'  3" 

Levant            3  ft.  5  in. 

\ 

TAIN        FRAXINUS  ORNUS        8 ft  6 in.        SON 


DIAL     PYRUS  SORBUS,  Europe    COPPER  BEECH 


FAG  us        SYLVATICA  Picea  excelsa,  var.  pyra- 

ASPLENI  FOLIA     6'  8"         midalis 

IUERCUS  MACROCARPA,  Corylopsis  spicata,  Japan 

N.  America     3  ft.  2  in. 

-onicera  xylostemum  Chamaeocyparis  lawsoni- 
ana,  var. 

Birch    5  ft.  3  in.  Podocarpus  andina,  Jap. 


rt        Cupressus      glauca, 
I    g-       China 
cer  monspessulanum    ^  vo  Pyrus  maulei,  Japan 

5  ft.  6  in.    8  <S 

s  *•»«  •    • 

*C        Cryptomena  japomca, 
g  <       JaPan 

AXUS    BACCATA  * 


, 

Europe  6  ft.    y 


yrus  cydonia 
GATE 


g  jjj  Ptelea  trifoliata 
PQ 


Taxus  baccata,   var.  ele-    Pyrus    aria,     Ehr.,    Eu- 

gantissima  rope  4  ft. 

Xanthoceras      sorbifolia,    CRATAEGITS      OXYACAN- 

China  THA  4  ft.  4  in. 

Podocarpus    japonica, 

Japan 

Thuja   plicata,   N.W.     Rhamnus     catharticus, 
America  Europe 

B 
Cupressus  lawsoniana,     Staphylea  pinnata 

var.  compacta 
Halimodendron       argen-    Carpinus  betulus        7  ft. 

teum,  Asia 
Taxus    baccata,    var. 

adpressa  *         Pyrus  malus 

!*        PYRUS  COMMUNIS 
g  ^    Fraxinujs     excelsior, 
PINUS  AUSTRIACA          "o  "°        var.  pendula 

9  ft.  9  in.  3  ft.  9  in. 

The  measurements  are  trunk-girths 


38  TREES 

not  appear  to  suit  well,  and  it  will  not  be  in  our  time  that 
they  will  attain  to  the  massive  beauty  of  the  old  cedar. 

Beyond  the  large  Holm  Oak,  Quercus  ilex,  8  ft.  in  girth, 
to  the  east,  has  been  newly  planted  an  Arbor  vitae,  Thuja 
occidentalism  interesting  as  the  particular  species  of  American 
tree  which  was  the  first  to  be  cultivated  in  this  country. 

Near  the  Lime  by  the  main  entrance  to  the  Garden  is 
our  largest  Box-tree,  with  a  stem  of  about  2  ft.  in  girth. 
Box-wood  has  been  used  to  such  an  extent  for  making 
engraved  blocks  for  the  illustration  of  books  and  journals 
that  the  supply  of  large  pieces  in  recent  years  has  not  kept 
pace  with  the  demand.  It  will  be  interesting  to  see  whether 
the  substitution  of  photographic  process-blocks  for  wood-cuts 
will  give  large  box-trees  a  new  lease  of  life. 

PLAN  OF  THE  GARDEN 

The  plan  of  the  Garden  within  the  walls  still  retains  its 
early  simplicity.  There  is  a  walk  along  each  of  the  four 
sides.  Two  main  walks  leading  from  the  North  to  the  South 
Gate  and  from  the  East  to  the  West  Gate  cross  one  another 
by  a  circular  fountain  in  the  middle  of  the  square  garden. 
Two  other  walks  from  north  to  south  divide  the  Garden  into 
eight  plots,  which  for  ready  reference  are  marked  A  to  H 
upon  the  plan.  These  two  walks  may  be  termed  the  Dog 
Walk  and  the  Boar  Walk,  after  the  sculptures  which  orna- 
ment them.  The  originals  are  in  the  Uffizi  Gallery  in 
Florence. 

The  arrangement  of  the  trees  is  shown  on  the  plan,  pp.  36 
and  37.     A  list  of  wall-plants  is  printed  on  p.  144. 
Trunk-girths  are  measured  at  a  height  of  about  4  ft. 

On  entering  the  Garden  by  the  Danby  Gate  the  visitor 
cannot  fail  to  notice  the  very  fine  Sophora  japonica,  close  on 
70  ft.  in  height,  a  species  of  Leguminous  tree  common  in 
courtyards  of  Eastern  temples,  whose  flowers  yield  a  yellow 


TREES  39 

dye;  and  the  Deciduous  Cypress,  Taxodium  distichum. 
These  two  trees  grow  in  striking  contrast  to  left  and  right  of 
the  middle  path  to  the  Fountain.  The  latter  is  an  example  of 
a  cone-bearing  plant  which  sheds  its  leaves  in  winter.  It  was 
planted  about  1840  and  is  now  5  ft.  8  in.  in  girth;  but  in 
Mexico,  its  native  land,  it  attains  to  a  girth  of  trunk  of 
90  ft.  and  to  a  great  age :  "  the  identical  tree  at  Chapultipec 
under  which  Montezuma  was  accustomed  to  sit  previously 
to  the  conquest  of  Mexico  is  yet  living,  and  known  as  the 
Cypress  of  Montezuma." 

The  Oxford  Sophora,  with  its  girth  of  13  ft.,  surpasses  by 
a  foot  the  taller  specimen  at  Cambridge.  It  was  planted  by 
the  elder  Baxter  about  1817,  and  it  is  still  growing  rapidly. 

Immediately  within  the  Danby  Gate  on  the  left,  in  a  warm 
corner  of  the  wall,  is  Christ's  Thorn,  Paliurus  aculeatus^  a 
native  of  the  Mediterranean  region.  It  was  checked  by  the 
severe  winter  of  1837-8,  when  the  thermometer  sank  to 
i°  Fahrenheit,  but  it  recovered.  It  attracts  especial  attention 
because  it  is  considered  to  be  the  plant  from  which  the  Crown 
of  Thorns  was  made.  It  is  certainly  spinous  enough,  and  is 
a  common  hedge-plant  in  the  Holy  Land,  where,  however,  a 
large  proportion  of  the  flora  also  bear  spines.  It  is  covered 
in  autumn  with  a  profusion  of  small  yellow  flowers.  Another 
claimant  to  the  honour  of  the  Crown  is  the  Glastonbury  Thorn. 

Turning  to  the  left,  the  visitor  will  find,  in  the  north- 
eastern corner,  the  Wild  Black  Cherry  Bark,  Prunus  scrotina, 
a  medicinal  tree  of  N.  America,  a  Medlar,  Pyrus  germanica, 
arid  two  Levantine  Thorns;  while  against  the  East  Wall  grow 
specimens  of  Kerria  japonica^  of  Smilax  sarsaparilla  from 
Florida,  misnamed  because  it  does  not  yield  the  drug  after 
which  Linnaeus  named  it,  and  of  the  Dutchman's  Pipe, 
Aristolochia  sipko,  remarkable  for  its  singularly  formed  flowers, 
which  reach  a  larger  size  in  a  tropical  species  grown  under 
glass  on  the  other  side  of  the  wall.  At  intervals  are  planted 
Roses  and  Ivies  (unnamed).  In  the  bed  are  species  of  Ribes. 


40  TREES 

In  the  gravel  walk  between  the  East  Gate  and  the  Fountain 
grows  a  magnificent  specimen  of  the  Service  Tree,  Pyrus 
sorbus,  said  to  have  been  planted  from  the  fruit  of  the  Wyre 
Forest  tree  by  Professor  Sibthorp  (1784-95)  and  now  50  ft. 
high,  girth  5  ft.  4  in.,  the  largest  but  one  in  this  country,  but, 
like  the  White  Beam,  Pyrus  aria,  near  by,  sadly  overshadowed 
by  the  large  Copper  Beech  (fig.  p.  98),  which,  though  the 
largest  timber  tree  in  the  Garden,  girth  12  ft.  6  in.,  is  not 
worthy  of  the  area  it  covers,  and  should  be  sawn  back  with 
unsparing  hand.  As  in  many  other  large  examples  of  its  kind, 
the  copper  colour  is  less  well  pronounced  than  in  younger  trees. 
A  Beech  of  the  purple  variety  may  be  seen  in  Wadham  Garden. 

The  next  tree  is  a  specimen  of  the  Glastonbury  Thorn, 
Crataegus  oxyacantha,  the  descendant  of  the  famous  thorn 
said  to  have  grown  from  the  walking-staff  cut  from  the  thorn 
used  for  crowning  our  Saviour,  which  Joseph  of  Arimathea 
stuck  into  the  ground  at  Glastonbury,  when  it  immediately 
put  forth  leaves  and  flowers  !  It  sent  out  its  blossoms  on 
Christmas  Day  each  year,  refusing  in  1733  to  accommodate 
itself  to  the  new  style,  and  with  conservative  persistence 
blossomed  on  January  5.  The  original  thorn  was  destroyed 
by  Puritan  fanatics — one  of  whom  "was  wel  served  for  his 
blind  zeale,  who,  going  to  cut  doune  an  ancient  white  Hau- 
thorne-tree,  which,  because  she  budded  before  others,  might 
be  an  occasion  of  Superstition,  had  some  of  the  prickles  flew 
into  his  eye  and  made  him  Monocular "  (James  Howel,  in 
"  Dodona's  Grove  ")• 

The  Common  Buckthorn,  Rhamnus  catharticus,  used  for- 
merly to  be  valued  for  its  bluish-black  berries  which  yield  a 
nauseous  and  violent  purge,  and  also  the  Sap  Green  pigment 
of  painters.  A  preparation  of  the  bark  of  an  allied 
N.  American  species,  R.  purshiana,  is  used  in  .medicine  under 
the  name  of  Cascara  Sagrada.  The  leaves  of  our  tree  are 
highly  appreciated  by  green  fly  and  form  a  source  of  infection 
to  other  plants. 


TREES  41 

The  East  Wall  is  largely 

With  ivy  canopied,  and  interwove 
With  flaunting  honeysuckle— MILTON  ; 

but  we  also  notice  a  typical  plant  of  the  Moonseed, 
Menispermum  canadense,  with  its  large  handsome  foliage  and 
horseshoe  or  crescent-shaped  carpels,  whence  it  takes  its 
name.  A  Wistaria  sinensis  has  monopolised  a  large  portion 
of  the  wall  and  forms  a  striking  object  in  the  spring,  from 
the  profusion  and  magnitude  of  its  pendent  clusters  of  blue 
papilionaceous  flowers.  Before  the  severe  winter  of  1860  a 
Judas  Tree,  Certis  siliquastrum,  flourished  for  thirty  years 
against  this  wall.  Its  purplish-pink  flowers  generally  appeared 
a  month  later  than  Easter,  the  proper  date  according  to  its 
fabulous  reputation  as  the  tree  upon  which  Judas  Iscariot 
hanged  himself. 

In  the  shrubbery  on  the  right  are  the  Hornbeam,  Carpinus 
betulus,  a  tree  indigenous  to  the  chalk  of  Oxfordshire  (Druce), 
Staphylea  pinnata,  the  Apple,  Pyrus  ma/us,  and  a  large  Pear- 
tree  ;  and  in  the  south-east  corner  of  the  Garden  a  note- 
worthy Weeping  Ash,  with  a  perfect  tangle  of  contorted 
branches  which  have  actually  grown  into  one  another  where 
they  cross.  This  tree  is  no  doubt  a  descendant  of  the  original 
found  near  Wimpole  in  Cambridgeshire  in  the  middle  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  which  has  been  propagated  by  grafting  on 
stems  of  the  Common  Ash. 

Proceeding  by  the  walk  along  the  South  Wall  we  notice 
an  Austrian  Pine,  9  ft.  9  in.  in  girth,  and  the  North 
American  Ptelea  trifoliata  standing  at  the  south  end  of  the 
Dog  Walk,  on  either  side  of  which  have  been  planted  elegant 
Japanese  Conifers  and  interesting  varieties  of  Yews,  Cypresses, 
and  other  trees — but  as  several  of  these  are  likely  to  grow 
to  a  large  size,  they  will  have  to  be  moved  or  herbaceous  plots 
must  be  sacrificed. 

Continuing   along   the   South   Walk     in   the   shrubbery   in 


42  TREES 

Plot  C  may  be  seen  the  White  Mulberry,  Morus  alba,  which 
was  introduced  into  Southern  Europe  from  China  about  1540 
for  food  for  silkworms,  and,  being  less  hardy  than  the  common 
black  species,  is  occasionally  damaged  by  severe  frost,  an 
accident  which  befell  our  tree  in  the  disastrous  winter  of 
1860.  In  1872  it  had  an  arched  opening  right  through  its 
stem,  a  circumstance  which  was  reported  not  to  have  affected 
its  equanimity.  It  has  since  lost  a  large  limb,  of  18  in.  in 
diameter.  The  earliest  varieties  are  recommended  for  culti- 
vation in  this  country  as  a  means  of  obtaining  home-made 
silk  in  favourable  seasons. 

The  Paper  Mulberry,  Broussonettia  papyri/era^  a  native  of 
India  and  Japan,  where  it  is  made  into  paper,  is  also 
assiduously  cultivated  by  the  Pacific  Islanders  for  making 
tapa,  a  kind  of  cloth  which  is  much  worn  :  to  prepare  this, 
the  bark  of  the  smaller  branches  is  soaked  in  water,  scraped 
with  shells,  beaten  and  squeezed  together. 

Beneath  is  the  free-growing  shrubby  Poison  Ivy,  Rhus 
toxicodendron.  Beware  of  it !  For  reasons,  see  p.  64. 

The  two  Yews,  male  and  female,  are  the  last  vestiges 
of  the  double  hedge  before  mentioned  which  extended  across 
the  Garden  to  the  Danby  Gate.  In  a  garden  where  space 
is  so  valuable  there  would  be  much  to  be  said  in  favour  of 
restoring  them  to  their  ancient  formal  shape  and  of  thus 
lessening  their  "massive  shade."  Indeed,  in  the  oldest  British 
Garden  and  in  the  former  home  of  classical  culture,  we  would 
gladly  see  some  larger  reminder  of  the  Roman  topiaria  herba 
than  the  Box-edgings  of  the  flower-beds.  The  Yews  might 
be  appropriately  clipped  to  represent  Adam  and  Eve. 

Farther  west  are  fine  examples  of  a  variety  of  the  Box 
Elder  or  Ash-leaved  Maple,  Negundo  aceroides,  var.  crispum, 
from  N.  America,  and  of  the  Tree  of  Heaven,  Ailanthus 
glandulosa,  a  sort  of  gigantic  Sumach  with  large  pinnated 
leaves  from  China,  beloved  by  silkworms  of  several  sorts. 
It  has  been  known  to  throw  up  suckers  from  the  roots  at 


TREES  43 

a   distance   of   TOO  ft.    from    the    parent    stem,    and   one    of 
these  at  Oxford  actually  bore  flowers.* 

Just  beyond  is  one  of  the  most  singular  trees  in  the  Garden. 
In  the  Maidenhair-tree,  Ginkgo  biloba,  we  have  an  example 
of  a  tree  of  the  remote  geological  past  living  in  the  present. 
It  has  no  near  living  relatives,  but  is  the  last  survivor  of  an 
ancient  family  which  has  been  traced  back  in  fossils  to  the 
Primary  Rocks.  It  might  not  have  survived  were  it  not  for 
the  fostering  care  of  generations  of  Buddhist  monks.  So  far 
as  is  known  at  present  the  Ginkgo  is  unknown  in  the  wild 
state,  only  as  a  cultivated  and  sacred  tree  planted  in  the 
gardens  of  Chinese  and  Japanese  Buddhist  temples ;  and  were 
it  not  for  this  the  race  might  have  become  extinct.  It  has 
plum-like  seeds  like  Cycads,  and,  like  them,  motile  male  cells. 
Ginkgos  lived  before  insects,  which  have  produced  flowers 
in  plants,  appeared  in  the  world.  The  trunk  diameter  of  this 
tree  was  i  ft.  at  i  ft.  from  the  ground  in  1838:  now  it  is 
4  ft.  10  in.  at  4  ft.  About  twenty  years  ago  it  looked  as  if  it 
were  going  to  die,  but  it  is  healthy  enough  now. 

The  Kentucky  Coffee-tree,  Gymnocladus  canadensis,  re- 
markable for  the  stumpy  character  of  the  young  wood,  which 
gives  it  in  winter  the  appearance  almost  of  a  dead  tree,  was 
a  donation  from  Mr.  Rogers  of  Balliol  College,  November  17, 
1835.  The  wood  has  a  value,  and  the  fresh  leaves  macerated 
and  sweetened  are  recommended  as  a  poison  for  house-flies. 

The  climbers  and  wall  plants  against  this  side  of  the  South 
Wall  are  those  which  do  well  with  a  north  aspect ;  and  here 
we  notice  a  recently  acquired  collection  of  brambles  includ- 
ing Rubus  bifloruS)  ichangensis,  deliciosus,  lasiostylis,  parkeri, 
flosculosus,  henryi)  and  others. 

The    neat-growing    Azara    microphylla    from     Chili,    and 

Cotoneaster  horizontalis   from    China,   on  either   side    of  the 

Mexican    Choisya   ternata,  will  be   sure  to  attract  attention. 

TWO  Sweet  Bays,  Laurus  nobilis,  sacred  to  priests,  sacrifices, 

*  Card.  Chron.  1887,  ii.  p.  364. 


44  TREES 

and  victors  in  antiquity,  flank  the  pillars  of  the  South  Gate, 
and  a  third  specimen  grows  well  against  the  warm  West  Wall. 
Their  poisonous  property  is  caused  by  the  prussic  acid  in 
the  leaves.  The  gilded  leaves  of  this  plant  ought  to  be  used  at 
Queen's  College  at  Christmas-time  for  decorating  the  boar's 
head,  instead  of  those  of  Prunus  laurocerasus. 

The  boar's  head  in  hand  bear  I, 
Bedecked  with  bays  and  rosemary. 

West  of  the  South  Gate  a  Crataegus  mexicana  is  dated 
1824 ;  intermingled  with  the  other  plants  are  Roses  and 
various  species  of  Honeysuckle,  Lonicera  discolor,  India ; 
fragrantissima,  China  ;  periclymenum ;  etrusca,  Mediterranean  : 
brachypoda,  Japan. 

In  the  south-west  corner  of  the  Garden  a  young  Weeping 
Birch  replaces  the  old  tree  which  some  will  remember.  Near 
by  are  Picea  pungens  and  Pinus  sylvestris,  and  in  the  shrub- 
beries, Daphne  mesereon  and  Berber  is  stenophyllum  and 
Darwinii. 

The  most  noteworthy  trees  and  shrubs  along  the  Western 
Walk,  proceeding  from  south  to  north,  are  :  Prunus  cocomilia 
from  Calabria,  which  has  been  suggested  as  yielding  a  good 
substitute  for  Peruvian  bark,  by  Professor  Tenore  of  Naples  *  ; 
and  Corylus  colurna  from  the  Himalayas,  which  yields  the 
Constantinople  Hazel-nuts,  or  Turkey-nuts  as  they  are  fre- 
quently called. 

In  the  corner  of  Plot  H  is  the  Locust-tree  or  False 
Acacia,  Robinia  pseud-acacia  of  N.  America,  which  deserves 
to  be  more  widely  grown  for  the  sake  of  its  wood :  it  is 
very  durable  when  in  the  ground,  and  makes  excellent  posts. 

Lawson's  Cypress  is  remarkable  alike  for  its  symmetry  of 
form  and  for  the  exceeding  variability  among  its  seedlings. 
The  variety  here  represented  is  viridistricta ;  but  lutea,  Silver 

*  The  old  tree,  having  reached  the  limit  of  its  life,  was  taken  clown 
while  this  book  was  in  the  press,  but  others  are  coming  on. 


TREES  45 

Queen,  aurea,  alumi,  compacta,  may  be  seen  by  the  sides 
of  the  Boar  and  Dog  Walks.  No  plant  occurs  in  more 
varieties  :  out  of  a  batch  of  seedlings  hardly  any  two  will 
be  alike. 

The  wall  plants  against  the  West  Wall  include  a  very  fine 
male    Garrya  elliptica,  from    mountains    not    far    from    San 
Francisco,    California,  named  in  honour  of  a  Hudson's  Bay 
pioneer,  which    produces    clusters   of   yellow   catkins   in   the 
winter  months ;   also   the   Fox  Grape   of  N.  America,    Vitis 
riparia,  to  the  south  of  the  West  Gate,  formerly  regarded  as 
an  unworthy  representative  of  the  cultivated  Vine  of  the  Old 
World,    but    since    employed    in    certain    of    the    Western 
States  for  wine-making  ;  north  of  the  Gate,  Vitis  corinthiaca, 
cultivated  in   Greece  and   the    Levant    for    preparing   dried 
currants,  of  which  we  are  said  to  consume  a  million  hundred- 
weight per  annum.      They  are  in   no   sense   related    to   our 
garden  Currant  (Rides).     That  grapes  used  to  ripen  in  Oxford, 
as  elsewhere,  in  the  Middle  Ages,  indicating  warmer  summers, 
is  shown  by  the  occasional   mention  of  vineyards  and  uvae 
aestivales  in  old  documents  relating  to  the  city,  c.  1220-1300. 
Then  follows  Spiraea  lindleyana,  already  a  fine  plant  in  1853  ; 
Colletia    spinosa   of    S.    America,   a   remarkable   member   of 
the  Rhamnaceae,  in  which  the  leafless   stem  is  modified  to 
form   flat,    spiny,   triangular  joints;    not    less   remarkable   is 
Ephedra  distachya  from  the  rocky  shores  of  the  Mediterranean, 
which   is   considered   by    many    botanists    to    belong   to   the 
Coniferae. 

In  the  corner  by  the  Lecture  Room  is  a  fine  Loquat,  Photinia 
(Eriobotrya)  japonica,  a  well-known  Chinese  dessert-fruit  a 
little  larger  than  a  crab-apple,  which  unfortunately  rarely  fruits 
in  the  open  in  England.  The  garden  ornament  in  the  corner 
of  the  path  is  a  copy  of  the  celebrated  Warwick  Vase. 

Against  the  Laboratory  grow  some  sixteen  varieties  of 
Clematis,  a  Magnolia  Yulan  from  China,  and  an  aged 
Magnolia  grandiflora,  which,  like  the  Fig-trees  close  by, 


46  TREES 

was  killed  down  to  the  roots  in  the  winter  of  1860-1,  but 
then  put  out  again  from  the  old  wood. 

Proceeding  from  the  Danby  gate  along  the  central  walk, 
we  notice  on  the  left  the  Quercifolium  variety  of  the  Common 
Laburnum,  " dropping  wells  of  fire  "  when  in  flower;  Euony- 
mus  latifolium>  and  Philadelphia  grandiflorus.  On  the  right, 
under  the  Sophora,  are  Cotoneaster  nummularia  from  N.  Africa 
and  a  bed  containing  many  interesting  species  of  Spiraea — 
e.g.  thunbergii,  as  well  as  Lonicera  pileata,  Olearia  haastii, 
and  species  of  Cotoneaster. 

In  the  centre  of  the  Garden,  grouped  around  the  Fountain, 
will  be  found  another  specimen  of  the  Service  Tree,  smaller 
than  the  giant  under  the  Copper  Beech. 

Hop  Hornbeam  of  Italy,  Ostrya  carpinifolia,  girth  4  ft.  3  in., 
remarkable  for  the  scaly  catkins  of  the  fruit,  resembling  those 
of  the  hop.  The  mistletoe  which  grows  on  this  tree  so 
abundantly  does  not  appear  to  do  it  much  harm.  The  Manna 
Ash,  Fraxinus  omits,  is  an  old  tree,  grafted  on  the  Common 
Ash,  and  may  date  from  Sibthorp's  time.  It  is  a  great 
ornament  to  the  Garden  in  spring,  for  the  profusion  of  its 
small  diandrous  flowers,  which  have  an  aminoid  scent.  The 
tree  is  interesting  likewise  as  being  the  source  of  the  manna 
of  commerce,  the  children's  laxative;  incisions  being  made 
through  the  bark,  from  which  the  juice,  which  gradually 
hardens  into  this  product,  exudes.  A  Turkey  Oak,  Quercus 
cerriS)  standing  on  the  left-hand  side  of  the  middle  walk,  was 
cut  down,  with  the  sanction  of  Magdalen  College,  a  few 
years  ago. 

The  Cut-leaved  Beech,  Fagus  asplenifolia,  6  ft.  8  in.  in 
girth,  is  always  putting  forth  branches  which  bear  leaves 
of  the  Common  Beech,  which,  if  not  cut  out,  might  in  time, 
with  their  ruder  vitality,  entirely  replace  the  more  delicate 
leaves  of  this  beautiful  variety. 

On  the  western  side  are  the  European  Pyrus  intermedia, 
arid  a  series  of  N.  American  trees,  including  the  Yellow  and 


TREES  47 

Red  Horse-chestnUts,  Aesculus  flava  and  rubicunda,  already 
old  trees  in  1850  ;  the  Red  Ash,  Fraxinus  pubescens,  known 
by  its  brown  bark ;  the  Yellow  Wood,  Cladrastis  tinctoria^ 
bearing  fragrant  white  flowers  in  June  and  bright  yellow  leaves 
in  autumn  ;  the  American  Persimmon,  Diospyros  virginiana, 
which  flowered  in  1893  an(^  set  some  fruit,  but  the  fruit  never 
came  to  perfection ;  and  Viburnum  pruni/oHum,  a  relation  of 
the  Wayfaring  Tree  of  the  South  of  England. 

In  the  shrubbery  are  the  beautiful  Hibiscus  roseum  and  two 
varieties  of  Prunus. 

On  the  eastern  side  is  a  notable  specimen  of  the  N. 
American  Bur  Oak,  Quercus  macrocarpa,  trunk  girth  3  ft.  2  in., 
which  is  worthy  of  being  more  extensively  planted  in  this 
country.  Lonicera  xylosteum  almost  fills  a  small  bed  under 
a  Birch  ;  and  in  the  middle  of  a  clump  of  shrubs  is  a  good- 
sized  Montpelier  Maple,  Acer  monspessulanum,  clothed  in 
spring  with  pretty  yellowish-green  flowers. 

Having  now  passed  in  review  the  more  important  trees  and 
shrubs  at  present  growing  within  the  walls  of  Lord  Danby's 
Garden,  we  may  turn  our  attention  to  those  without  the 
walls. 

THE  PINETUM 

We  do  not  know  whether  those  who  originally  undertook 
the  cultivation  of  the  land  outside  the  walls  were  influenced 
by  the  thought  of  the  verse  in  the  well-known  chapter  (xli.) 
of  Isaiah  : 

I  will  plant  in  the  wilderness  the  cedar  .  .  . 

I  will  set  in  the  desert  the  fir  tree,  and  the  pine,  and  the  box  tree  together  ; 

but  so  it  has  come  to  pass. 

Some  sixty  years  ago  a  strip  of  ground  outside  the  walls  to 
the  west  of  the  Garden  was  rented  by  Dr.  Daubeny  from 
Magdalen  College  for  growing  Cone-bearing  plants,  but,  although 
a  start  was  made  with  a  score  of  species,  only  some  half- 


48  TREES 

dozen  still  survive.     Many  of  the  others  were  killed  during, 
the  severe  winter  1860-1,  when,  after  a  long  period  of  wet, 
the  thermometer  sank  on  the  eve  of  Christmas  Day  to  zero 
of  Fahrenheit.* 

The  only  trees  remaining  of  the  original  collection  include 
a  Puzzle  Monkey  or  Chili  Pine,  Araucaria  imbricata,  girth 
2  ft.  7  in.,  which  has  not  fruited — the  seeds  of  this  species 
are  eaten  for  dessert  in  Chili ;  a  finely-grown  Yellow  Cypress, 
Thujopsis  borealis ;  the  Bhotan  Pine,  Pinus  excelsa^  Himalaya, 
trunk  girth  6  ft.  2  in.;  and  a  Corsican  Pine,  Pinus  Laricio, 
girth  7  ft.  6  in.,  which  lost  its  leader  when  young. 

The  Stone  Pine  died  in  1860,  as  did  the  Deodars,  but 
the  Atlantic  Cedar,  planted  1854,  and  8  ft.  7  in.  in  girth,  has 
survived. 

The  Wellingtonia  and  Cedrus  libani  near  the  entrance  have 
already  been  mentioned.  The  deficiencies  in  the  collection 
of  Conifers  have  recently  been  filled  in  part  by  planting  a 
number  of  young  Cypresses,  Thujas,  Firs,  and  Pines  (see  p.  36) 
by  the  side  of  the  Dog  and  Boar  Walks  within  the  Garden 
walls,  but  there  land  is  far  too  valuable  for  the  culture  of 
any  but  the  most  compact  forms,  and  the  Garden  Curators 
would  do  well  to  order  the  more  rigorous  observance  of  the 
suggestion  quoted  above. 

On  leaving  the  Garden  by  the  wide  gap  in  the  walls  at 
the  north-east  corner,  the  visitor  will  notice  two  species  of 
Ceanothus  trained  against  the  outer  face  of  the  wall  next 
Leland's  variety  of  the  well-known  evergreen,  Crataegus 
pyracantha. 

The  fine  clump  of  Pampas  Grass,  Gynerium,  is  interesting 
as  the  type  of  the  vegetation  which  overspreads  the  vast 
plains  of  S.  America.  The  leaves  are  hard,  wiry,  and  edged  by 
sharp  points  or  teeth,  little  less  hard  than  the  teeth  of  a  file. 

*  Dr.  Daubeny  printed  a  list  of  Conifers  killed  in  1860,  as  a  postscript 
to  the  Supplement  of  his  Garden  GUIDE,  p.  49. 


TREES  49 

Near  the  river  is  a  healthy  young  Crataegus  grandiflora, 
which  bears  yellow  fruit  in  autumn. 

The  stone  vase  near  by,  marks  the  spot  where,  until  the 
storm  of  November  IT,  1891,  a  fine  Weeping  or  Babylonian 
Willow,  "  Napoleon's  Willow,"  used  to  overhang  the  Cherwell, 
and  formed  a  familiar  feature  in  pictorial  views  of  the  Garden 
and  of  Magdalen  Bridge  taken  from  that  side.  This  Willow 
has,  we  are  glad  to  say,  been  replaced  by  another  specimen 
near  the  southern  boundary.  They  grow  quickly,  for  our  old 
tree  was  said  by  Loudon  to  have  been  30  ft.  high  in  1838, 
after  having  been  planted  for  twelve  years. 

A  large  specimen  may  be  seen  on  the  other  side  of  the 
Cherwell  in  the  garden  of  Magdalen  College  School,  and  there 
is  part  of  a  fine  tree  at  Grandpont,  but  it  is  smothered  in  ivy. 
The  term  Babylonian  is  a  misnomer,  for  the  tree  under  which 
the  Jews  sat  down  and  wept  by  the  waters  of  the  Euphrates 
was  a  Poplar  with  Willow-like  leaves. 

Salix  bdbylonica  is  remarkable  as  being  wholly  propagated 
by  slips.  It  is  a  dioecious  plant,  and  the  male  has  never 
yet  found  its  way  to  Europe,  so  that  every  Willow  of  this 
kind,  distributed  over  the  country  may  possibly  have  been 
derived  from  the  single  cutting  selected  by  the  poet  Pope 
from  some  rods  in  a  package  which  came  from  Spain, 
and  were  planted  in  his  garden  at  Twickenham. 

Near  the  Cherwell  was  formerly  the  Willow  Garden. 

THE  SALICETUM 

Nee  vero  terrae  ferre  omnes  omnia  possunt. 
Fluminibus  salices,  crassisque  paludibus  alni 
Nascuntur. — VIRGIL,  "  Georgics." 

One  of  the  less  pleasing  incidents  in  the  history  of  the  Garden  was 
the  dispersal  and  loss  of  the  collection  of  Willows  ;  and  this  paragraph  is 
intended  more  as  a  suggestion  to  present  and  future  Curators,  and  as  a 
rebuke  to  certain  of  their  predecessors,  than  as  a  guide  to  a  "  Willow 
Garden "  which  might,  but  which  does  not,  exist. 

The   Willow   is   a   tree    of  great   economic   value   in   the   vicinity   of 

4 


50  TREES 

our  city,  and,  with  care  and  knowledge,  might  become  more  so.  In 
Scotland,  for  instance,  osiers  have  yielded  .£30  an  acre  ! 

Within  the  last  few  years  makers  of  cricket-bats  have  valued  the  wood 
of  a  particular  kind  of  Willow  so  highly,  that  at  a  sale  of  Willow-trees 
on  Sir  Walter  Gilbey's  estate  at  Sawbridgeworth,  in  February,  1906,  the 
best  "Bat  Willow"  realised  prices  estimated  to  be  equivalent  to  about 
"seven  shillings  per  cubic  foot,"  and  "£40  has  been  offered  for  a  single 
tree."*  In  Germany  48,000  acres  of  osiers  are  valued  at  .£396,000  on 
the  stocks,  or  at  double  when  peeled,  and  they  give  employment  to 
40,000  people.  Every  seven  years  our  water-walks,  the  banks  of  our 
streams,  are  made  hideous  by  the  Pollard. 

Bordering  upon  the  river,  there  existed  from  1825-40  a  tolerably  good 
collection  of  Willows,  comprising,  through  the  assiduity  of  Mr.  Baxter  and 
the  kindness  of  Mr.  Borrer,  nearly  a  complete  series  of  British  species. 
Many  of  the  smaller  kinds  were  allowed  to  become  overshadowed  by 
the  larger  ones,  and  got  lost,  or  were  transferred  to  other  parts  of  the 
Garden.  Others  were  planted  out  in  the  University  Parks,  where  their 
labels  were  mixed  and  their  identity  forgotten. 

It  is  a  pity,  because  both  Mr.  Borrer  and  his  collection  were  unique.  In 
the  words  of  Sir  W.  J.  Hooker  :  "  No  one  has  ever  studied  the  willows, 
whether  in  a  growing  or  a  dried  state,  more  deeply  or  with  a  less 
prejudiced  mind."  ' 

The  dwarf  species,  Salix  herbacea  and  S.  reticulata,  are 
worthy  of  a  place  in  the  bed  in  Herbaceous  Plot  F.  The 
former  in  mountainous  regions,  as  in  the  Alps,  overspreads 
the  slopes  of  the  hills  with  a  kind  of  herbage  ;  each  year  two 
new  shoots  being  put  forth,  which  are  covered  over  in  winter 
by  soil  washed  down  from  above  by  rains  and  torrents,  so 
that  the  leaves  alone  appear  above  ground.  Next  year, 
however,  each  bud  again  puts  forth  a  young  shoot,  and  so 
the  plant  continues  to  extend  itself,  until  from  a  comparatively 
few  underground  stems  the  whole  surface  of  the  ground  is 
covered  with  a  carpet  of  matted  herbage.  Hence  it  is  called 
Willow  Grass. 

At  the  present  time  the  collection  includes  Salix  alba  var. 
vitellina,  caprea,  cinerea,  fragilis,  lanata,  myrsinites,  nigri- 

*  "  Kew  Bulletin,"  1907. 


TREES  51 

cans  ?,  pentandra,  triandra,  phylicifolia^  and  the  elegant 
rosmarinifolia,)  which  always  shows  a  tendency  to  revert  to 
the  ordinary  variety. 

Most  species  of  Willow  contain  a  glucoside  called  Salicin 
which  possesses  medicinal  properties.  From  it,  salicylate  of 
sodium  was  originally  prepared,  though  that  drug  is  now  made 
on  a  large  scale  from  carbolic  acid.  It  is  used  very  largely  for 
acute  rheumatism,  for  which  it  is  by  far  the  most  efficacious 
drug.  Professor  Daubeny  remarked  that  it  is  a  curious  fact 
that  swamps,  which  are  a  fruitful  cause  of  ague  and  rheumatic 
disorders,  favour  also  the  growth  of  the  very  plants  which 
are  capable  of  counteracting  them. 

In  the  border  between  the  Green-houses  we  have  Hedysarum 
multijugum,  which  should  be  better  known,  and  two  exquisite 
Japanese  Maples,  Acer  palmatum  and  the  beautiful  dark 
variety  A.  palmatum  var.  atropurpureum. 

Near  the  Cherwell  two  large  Elms  grew  to  such  a  height 
as  to  completely  overshadow  the  Glass-houses,  and  they  had 
to  be  felled  in  1893.  Near  by  are  three  Limes,  the  largest 
9  ft.  3  in.  in  girth,  and  a  clump  of  Dogwood,  Cornus^  prized 
by  butchers  for  providing  skewers  for  meat.  The  other  trees 
in  this  quarter  are  a  Willow  with  a  girth  of  17  ft. — greater 
than  that  of  any  other  tree  in  the  vicinity ;  two  Horse- 
chestnuts,  the  larger  of  which  measures  14  ft.  ;  a  Black 
Walnut,  Juglans  m'gra,  7  ft.  6  in. ;  and  a  variety  of  the 
Common  Ash,  Fraxinus  excelsior  var.  parvifolia,  8  ft.  4  in. 
in  girth.  Just  beyond  the  fence  is  a  fine  Poplar. 

In  the  shrubbery  near  the  southern  pond  are  Sequoia 
gigantea,  Cephalotaxus  dmpacea,  Cupressus  Lawsoniana,  and 
Pinus  pumilio.  On  the  southern  aspect  of  the  South.  Wall 
the  Pomegranate  sometimes  flowers  freely  (1893),  but  does 
not  set  fruit ;  but  the  fine  Pyrus  japonica  yielded  10  gallons  of 
fruit  in  1904  (Church's  "  Floral  Mechanism  ").  Many  fine 
climbers — for  list,  see  p.  146 — grow  on  the  wall,  Tamarix 
gallica  and  Parrottia  persica  being  especially  worthy  of  notice. 


53  TREES 

A  tree  which  should  be  in  all  Botanic  Gardens  is  the 
graft-hybrid,  Cytisus  Laburnum  adami,  originally  produced 
in  1826  at  Vitry  by  inserting  a  bud  of  Cytisus  purpureus  on 
the  stock  of  the  Common  Laburnum.  We  had  a  good  tree 
in  1864,  but  for  the  moment,  the  Garden  has  to  rely  upon  the 
tree  belonging  to  the  Professor  of  Botany.  There  is  another  in 
the  Banbury  Road.  Its  peculiarity  consists  in  its  producing 
the  yellow  flowers  of  the  Common  Laburnum  indiscriminately 
intermingled  with  the  purple  flowers  of  C.  purpureus  on  its 
branches.  The  inflorescences  are  either  pure,  like  one  or 
other  of  the  parents,  or  may  take  their  colour  partly  from  one 
and  partly  from  the  other. 

Having  thus  completed  the  tour  of  the  Garden,  the  visitor 
may  either  leave  by  the  wicket-gate  into  Rose  Lane  by 
Christ  Church  Meadow,  or  walk  back  by  the  Western  Green- 
houses, or  return  by  the  door  in  the  South  Wall  to  the 
Herbaceous  beds. 

What  should  I  tell  you  more  of  it? 

There  was  so  many  trees  yet, 

That  I   should  all  encombred  bee 

Ere  I  had  reckoned  every  tree.— CHAUCER. 


THE   HARDY   HERBACEOUS   PLANTS 

He  therefore,  who  would  see  his  flowers  disposed 

Sightly  and  in  just  order,  .  .  . 

Forecasts  the  future  whole  ;   that  when  the  scene 

Shall  break  into  its  preconceived  display, 

Each  for  itself,  and  all  as  with  one  voice 

Conspiring,  may  attest  his  bright  design. — COWPER. 

During  the  Professorship  of  Professor  Daubeny  the  British 
Plants  were  disposed  so  as  to  illustrate  the  old  artificial 
arrangement  of  Linnaeus,  which  was  still  resorted  to  as  a 
dictionary,  even  by  those  who  rejected  it  as  a  system,  for 
this  arrangement  afforded  a  convenient  method  of  determining 
the  name  of  a  plant,  although  often  conveying  no  insight 
into  its  real  structure  and  relations. 

The  beds  before  1848  were  all  laid  out  in  parallel  rows,  but 
Baxter  transformed  them  into  the  many-shaped,  rounded 
plots  which  are  shown  in  detail  in  the  map  in  the  earlier 
editions  of  this  book. 

In  1884  Professor  Balfour  found  part  of  the  collection 
arranged  according  to  the  Linnean  system,  another  portion 
according  to  the  Natural  system,  annuals  were  displayed  by 
themselves,  and  there  was  a  separate  collection  of  typical 
genera.  In  rearranging  the  plants  for  study,  Professor  Balfour 
threw  the  whole  collection  into  one  natural  arrangement, 
following  Bentham  and  Hooker's  "  Genera  Plantamm  "  as  the 
guide. 

British  Plants  were  indicated  by  having  their  names  written 
in  white  on  black  tallies. 

53 


54  HERBACEOUS   PLANTS 

The  present  scheme  of  the  Herbaceous  Beds  is  as  follows 

Laboratory        Main  Entrance        Herbarium 


1 
£ 

West 
Gate 

1 

3 

3D 

i 

4 

""5"" 
......... 

.......... 

>East 
>Gate 

JO 

To  i 

G 

E 

F 

A 

Foun    O    tain 

H 

D 

A        A 

C 

B 

Dwelling 

South   O    Tank 

Of  the  eight  plots  into  which  the  main  walks  divide  the 
Garden,  the  Polypetalae  occupy  A,  B,  C  ;  the  Gamopetalae, 
D,  E ;  the  Apetalae,  F;  and  the  Monocotyledons,  G,  H. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  from  a  purely  horticultural  point  of 
view,  the  practice  of  retaining  herbaceous  plants  year  after 
year  in  the  same  beds  is  bad  for  many  species.  The  soil 
gets  exhausted,  and  in  a  state  of  nature,  the  plant  would  spread 
to  pastures  new.  But  this  collection  is  primarily  a  teaching 
collection,  and  for  the  student  there  is  great  value  in  retaining 
plants  in  their  relative  systematic  positions.  A  sickly  plant 
can  always  be  moved  for  a  change  to  the  rich  and  regenerative 
earth  of  the  southern  herbaceous  borders — or  be  sent  for  a 
holiday  to  another  garden.  Even  tutorial  plants  benefit  by 
an  occasional  change:  perhaps  they  like  to  get  away  from 
their  Latin  names. 


Violaceae 


111 


§  Ranunctilaceae 


Berberideae  Papaveraceae  ^ 
Ranunculaceae        Cruciferae 


Geraniaceae 


1    1          1     I    I      I 
Portulaceae   |    1     M  .|     J     | 


Caryophyllaceae  Leguminosae 


Chenopodiaceae               Urticaceae 

Dipsaceae  Onagraceae  Crassulaceae 

Valerianeae    Cucurbitaceae 

!\             i 

Ficoideae  Saxifragaceae 

i              §      1 

O                        ^ 

I     *    i    f 

Rubiaceae 

1 

^ 

Umbelliferae                ^ 

Polygonaceae                 c^ 

EH 

Caprifoliaceae                   Rosaceae 

O 

Labiatae 

g 

Compositae 

^  ^           Scrophulariaceae          ^ 

*s  r^                                  ^> 

2 

S 

1  1                u 

1   1 

Q                   S 

"^  J\          Solanaceae 

ft,  55 

| 

Boraginaceae  Convolvulaceae 

Plumbagineae 
Gentianeae  Apocynacene  Primulaceae 

Campanulaceae, 

II I  I          o 

I  •'I  I 

10       «  s 


Gramineae 


Commelinaceae 

KEY  TO  THE  NATURAL  ORDERS  IN  THE  HERBACEOUS  BEDS 
55 


56  HERBACEOUS    PLANTS 

EXPLANATORY  NOTE 

In  the  following  enumeration  of  the  Natural  Orders  of  Plants, 
the  arrangement  adopted  being  that  of  Durand's  Index  to  the 
GENERA  PLANTARUM  (1888),  the  numerals  of  the  orders  do  not 
always  correspond  with  those  written  on  the  labels  in  the  beds. 

Brief  notes  on  Natural  Orders  of  large  or  tropical  plants 
which  are  not  represented  in  the  Herbaceous  Beds  are  also  in- 
cluded for  the  sake  of  reference,  but  are  printed  in  smaller  type : 
further  mention  of  many  of  these  species  will  be  found  in  the 
other  chapters.  Consult  the  Index. 

It  is  of  course  impossible  to  guarantee  that  all  species  named 
in  this  GUIDE  will  always  remain  on  view  in  the  Garden,  or 
even  in  the  positions  to  which  we  have  assigned  them.  To  the 
best  of  our  knowledge  they  have  been,  or  ought  to  be,  there. 

The  Natural  Arrangement  of  the  Herbaceous  Plants  in 
accordance  with  their  supposed  natural  affinities  commences  in 
the  north-east  corner  of  the  Garden  near  a  Prunus  serotina 
from  N.  America,  with  the 

POLYPETALAE 
PLOT   A 

RANALES 

Ord.  i.  RANUNCULACEAE,  or  Crowfoot  Family,  is  noted 
for  the  deadly  poisons  and  powerful  medicines  yielded  by  its 
members.  Five  tribes  are  represented.  To  the  first  belong 
the  familiar  creepers  or  climbers  of  the  genus  Clematis,  of 
which  some  beautiful  hybrid  varieties  have  been  recently 
planted  against  the  Laboratory  (cf.  p.  144).  Old  Man's  Beard, 
C.  vitalba,  is  the  only  British  plant  which  may  give  a  faint 
idea  of  the  tangle  of  lianas  in  a  tropical  forest.  A  large 
specimen  grows  near  the  southern-  pond.  In  the  corner  bed 
are  several  species  of  Meadow  Rue,  Thalictrum,  T.  delavayi 
being  among  those  which  have  been  grown,  and  others  of  the 


PLOT  A  57 

Anemone  Tribe,  including  the  early-flowering  Hepatica. 
Two  beds  under  the  Buckthorn  in  Plot  B  are  devoted  to 
Anemone  appennina  and  to  A.  nemorosa  robinsoniana. 

Tribe  iii.  The  Ranunculeae^  or  Crowfoots  proper,  in- 
clude the  Buttercup,  R.  acris,  and  Celandine,  R.  ficaria.  The 
latter  is  noteworthy  because  it  resembles  Mono-cotyledonous 
rather  than  Di-cotyledonous  plants  in  having  closed  bundles 
without  a  cambium,  and  in  having  only  one  cotyledon.  The 
Double  Ranunculus,  so  much  cultivated  in  gardens,  are 
varieties  of  R.  asiaticus.  R.  nyssanus  from  Nyassa  is  a  novelty. 

Tribe  iv.  The  Hellebores  include  many  garden  favourites, 
some  of  which  are  as  poisonous  as  they  are  popular.  Under 
the  name  of  roots  of  Christmas  Roses,  Helleborus  niger,  from 
S.E.  Europe,  a  drastic  purgative  and  diuretic  medicine, 
used  to  be  largely  imported  from  Hamburg.  It  is,  however, 
more  likely  that  the  tubers  are  those  of  H.  orientate  or 
H.  officinaliS)  which  Sibthorp  recognised  as  the  Black 
Hellebore  of  the  Greeks.  Before  the  Christian  era  Melampus 
used  it  in  the  treatment  of  madness.  Near  Oxford,  cattle 
have  died  from  eating  H.  viridis  (M.T.M.).  Columbines, 
Aquilegia^  Larkspurs,  Delphinium,  and  Monkshoods,  Aconitum, 
are  much  cultivated  for  their  decorative  value ;  but  D.  Staphi- 
sagria  and  A.  Napellus  are  best  placed  beyond  the  reach  of 
the  ignorant  on  account  of  the  virulent  alkaloids  they  contain. 
Aconite  tuber  is  distinguished  from  Horse-radish  root  by  being 
shorter,  turnip-like,  tapering,  dark  coloured,  and  with  many 
side  rootlets. 

The  fifth  tribe  comprise  the  Paeonies.  P.  mlokosewitschi, 
obovata,  wittmanniana,  and  Sunbeam  x  are  among  the  more 
recent  additions  to  the  Garden. 

Ord.  2.  DILLENIACEAE,  a  tropical  order  named  after  Dillenius,  our 
Professor. 

Ord.  3.  CALYCANTHACEAE.  Carolina  allspice,  Calycanthus 
floriduS)  forms  a  bush  on  the  western  side  of  the  plot.  The 
bark  is  used  in  the  United  States  as  a  substitute  for  cinnamon. 


58  HERBACEOUS   PLANTS 

Ord.  4.  MAGNOLIACEAE.  Being  woody  trees  and  shrubs  are  not  repre- 
sented in  the  Herbaceous  Beds.  Two  species  are  growing  against  the 
Laboratory  wall.  The  bark  of  Drimys  ivinteri  was  used  by  Capt.  Winter, 
who  commanded  the  "  Elizabeth  "  under  Sir  Francis  Drake  in  1579,  "  as 
a  spice  and  medicine  for  scurvy  "  on  his  return  voyage  from  the  Straits  of 
Magellan.  The  Tulip-tree,  Liriodendron,  is  of  this  order. 

Ord.  5.  ANONACEAE,  Custard  Apples,  tropical  trees  and  shrubs. 
Nutmeg,  Monodora,  is  in  the  Palm  House. 

Ord.  6.  MENISPERMACEAE.  The  Moon-seeds  are- tropical  climbing 
shrubs,  but  M.  canadense  grows  against  the  East  Wall.  Cocculus  indicus 
is  used  as  a  poison  for  fish. 

Ord.  7.  BERBERIDEAE.  A  bed  in  the  middle  is  reserved  for 
the  smaller  Barberries,  but  the  larger  species,  Herberts  steno- 
phyllum^  Darwinii)  etc.,  must  be  looked  for  in  the  shrubberies 
in  Plots  D  and  H.  The  roots  of  the  May  Apple,  Podophyllum 
peltatum,  supply  the  valuable  liver  medicine,  podophyllin. 
P.  versipelle  and  P.  emodt  are  grown  in  the  Garden.  The 
Epimediums  are  Alpine  herbs. 

Ord.  8.  NYMPHAEACEAE.  The  Water-lilies  will  be  found  in  the 
south  tank  and  in  the  tank  in  No.  6  Green-house. 

PARIETALES 

Ord.  9.  SARRACENIACEAE,  sometimes  in  No.  12  Green-house. 

Ord.  10.  PAPAVERACEAE.  The  Opium  Poppy,  Papaver 
somniferum^  yields  a  narcotic  oil  which  when  dried  is  sold 
as  opium,  which  as  a  medicine  may  be  reckoned  "  amongst 
the  greatest  blessings  to  mankind,  but  by  its  misuse,  the 
greatest  curse."  We  in  Oxford  should  remember  that  it  was 
at  Worcester  College  just  over  a  century  ago  that  the  brilliant 
author  of  the  "Confessions  of  an  Opium  Eater"  first  had 
resort  to  the  drug  to  allay  pain.  It  has  been  calculated  that 
^"20,000,000  worth  is  annually  consumed  by  mankind. 

Ord.  ii.  FUMARIACEAE.  The  Fumitory  Family  include  the 
delicate  British  species  of  the  genera  Fumaria  and  Corydalis 
(C.  cheilanthifolia,  thalictrifolia,  wilsoni  annuals),  and  the 
larger  Dicentra  spectabilis  of  N.  America,  a  most  beautiful 
herb. 


PLOT   A  59 

Ord.  12.  CRUCI FERAE.  The  Cross-petalled  family  is  a 
very  large  one,  and,  unlike  those  already  described,  contains 
no  poisonous  species.  Many  are  of  great  value  to  mankind  as 
food,  on  account  of  the  nitrogenous  substances  they  contain,  as, 
for  example,  Mustard,  Cress,  Radish,  Cabbage,  Cauliflower, 
Broccoli,  Turnip.  Representatives  of  the  following  tribes 
will  be  found  in  the  south-west  beds  of  Plot  A  : 

i.  Arabideae.    Stocks,  Wallflowers,  and  Rockets.   Cheir- 

anthus  mutabilis. 

ii.  Sisymbrieae.  Hedge-mustard,  S.  officinale.  London 
Rocket,  S.  trio,  was  so  called  because  it  sprang  up 
abundantly  over  London  after  the  Great  Fire  of 
1666.  It  comes  up  yearly  in  the  Botanic  Garden 
from  self-sown  seed  (Druce's  "  Flora  of  Berkshire"), 
iii.  Brassiceae,  or  Cabbages,  Turnips,  Colza,  and 
Mustards.  By  repeated  removal  of  the  lower  leaves, 
the  stem  of  the  Jersey  variety  of  the  Common  Cabbage 
can  be  grown  long  enough  for  the  manufacture  of 
walking-sticks. 

iv.  Alyssineae.  .     Horse-radish,     Cochlearia     armorada. 

Scurvy  Grass,  C.offictnalis,  had  completely  established 

itself  on  the  rockwork  near  the  south  pond  in '185  3. 

v.       Antony  Wood  records   that  in  1659   "scurvy-grass 

drink  began  to  be  drunk  in  the  mornings  as  physick 

drink."     Honesty,  Lunaria  biennis. 

vi.  Lepidineae,     including     that    common     weed,     the 

Shepherd's  Purse,  Capsella  Bursa  Pastoris. 
vii.  Thlaspideae.     Candy  tufts,  Iberis,  and  Penny  Cress, 
viii.  Isatideae.      Woad,  Isatis  tinctoria^   the  skin-stain  of 
the  ancient  Britons,  is  still  cultivated  in  the  Fens  near 
Wisbech  for  using  with  "  indigo."     The  literature  of 
the  dye  manufacture  has  been  collected  by  Dr.  Plow- 
right. 

ix.   Cakilineae.     Sea-kale,  Crambe. 
x.  Raphaneae.     Radish,  R.  sativus. 


6o  HERBACEOUS   PLANTS 

Ord.  13.  CAPPARIDEAE  are  allied  to  the  Cruciferae.  Capers  are  the 
flower-buds  of  Capparis  spinosa,  common  in  S.  Europe. 

In  the  opposite  corner,  destroyed  by  the  shade  of  the  large 
Copper  Beech,  are  beds  containing : 

Ord.  14.  RESEDACEAE.  The  Mignonettes.  The  stems  of 
the  Dyer's  M.  or  Yellow  Weed,  R.  luteola,  yields  a  yellow  dye 
which  has  a  good  reputation  for  fastness.  The  Sweet  M.  of 
gardens,  M.  odorata,  is  said  to  be  a  native  of  Egypt. 

Ord.  15.  CISTACEAE.  Eock  Roses  are  better  represented 
in  other  parts  of  the  Garden  than  here.  The  Gum  Cistus, 
C.  polymorphous^  in  hot  weather  exudes  a  glutinous  gum  with  a 
strong  scent.  Labdanum,  as  this  resin  is  called,  "  is  the 
A^Sov  of  Dioscorides,  in  whose  time  the  gum  was  obtained  by 
driving  goats  among  the  shrubs,  when  the  substance  adhered 
to  their  fleeces  and  beards."  The  Cretans  now  collect  it  by 
raking  with  a  "  ladanisterion." 

Ord.  1 6.   VIOLACEAE. 

And  there  is  pansies 
That's  for  thoughts.* 

The  roots  of  several  of  the  Violets,  e.g.  of  the  Dog  Violet, 
V.  canina,  are  used  medicinally  as  emetic  and  purgative. 

POLYGALINAE 

Ord.  19.    PITTOSPORACEAE.     Australian  shrubs. 
Ord.  21.    POLYGALACEAE.    Milkworts.    Polygala  is  the  only 
European  genus. 

CARYOPHYLLINAE 

Ord.  23.  FRANKENIACEAE.  F.  laevis,  the  Sea  Heath,  occurs 
in  salt  marshes  from  Yarmouth  to  Sussex.  The  order  is 
related  to  the  Tamaricaceae. 

To  the  south-east   of  a  sundial,  mounted  upon  a  basaltic 

*  Pansy  =  pensee>  "  by  which  name  they  became  known  to  the  Braban- 
ders  and  those  of  the  Low  Countries  that  are  next  adjoining."— GERARD. 


PLOT    B  61 

column*  brought   from  the  Giant's  Causeway  by   Dr.  Dau- 
beny,  is 

PLOT   B 

Ord.  24.  CARYOPHYLLACEAE  or  Chickweeds.  In  two  long 
beds  near  the  sundial  may  be  seen  the  Pink  Tribe,  including 
Dianthus,  Saponaria,  Silene,  and  Lychnis.  Dried  roots  of  the 
Soapwort,  Saponaria  officinalis,  like  the  Indian  Sapindus,  raise 
a  lather  in  water,  and  so  may  be  used  as  a  substitute  for  soap. 
G.  arrostii  and  other  species  of  Gypsophila  are  used  for 
washing  silks  in  Italy  and  Asia  Minor. 
"  To  the  Alsinean  Tribe  belong  the  Sandworts,  Arenaria ; 
Starworts,  Stellaria  •  Spurry,  Spergula,  and  many  other  genera 
of  small  herbs. 

Ord.  25.  PORTULACEAE.  The  Purslane,  Portulaca  okracea, 
is  the  type  of  a  group  of  herbs  and  shrubs  which  live  in  dry 
places  at  the  Cape  and  in  S.  America.  The  many  coloured 
varieties  of  P.  grandiflora  make  a  grand  show  when  grown 
in  a  border  fully  exposed  to  the  sun. 

Ord.  26.  TAMARICACEAE.  Shrubs  and  trees  with  bitter  bark  from 
S.  Europe  and  Asia. 

Tamarix  gallica  flourishes  against  the  South  Wall  of  the  Garden. 

GUTTIFERALES 
Ord.  28.    HYPERICACEAE.     Tutsans  or  St,  John's  Worts. 

Ord.  29.  GUTTIFERAE,  or  Gamboge  Family,  includes  many  exotics  of 
worth,  e.g.  the  Mangosteen  and  Mammee  Apple,  and  Garcinia  and  Calo- 
phyttum,  with  oil-yielding  seeds. 

Ord.  30.  TERNSTROEMIACEAE.     Tea  Family.     Camellia  thea. 

Ord.  31.  DIPTEROCARPEAE.  The  Wood-Oil  Trees  of  the  Oriental 
Region. 

MALVALES 

Ord.  33.  MALVACEAE.  The  Mallows  are  a  large  family, 
represented  by  comparatively  few  species  in  temperate  climes, 

*  The  recent  pointing  has  covered  the  crystalline  angles,  and  is  a  good 
example  of  destructive  "  restoration." 


62  HERBACEOUS   PLANTS 

but  developing  into  shrubs  and  small  trees  of  great  worth  in 
warm  countries.  The  tropical  genus  Hibiscus  supplies  dyes, 
thickening  for  soups,  flavouring  for  coffee,  and  rope.  Gossy- 
pium  produces  a  fibre  surrounding  its  seeds,  known  as  cotton. 
We  import  about  a  million  tons  of  the  raw  material  every  year, 
and  another  half  a  million  tons  of  cotton-oil  for  making  soap 
and  feeding  cattle. 

The  Hollyhock,  Althaea  rosea,  is  a  conspicuous  feature  in 
Indian  gardens,  and  was  formerly  so  in  England ;  but  after 
1873  the  plants  were  attacked  by  the  Hollyhock  disease, 
caused  by  a  fungus,  Puccinia,  and  the  species  ran  a  risk  of 
being  exterminated.  Sulphur-dusting  is  the  best  remedy. 

Closely  related  orders  are 

Ord.  34.  STERCULIACEAE.  The  Chocolate-tree,  Theobroma  cacao, 
is  growing  in  one  of  the  stove-houses. 

Ord.  35.  TILIACEAE.  Forest  trees.  Three  Limes  on  the  bank  of  the 
Cherwell :  eight  along  the  High  Street. 

GERANIALES 

Ord.  36.  LINEAE.  Flax,  Linum  usitatissimum,  will  be  found 
in  a  small  round  bed  near  the  middle  of  the  plot,  next  to  the 
Mallows.  Our  imports  of  the  seed  of  this  useful  plant  amount 
to  close  on  2,000,000  quarters  per  annum.  After  the  linseed- 
oil  has  been  squeezed  out,  "  oil-cake,"  the  well-known  cattle- 
food,  remains. 

The  tribe  Erythroxyleae  are  exotics.  Erythroxylon  coca  in  one  of  the 
Green-houses. 

Ord.  38.  MALPIGHIACEAE  are  one  of  the  families  which,  by  their  rope- 
like  stems  (lianes),  contribute  to  the  tangle  of  S.  American  forests. 
Galphimia  glauca  in  the  Stove-house. 

Ord.  39.  ZYGOPHYLLACEAE.     Guaiacum  is  a  West  Indian  genus. 

Ord.  40.  GERANIACEAE,  The  Crane's-bills  fill  the  south- 
east bed  of  the  plot. 

Tribe  Oxalideae.  The  Wood-sorrel,  Oxalis  acetosella,  is 
stated  to  be  the  original  of  the  Irish  Shamrock,  but  owing  to 
the  fact  that  it  is  not  available  as  early  as  St.  Patrick's  Day,  a 


PLOT  B  63 

leguminous  plant,  Medicago  lupulina,  is  worn  instead  in 
Dublin  (see  "  Ulster  Journal  of  Archaeology,"  v.  pp.  12-20). 
The  emblem  has  often  been  stated  to  be  represented  by 
Trifoliuni  repens.  The  pleasant  acid  taste  is  due  to  acid 
potassium  oxalate,  once  a  flavouring  for  Oxford  beer. 

Tribe  Balsamineae,  The  Touch-me-not,  Tmpatiens  noli- 
me-tangere,  and  other  species  have  explosive  fruits  which,  when 
ripe,  open  at  a  touch. 

Ord.  4o«.  Included  among  the  Geraniaceae  by  some 
botanists  are  the  Tropaeolaceae,  commonly,  though  wrongly, 
named  Nasturtiums,  which  were  introduced  into  our  gardens 
from  Peru  in  1686.  Tropaeolum  majus  is  the  classical  in- 
stance of  a  flower  round  which  has  been  seen  a  "  lightning- 
like  phosphorescence  "  on  a  sultry  summer  evening. 

Ord.  41.  RUTACEAE,  or  Rues,  are  well  known  to  herbalists 
on  account  of  their  essential  oil,  and  their  antispasmodic, 
febrifuge,  and  tonic  properties.  Common  Rue  is  Ruta 
graveolens,  and  Dittany,  Dictamnus  fraxinella^  which  on  a 
still,  dry,  warm  summer  evening  emits  an  inflammable  vapour 
which  can  be  kindled  with  a  match  without  injury  to  the 
flowers,  as  originally  described  by  the  daughter  of  Linnaeus 
in  1762,  and  as  Mr.  Hatchett  Jackson  has  shown  me  in  the 
gardens  of  Keble  College.  Related  and  sometimes  included 
in  this  order  is  the 

Order  of  AURANTIACEAE,  Oranges  and  Lemons.  The  largest  is  the 
Shaddock,  Citrus  decumana,  in  No.  12  Green-house. 

Ord.  42.  SIMARUBEAE.  The  Quassias  are  noted  for  their  intense 
bitterness.  They  are  represented  in  the  Garden  by  the  "Tree  of 
Heaven,"  Ailanthus  glandtdosa,  in  Plot  D. 

Ord.  43.  OCHNACEAE.  Lophira  alata  yields  "  Meni "  oil  and 
"African  Oak"  wood. 

Ord.  44.  BURSERACEAE.  The  Myrrh  Family  is  noted  for  its  yield 
of  balsams,  frankincense,  and  myrrh.  Hedwegia  boswelli  is  resin-bearing. 

Ord.  45.  MELIACEAE.  An  order  of  tropical  trees  and  shrubs,  including 
the  Indian  Neem-tree,  Melia  azadirachta ;  the  Central  American  Ma- 
hogany, Swietenia  mahagoni  ;  "  Cedar  "  wood  from  India  and  Australia, 
Cedrela  toona  ;  Satin  wood  from  Ceylon,  Chloroxylon  swietenia. 


64  HERBACEOUS   PLANTS 

Ord.  47.  OLACINEAE  are  tropical  trees  and  climbers.     Couta,  Ximenia. 

Ord.  48.  ILICINEAE.  Holly,  Ilex  Aquifolium.  The  wood  is  used 
largely  by  fretworkers  and  carvers.  The  juice  of  Holly  bark,  boiled  and 
mixed  with  nut-oil,  yields  Bird-lime. 

Ord.  50.  CELASTRINEAE.  The  Spindle  Trees.  Euonymus etiropaeus 
is  indigenous  in  Oxfordshire.  E.  latifolia  grows  in  the  central  walk. 
Cafka  and  Elaeodendron  are  under  glass. 

Ord.  53.  RHAMNACEAE,  or  Buckthorn  Family,  are  trees  and  shrubs 
represented  in  various  parts  of  the  Garden  by  Zizyphus,  Paliurus  (p.  39), 
Rhamnus  (p.  40),  Ceanothus  (p.  48),  and  Colletia  on  the  West  Wall. 

Ord.  54.  AMPELIDACEAE.  Two  species  of  Vines  may  be  seen  against 
the  West  Wall,  and  are  described  on  p.  45.  Ampelopsis  quinqnefolia, 
introduced  from  N.  America  in  1629,  about  the  time  of  the  foundation  of 
the  Garden,  is  the  familiar  Virginia  Creeper,  an  old  specimen  of  which  is 
trained  against  the  Library.  In  the  Stove-house,  an  allied  tribe  is  repre- 
sented by  Leea  micholitzi. 

SAPINDALES 

Ord.  55.  SAPINDACEAE.     The  Soapworts. 

Ord.  56.  HIPPOCASTANACEAE.     H orse-ches tnuts  (p.  47). 

Ord.  57.  ACERACEAE.    Maples  and  Sycamores,  Acer,  Negundo  (p.  42). 

Ord.  59.  STAPHYLEACEAE. 

Ord.  61.  ANACARDIACEAE.  Cashew -nuts.  Members  of  this  order 
grow  to  a  large  size  in  the  tropics.  The  genus  Rhus,  which  grows  in  S. 
Europe,  yields  the  Sumach  dye,  R.  coriaria',  Japanese  lacquer,  R.  verni- 
dfera  ;  a  tanning  principal,  R.  glabra  of  N.  America.  Mere  contact  with 
R.  toxicodewdron,  the  Poison  Tree,  may  give  rise  to  "violent  inflammation, 
followed  by  blisters  and  ulcers."  One  of  these  poisonous  shrubs  grows 
near  the  Mulberry  in  Plot  C.  It  is  wise  not  to  handle  the  leaves  ;  indeed, 
Dr.  Church  has  informed  me  that  an  American  once  wrote  to  an  Oxford 
journal  to  protest  against  the  plants  being  left  unguarded  !  Kalm  states 
that  the  allied  R.  radicans  gives  out  a  poisonous  exhalation  to  which 
certain  women  are  very  susceptible,  even  though  they  do  not  approach  the 
plant  nearer  than  a  yard. 

Pistacia  vera.,  fruit-kernels,  are  much  used  by  confectioners  ;  P.  lentiscus 
yields  the  Greek  resin  "  Mastic." 

The  fruit  of  the  Mango,  Mangifera  indica,  if  of  the  right  variety,  is 
among  the  most  delicious  of  tropical  fruits. 

Ord.  63.  MORINGEAE.     Horse-radish-tree,  Moringa pterygosperma. 

Ord.  64.  CONNARACEAE.     Tropical  climbers. 

Ord.  65.    LEGUMINOSAE.     The  four  southernmost  beds  in 


PLOT  £  &$ 

tlie  plot,  alongside  the  shrubbery,  grow  plants  of  one  of  the 
largest  of  the  Natural  Orders,  which  are  characterised  by  the 
shape  of  their  fruit,  known  to  botanists  as  a  legume  or  pod,  by 
the  butterfly-like  shape  of  their  flowers,  and  by  the  fact  that 
they  alone  of  all  plants  live  in  happy  association  with  fungi 
which  they  house  in  swellings  on  their  roots,  and  which  in 
return  supply  the  plants  with  nitrogenous  food,  partly  prepared 
from  the  nitrogen  of  the  air.  The  plant  is  thus  able  to  flourish 
in  poor  and  exhausted  soils.  Included  under  this  head  are  : 

Sub-ord.  I.    PAPILIONACEAE. 

Tribe  i.  Sophoreae.    Represented  in  the  Garden  by  the  trees 
of  Sophora  japonica  (Plot  F)  and  Cladrastis  (Plot  D). 
ii.  Podalyrieae.     Baptisia  tinctoria  is  the  wild  Indigo- 
root  of  the  United  States, 
iii.   Genisteae.     Cytisus,  Gorse,  and  Lupins. 

An  extraordinary  graft-hybrid  of  Cytisus  laburnum 
receives  special  notice  on  p.  52. 
iv.  Trefoils  and  Clovers, 
v.  Loteae.     Bird's-foot  Trefoil. 

vi.   Galegeae.     The    Indigo-plant    of   India,    Indigofera 

tinctoria.     The  False  Acacia,  Robinia  pseudacacia,  is 

growing   in    Plot    H  :   it    is    a    common    tree    in 

Oxford  gardens. 

vii.  Hedysareae.    Sainfoin,  Onobrychis  sativa ;  Telegraph 

plant,  Desmodium  gyrans. 

viii.  Vicieae.  The  Bean,  Vidafaba  ;  Pea,  Pisum  sativum; 
Sweet  Pea,  Lathyrus\  \^\\i\\Lensesculenta;  Lathy rus 
sibthorpii. 

ix.  Phaseoleae.  Runner  Beans.  P.  multiflorus  is  the 
Scarlet  Runner  Bean.  Wistaria  chinensis  grows  to 
a  large  size  on  the  western  aspect  of  both  East 
and  West  Walls.  Calabar  Bean,  Physostigma. 

x.  Dalbergieae.  Dalbergia  latifolia  yields  the  Rosewood  of 
S.  India,  and  Pterocarpus  species  supply  many  other  valuable 
coloured  woods  well  known  in  the  Oriental  region. 


66  HERBACEOUS   PLANTS 

Sub-ord.  II.  CAESALPINIEAE.  Species  of  Cassia,  Bauhinia,  Tamar- 
indtts,  Ceratonia,  the  Carob,  and  Cercis  will  all  be  found  in  the  Green- 
houses ;  the  Kentucky  Coffee-tree,  Gymnodadus,  in  Plot  D. 

Sub-ord.  III.  MIMOSEAE.  The  Sensitive  Plant,  Mimosa  pudica  (p.  116); 
Acacias  (pp.  96,  117). 

PLOT   C 

At  the  southern  end  are  the 

Ord.  66.  ROSACEAE.  Owing  to  the  large  size  of  many  of 
the  Rose  Family  they  must  be  sought  elsewhere  than  in  the 
Herbaceous  Beds  devoted  to  the  Natural  Orders. 

i.  The  jRoseae,  or  Roses  proper,  are  best  seen  in  the 
beds  nearest  Christ  Church  Meadows  and  on  the 
walls  of  the  Garden.  Rosa  laevigata^  var.  anemonae- 
flora,  R.  septum,  R.  pisocarpa,  and  R.  sericea,  var. 
pteracantha. 

ii.  The  smaller-growing  Spiraeas  are  planted  in  the 
southernmost  bed  of  this  plot,  but  larger  species 
will  be  found  in  the  shrubberies,  especially  in 
Plot  F,  next  the  Sophora — e.g.  S.  aitchisonii, 
S.  henryi.  The  giant  S.  kamschatkensis  forms  a 
striking  contrast  to  the  cut-leaved  S.  aruncus,  var. 
kneiffii.  S.  lindleyana  is  trained  against  the  West 
Wall.  Varieties  of  Kerria  japonica  may  be  seen 
against  the  East  and  South  Walls. 

iii.  To  the  Plum  tribe  belong  the  Cherry,  Prunus  cerasus,  and  the 
Almond,  P.  amygdalus>  outside  the  West  Wall.  The  ever- 
green Cherry  Laurel,  P.  laurocerasus,  and  Portugal  Laurel, 
P.  lusitanica,  will  be  found  in  the  shrubberies.  The  first 
specimen  of  the  latter  grown  in  this  country  was  received 
here  from  Portugal  in  1648.  When  cut  down  in  1826  it  was 
25  ft.  to  30  ft.  in  height,  with  a  trunk  2  ft.  in  diameter  at  I  ft. 
from  the  ground. 

iv.  The  Poterieae  include  Agrimonia^  Alchemilla. 
v.  Potentilleae.     Strawberry,  Fragaria.     A  small  bed 
is  devoted  to  dwarf-growing  Brambles,  but  a  larger 
collection   of  recent  acquisition   has  been  trained. 


PLOT   C  67 

against  the  South  Wall  (north  aspect).    The  Black- 
berry is  Rubus  fruticosus  ;  Raspberry,  R.  idaeus. 

Dr.  Daubeny  had  two  Raspberry-plants  growing 
in  the  Garden,  reared  from  seeds  said  to  have  been 
found  within  the  skeleton  of  a  man  contained  in  a 
Dorsetshire  barrow,  and  therefore  supposed  to  be 
contemporaneous  with  the  period  of  the  ancient 
Britons  !  We  cannot  believe  in  such  vitality, 
vi.  Pomeae.  Trees.  Cotoneaster,  C.augustifolia,pannosa;  Crataegus, 
C.  holmesiana  ;  Pear,  Pyrus  communis ;  Apple,  P.  mains  ; 
Service  Tree,  P.  domestica  ;  White  Beam,  P.  ana  (p.  40). 

Ord.  67.  SAXIFRAGACEAE  include  the  Gooseberry  and 
Currant  Sub-order.  The  bulk  of  the  collection  of  Saxifrages 
is  potted  among  the  Alpine  Plants  near  the  south  fountain. 
Recent  additions  are  the  very  fine  varieties  of  Saxifraga  aizoon, 
Dr.  Ramsey,  rosea,  and  scardica. 

Heuchera  ;  Grass  of  Parnassus,  Parnassia  palustris. 

To  this  order  belong  the  Hydrangeas  ;  Mock  Orange  or 
Syringa,  Philadelphus  \  Deutzia,  D.  lemoinei ;  Currants  and 
Gooseberries,  Ribes,  and  similar  flowering  shrubs. 

Ord.  6"ja.  CEPHALOTACEAE  comprise  but  one  Australian  species,  Cepha- 
lotus follicularis  (p.  in). 

Ord.  68.  CRASSULACEAE.  The  House-leeks  and  Stonecrops 
are  known  by  their  fleshy  leaves,  which  are  arranged  in  regular 
spirals  so  beautifully  depicted  by  Dr.  Church  in  his  scholarly 
dissertation  on  Phyllotaxis.  Cotyledon,  Sedum,  and  Semper- 
vivum  are  British.  A  selection  of  Crassulas,  Echeverias, 
Kalanchoe,  and  other  exotic  forms  may  be  studied  in  the 
Cactus  House.  In  many  we  may  study  how  a  compact 
structure,  due  to  the  suppression  of  the  internodes,  has  been 
produced  by  desiccation. 

Ord.  69.  DROSERACEAE.    Sundews. 

Ord.  70.  HAMAMELIDACEAE.  Witch  Hazels.  The  Iron-tree,  Par- 
rolia  persica,  was  introduced  in  1848  ;  the  Witch  Hazel,  H.  virginica,  is 
one  of  a  group  of  N.  American  shrubs.  Liquidambar  orientalis  yields  the 
perfume  Liquid  Storax.  L.  styraciflua  is  the  American  Sweet  Gum-tree. 


63  HERBACEOUS   PLANTS 

Ord.  7 2 .  HALORAGEAE.  Mare's-tails,  Hippuris  vutgaris  • 
Gunnera  scabra,  from  Chili,  has  handsome  foliage.  It  is 
unfortunately  not  quite  hardy. 

MYRTALES 

Ord.  73.  RHIZOPHOREAE.  Mangroves  of  muddy  estuaries  in  the 
tropics. 

Ord.  74.  COMBRETACEAE.     Myrobalans  of  India. 

Ord.  75.  MYRTACEAE.  The  Myrtle,  M.  communis,  is  the  European 
representative  of  an  order  which  includes  the  Blue  Gums,  Eucalyptus,  of 
Australia,  certain  species  of  which  supply  the  Karri  and  Jarrah  wood- 
paving  blocks ;  Brazil-nuts,  Bertholletia  excelsa ;  Cloves,  Guavas,  and 
Punic  a  granatum,  of  which  a  specimen  is  trained  against  the  South  Wall, 
where  it  occasionally  flowers. 

Ord.  77.  LYTHRACEAE.  To  the  Loosestrife  Family  belongs 
Lawsonia  inermis  of  Egypt,  which  supplies  Oriental  ladies  with 
the  henna  which  fashion  dictates  as  necessary  for  dyeing  their 
finger-nails. 

Ord.  78.  ONAGRACEAE.  Including  the  Clarkias  and  many 
other  beautiful  garden  plants,  such  as  the  Evening  Primroses, 
Oenothera ;  Willow  Herbs,  Epilobium ;  Enchanter's  Night- 
shade, Circaea  lutetiana ;  and  to  these  are  related  the 
Fuchsia  of  S.  America.  Oenothera  lamarckiana  is  the  classical 
instance  of  a  plant  in  a  "mutable  state,"  i.e.  a  plant  from  the 
seeds  of  which  new  species  are  being  produced  per  saltum  at 
the  present  time  (de  Vries,  "  Theory  of  Mutation  "). 

PASSIFLORALES 
Ord.  79.  SAMYDACEAE. 
Ord.  80.  LOASEAE.     Blumenbachia  hieronymi. 

Ord.^Sl.    TURNERACEAE. 

Ord.*82.  PASSIFLORACEAE.  Passion  Flowers,  from  Asia  and  tropical 
America,  ripen  fruit  out  of  doors  in  warm  seasons — e.g.  at  Folly  Bridge, 
1911.  (See  Green-houses,  p.  99.) 

The  Papayaceae  are  a  tribe  of  Pdssifloraceae. 

Ord.  83.  CUCURBITACEAE.  Gourds  are  for  the  most  part 
tropical  plants  ;  Bryony,  Bryonia  dioica,  being  the  only  species 


PLOT   C  69 

indigenous  in  England.  Many  varieties  of  Cucumbers, 
Melons,  and  Pumpkins  are  of  very  ancient  cultivation  in  the 
East,  and  are  unknown  in  the  wild  state. 

Ord.  84,  BEGONIACEAE.  None  of  the  Elephant's  Ears  are  hardy, 
but  several  ornamental  varieties  are  usually  bedded  out  for  the  summer 
months  :  this  year  in  Plot  H. 

FICOIDALES 

Ord.  86.  CACTACEAE  are  grown  in  Cactus  House  No.  10. 
Ord.  87.    FICOIDEAE.     The   Fig   Marigolds  must   not  be 

confused   with   the   true   Figs.      Most  of  the   genera   are  S. 

African,   but  the  Ice-plant,   Mesembryanthemum  crystallinum^ 

is  well  known  in  S.  Europe. 

UMBELLALES 

Ord.  88.  UMBELLIFERAE  are  more  particularly  abundant  in 
the  Mediterranean  lands.  Some  are  esculent,  but  many,  and 
especially  those  living  in  damp  places,  are  poisonous,  or  at 
least  powerfully  medicinal. 

The  tall-growing  Heracleums  will  at  once  attract  attention  to 
their  bed  in  the  middle  of  the  plot.  Some  species  are  very 
attractive  to  bumble-bees,  which  fall  to  the  ground  drugged  and 
dizzy  as  the  result  of  their  visit.  A  close  relation  is  the  familiar 
Parsley,  Pastinaca  oleracea.  Condemned  criminals  in  ancient 
Greece  were  commonly  poisoned  by  Hemlock,  Conium  macu- 
latuni)  and  it  was  thus  that  Socrates  died.  The  swollen  stems 
of  Fennel,  Ferula  communis,  are  eaten  like  Celery  in  S.  Europe. 
It  has  been  identified  with  the  Naptfr^  of  Dioscorides,  and  is 
still  called  Nartheca  by  the  Greeks.  "The  hollow  of  the 
stem  is  occupied  by  pith,  which,  being  well  dried,  takes  fire 
like  a  match,*  without  injuring  the  outer  portion  ;  and  the  stem 
is  therefore  much  used  for  carrying  fire  from  place  to  place. 
Our  sailors  laid  in  a  store  of  it.  This  custom  is  of  the  highest 
antiquity,  and  may  explain  a  passage  in  *  Hesiod,'  where, 

*  j.e.  a  s}ow  match  for  firing  gunpowder. 


70  HERBACEOUS   PLANTS 

speaking  of  the  fire  that  Prometheus  stole  from  heaven,  he 
says  that  he  brought  it  in  a  Ferula, — the  fact  being,  probably, 
that  Prometheus  invented  the  steel  that  strikes  fire  from  flint, 
and  used  the  pith  of  the  Ferula  for  a  match,  teaching  men 
how  to  preserve  fire  in  these  stalks  "  (TOURNEFORT). 

Narthex  assafoetida  yields  the  drug  in  the  form  of  tears  of 
gum-resin  in  Persia. 

To  this  order  belong  the  Samphire,  Crithmum ;  the  Carrot, 
Daucus ;  the  Caraway,  Carum  carui,  and  many  other  familiar 
plants. 

Ord.  89.  ARALIACEAE.  Several  unnamed  Ivies  climb  upon 
the  walls*  of  the  Garden,  butAra/m  racem0sa,from  N.  America, 
will  be  found  in  the  Herbaceous  Beds.  The  pith  of  the 
exotic,  A.  papyrifera,  cut  into  small  sheets,  is  the  rice-paper 
of  the  Chinese. 

Ord.  90.  CORNACEAE.  Aucubas  will  be  found  in  the  shrubberies.  The 
wood  of  Cornus  mas  is  used  for  making  butchers'  skewers. 

GAMOPETALAE 

At  the  northern  end  of  Plot  C  will  be  found  plants  belong- 
ing to  the  epigynous  gamopetallous  division. 

Ord.  91.  CAPRIFOLIACEAE,  comprising  the  Elder  and 
Honeysuckle  Tribes,  are  mostly  shrubs  of  considerable 
growth.  A  large  Guelder  Rose,  Viburnum,  may  be  seen 
in  Plot  D.  Adoxa  moschatellina  and  Linnaeus'  favourite 
plant,  Linnaea  borealis,  are  elegant  dwarf  representatives  of 
the  two  tribes.  The  branches  of  the  "  twisted  eglantine  "  of 
Milton,  Lonicera,  have  been  thought  to  exhibit  a  "  perceptive 
power,"  because  young  shoots  meeting  a  branch  of  another 
plant  twine  from  right  to  left ;  whereas  if  they  meet  one 
another  they  twine  in  different  directions,  one  to  right,  the 
other  to  left,  thus  forming  a  strong  combination.  A  more 

*  The  Ivy  on  the  Danby  Gate  was  removed  in  1900  at  the  request  of 
the  Curators  of  the  University  Chest  ' '  in  order  that  the  state  of  preserva- 
tion might  be  ascertained."  (Cf.  p.  210.) 


PLOT   D  71 

recent  explanation  may  of  course  be  found  in  Darwin's  book 
on  "  Climbing  Plants." 

Ord.  92.  RUBIACEAE  include  three  groups  of  plants,  two  of 
which  (i)  the  Coffee-trees,  and  (2)  Cinchonas,  yielding 
quinine,  including  Bouvardia,  are  exotic ;  but  the  third  or 
Stellate  tribe  is  represented  in  temperate  climes  by  the  Bed- 
straws,  Galium  ;  Madder,  Rubia  tinctoria  ;  Woodruff,  Asperula 
odorata ;  and  the  common  Field  Madder,  bearing  the  name 
of  the  founder  of  our  chair  of  Botany,  Sherardia  arvensis. 

Ord.  93.  VALERIANACEAE  are  remarkable  for  the  wonderful 
psychological  effects  they  have  upon  cats,  both  large  and 
small.  A  small  sprig  thrown  into  a  lion's  cage  will  cause  him 
to  roll  upon  it  in  a  great  state  of  excitement.  Centranthus 
ruber  is  naturalised  upon  many  a  Cornish  wall  and  elsewhere 
in  England  (cf.  p.  133). 

Ord.  94.  DIPSACEAE.  Dried  Teazles,  flower-heads  of  Dip- 
sacus  fullonum,  are  used  for  fulling  cloth.  Several  species  of 
Scabious  are  cultivated  in  flower-gardens. 

PLOT   D 

In  beds  shaded  on  the  east  by  a  row  of  N.  American 
trees,  we  find 

Ord.  96.  COMPOSITAE.  The  most  numerous  family  of  all 
the  flowering  plants  and  world-wide  in  distribution.  Eleven 
tribes  are  distinguished. 

i.  Eupatorieae,  represented  in  England  by  Hemp 
Agrimony,  E.  cannabinum,  have  local  reputations  of 
being  able  to  cure  most  diseases,  including  cholera 
and  snake-bite. 

ii.  Asteroideae.  The  Daisies  grow  near  the  south- 
west corner.  North  of  these  are  the 
iii.  Senecionideae.  The  Groundsel,  S.vulgaris^ belongs 
here,  as  does  the  Oxford  Ragwort,  S.  squalidus, 
common  on  our  old  walls,  and  introduced  perhaps 
from  Sicily  to  the  Botanic  Garden,  whence  it  has 


72  HERBACEOUS   PLANTS 

spread  over  the  city  and  now  over  the  Great 
Western  Railway  system  (Druce).  Doronicum ; 
Petasites  •  Tussilago.  The  Japanese  Coltsfoot, 
T.japonica,  is  a  fine  ornamental  plant. 

iv.  Anthemideae.  From  Wormwood,  Artemisia  absin- 
thium^ an  infusion  can  be  prepared  which  is  a 
good  domestic  tonic,  and  was  formerly  in  favour 
as  an  anthelmintic.  Chrysanthemum ;  Yarrow, 
Achillea;  Camomile,  Anthemis;  Tansy,  Tanacetum. 

v.  Helianthoideae.  The  Sunflowers  fill  a  long 
curved  bed,  together  with  the  Rudbeckias,  Zinnias, 
and  Coreopsis.  The  well-known  Jerusalem  Arti- 
choke, Helianthus  tuberosus,  came  from  N.  America. 
It  was  introduced  into  the  Farnese  Garden  at 
Rome  in  1617,  whence  it  was  distributed  in 
Europe  under  the  name  of  Girasole  or  Sun 
Flower — a  name  that  is  commonly  corrupted  into 
"Jerusalem." 

vi.  Helenioideae.     Gaillardia  and  Tagetes. 

vii.  Inuloideae.     Elecampane,   /.   helenium,   is   one  of 

our  rarer  local  plants.     It  occurs  near  Eynsham. 
viii.   Cynareae.    Thistles.    The  Carline  Thistle  is  hygro- 
metric— open  in  drought,  closed  in  rain.     Charle- 
magne used  the  root  of  C.  acaulis  as  a  remedy  for 
plague  in  his  army. 

A  fine  Knapweed,  Centatirea  ragttsina,  was  brought  home 
from  the  Mediterranean  by  Sibthorp  about  1790,  and  was 
first  introduced  to  horticulture  as  a  bedding-plant  by  Baxter, 
who  used  it  extensively  in  the  Oxford  Garden. 

ix.  Calenduleae.     Dimorphotheca. 
x.    Mutisieae.     S.  American  climbers. 

xi.  Cichorieae  occupy  the  north-east  bed  near  the 
Fountain.  Relatives  both  of  the  Dandelion,  Tar- 
axacum offidnale,  and  -the  Lettuce,  Lactuca  sativa, 
will  be  found  here.  On  the  walls  of  the  Garden 
Hieracium  amplexicaule  has  become  naturalised, 


PLOT  E  73 

The  north-west  bed  of  Plot  D  is  filled  with  the 

Ord.  99.    LOBELIACEAE.      Indian   Tobacco,    L.   inflata,    is 

used  medicinally  for  asthma.     And  the 

Ord.  100.   CAMPANULACEAE.    Harebells.   The  Harebell,  C. 

rotundifolia  ;    Canterbury    Bell,    C.  medium.      A    noteworthy 

member  of  the  group,  Owstrowskia  magnified,  is  worthy  of  a 

place  in  the  Garden. 

PLOT   E 

ERICALES 

Ord.  102.  ERICACEAE.  To  the  Heath  Family  belong  the 
beautiful  "  American  Plants  " — the  Rhododendrons,  Azaleas, 
and  Kalmias.  None  do  well  in  our  calcareous  Oxford  soil, 
but  a  few  specimen  plants  are  contained  in  a  small  round  bed 
under  a  Pyrus  intermedia  at  the  south  end  of  the  plot. 
Heaths  are  examples  of  moorland  plants  which  live  with  a 
microscopic  partner,  to  the  friendship  of  whom  they  are  in- 
debted for  certain  foods  present  in  the  peaty  soil,  though  in 
a  form  which  is  not  available  to  the  unaided  Heath.  The 
useful  partner  is  a  fungus,  known  to  science  as  Mycorhiza.  In 
this  country  they  are  represented  by  the  dwarf-growing  Bil- 
berries, Cowberries,  and  Cranberries  of  the  genus  Vaccinium. 
The  Arbutus,  abundant  about  the  lakes  of  Killarney,  has 
been  killed  in  severe  winters  in  Oxford,  but  there  is  a  plant 
that  bears  fruit  at  the  Canal  Offices  (A.  H.  C.).  In  Australia, 
Epacris  replaces  the  Erica  of  the  Northern  Hemisphere. 

Ord.  107.  PLUMBAGINACEAE.  Sea  Lavender,  Statice.  In 
the  Sea  Pink  or  Thrift,  Armeria,  minute  glands  in  the  axils 
of  the  leaves  rid  the  plant  of  effete  or  injurious  substances. 
When  they  are  watered  with  water  containing  lime,  specks  of 
chalk  may  be  seen  at  the  mouths  of  the  glands.  Plumbago 
europaea  has  a  bad  reputation  on  the  Continent :  beggars  use 
it  to  ulcerate  the  skin,  and  thus  to  elicit  alms  from  the 
compassionate. 

,  198.    PRIMULAQEAE  are  less  remarkable  for  economic 


74  HERBACEOUS    PLANTS 

than  for  aesthetic  qualities.  To  the  genera  Primula,  Cyclamen, 
Soldanella,  Androsace,  Dodecatheon,  belong  some  of  our  most 
lovely  "  Alpine  Plants,"  and  many  will  be  found  in  the  pots 
round  the  South  Tank.  Here  the  order  is  represented  by 
Lysimachia  and  genera  of  larger  growth.  The  Poor  Man's 
Weather  Glass,  Anagallis  arvensis,  was  so-called  because  the 
closing  of  its  flowers  was  supposed  to  indicate  an  approaching 
shower. 

Ord.  no.  SAPOTACEAE.  Tropical  Sapodillas.  Palaquium  gutta  is  a 
source  of  true  guttapercha. 

Ord.  in.  EBENACEAE.  A  Persimmon,  Diospyros  virginiana,  grows 
in  Plot  D. 

Ord.  112.  STYRACEAE  are  Oriental  trees  and  shrubs  yielding  balsamic 
gums.  The  Snowdrop  Tree,  Halesia  tetraptera,  should  be  more  widely 
grown. 

Ord.  113.  OLEACEAE.  Shrubs  and  trees,  such  as  the  Privet,  Ligustrum 
vulgar e  ;  Olive,  Olea  europaea ;  Ash,  Fraxinus  ;  Lilac,  Syringa  vulgaris  ; 
Forsythia ;  Jasminum. 

Ord.  114.  SALVADORACEAE.     Mustard-trees,  are  all  exotics. 

In  the  western  beds  are 

Ord.  115.  APOCYNACEAE.  Many  of  the  N.  American 
Dogbanes  possess  strong  medicinal  properties,  whence  the 
name.  Apocynum  androsaemifolium  is  remarkable  for  its 
stamens,  which  contract  violently  on  the  slightest  irritation, 
such  as  the  insertion  of  a  hair  or  the  proboscis  of  a  fly.  It 
thus  entraps  flies  in  great  numbers,  and  Burnet  "  has  often 
seen  from  50  to  100  flies  imprisoned  and  slain,  and,  as  it 
were,  hung  in  fetters,  in  terrorem,  by  a  single  plant  during  the 
sunshine  of  a  summer's  day." 

The  Periwinkles,  Vinca  major  and  minor,  belong  here. 
Nerium  oleander,  Allamanda,  and  Dipladenia  will  be  found 
in  the  Green-houses. 

Ord.  116.  ASCLEPIADACEAE.  Several  species  of  Asdepias 
are  grown  in  gardens.  Here  we  have  A.  syriaca  and  incarnata 
and  also  Cynanchum  acutum. 

Stapelia,  Hoya  carnosa,  and  Ceropegia  will  be  found  under  glass. 

Ord.   117.    LOQANIACEAE   are   extremely  poisonous,       Strychnos   nu# 


PLOT   E  75 

votnica  and  S.  toxifera  yield  strychnine  and  the  celebrated  Wourali  poison 
used  for  arrows  by  the  Guiana  natives.  Buddleia  albiflora,  colvilei,  and 
variabilis  are  shrubby  herbs  of  recent  introduction,  but  B,  globosa  is 
still  one  of  the  best.  The  genus  was  formerly  regarded  as  Scrophularine. 

Along  the  north  end  of  the  plot  are 

Ord.  1 1 8.  GENTIANEAE.  A  bitter  tonic  is  prepared  from 
the  root  of  G.  lutea. 

Ord.  119.  POLEMONIACEAE  include  Jacob's  Ladder,  Pole- 
monium  coeruleum,  Phlox,  and  the  useful  green-house  climber, 
Cobaea  scandens. 

Ord.  120.  HYDROPHYLLACEAE,  including  Nemophila  and 
Eutoca,  have  divided  leaves  and  fruits  technically  described  as 
capsules. 

Ord.  121.  BORAGINACEAE  include  the  Forget-me-nots, 
Myosotis ;  Comfrey,  Symphytum ;  Hound's -tongue,  Cyno- 
glossum ;  Lungwort,  Pulmonaria  •  and  the  green-house  plant, 
Heliotropium  peruvianum. 

Ord.  122.  CONVOLVULACEAE,  or  Bindweeds,  are  well-known 
climbing  plants  which,  in  the  case  of  the  members  of  the 
genus  Cuscuta,  the  Dodders,  have  twined  themselves  into  such 
close  relations  with  their  support  as  to  have  become  wholly 
parasitic  upon  it.  Cuscuta  trifolii  is  very  injurious  to  clover. 

The  Sweet  Potatoes  of  tropical  America  are  the  roots  of 
Ipomoea  Batatas.  /.  learii  flowered  in  June  in  the  open 
border  in  1842. 

Ord.  123.  SOLANACEAE.  The  Nightshades  are  mostly 
harmful — 

Foxglove  and  nightshade  side  by  side — 
Emblems  of  punishment  and  of  pride  ( SCOTT)  ; 

but,  on  the  other  hand,  Lycopersicum  esculentum,  the  Tomato, 
and  Solatium  tuberosum,  the  Potato,  go  far  to  redeem  the  good 
character  of  the  order.  The  Deadly  Nightshade,  Atropa 
belladonna,  and  Henbane,  Hyoscyamus  niger,  yield  the  well- 
known  alkaloids  of  the  same  name.  The  Thorn  Apple, 
Datura  stramonium,  belongs  to  a  second  section  of  the  order, 


76  HERBACEOUS   PLANTS 

It  is  an  Indian  herb  containing  a  poison  like  atropine,  which, 
when  prepared  from  D.  metel,  is  used  by  Thugs  to  stupefy 
their  victims,  and  also  by  Mahommedans  in  the  concoction  of 
hashisch.  To  the  third,  the  Cestreae,  belong  Nicotiana,  the 
Tobacco  genus,  and  Petunia,  a  well-known  bedding  plant. 
Salpiglossis,  Schizanthus,  and  Browallia  are  grouped  in  the 
fourth  tribe. 

Ord.  124.  SCROPHULARIACEAE.  The  Great  Mullein,  Ver- 
bascum  thapsits,  is  one  of  the  finest  of  our  roadside  weeds, 
and  it  ranges  from  Aberdeen  to  the  Himalayas.  The  Snap- 
dragon, 'Antirrhinum ;  Toadflax,  Linaria  ;  Monkey-flower  or 
Musk,  Mimulus ;  and  the  green-house  Calceolarias  and  Pent- 
stemons  have  peculiar  characters  of  their  own,  which  take  a 
tree-form  in  the  Japanese  Pauloivnia  imperialis. 

To  another  section  of  the  order  belong  the  Foxglove, 
Digitalis ;  the  Speedwell,  Veronica ;  Eyebright,  Euphrasia  ; 
and  a  plant  which  we  hope  will  never  be  absent  from  the 
Oxford  Garden — Sibthorpia  from  the  south-west  of  England. 

Ord.  125.  OROBANCHACEAE.  The  Broomrapes,  being  parasitic  upon 
other  plants,  have  lost  their  green  colouring  matter.  Lathraea  sqtiamaria 
has  been  said  to  set  subterranean  traps  for  catching  insects,  but  this  is  a  myth. 

Ord.  126.  LENTIBULARIACEAE  include  the  carnivorous  Pinguicida  and 
Utricularia.  Our  Oxford  Bladderwort,  U.  vulgaris,  grows  in  Wolvercote 
ponds  and  S.  Hincksey  ditches,  and  was  first  noticed  to  digest  young  fish 
by  Mr.  G.  Simms  (G.  C.  D.). 

Ord.  128.  GESNERACEAE  include  the  showy  exotic  genera  Gloxinia, 
Achimenes,  and  Streptocarpus,  which  are  well  represented  in  the  Glass- 
houses. Ramondia  from  S.  Europe  is  hardy. 

Ord.  129.  BIGNONIACEAE  include  the  tree  Catalpa  from  N.  America, 
and  the  climbers  Bignonia,  Tecoma,  and  Eccremocarpus  from  Chili ;  but 
none  of  the  latter  are  thoroughly  hardy  with  us. 

In  the  south-east  corner  is  a  bed  containing 

Ord.  131.  ACANTHACEAE.  In  the  beds  is  a  clump  of  Bear's 
Breech,  Acanthus  mollis,  the  decorative  leaves  of  which  are 
believed  to  have  suggested  the  beautiful  Corinthian  capital  in 
architecture.  Under  glass  are  species  of  Thunbergia^  Ruellia^ 
and  Justifies, 


PLOT  E  77 

Next  is  a  small  bed  containing  the 

Ord.  134.  VERBENACEAE,  or  Vervains — an  order  to  which 
the  Indian  Teak-tree,  Tectona  grandis,  also  belongs. 

Ord.  135.  LABIATAE  are  a  very  numerous  family  widely  dis- 
tributed. Many  contain  reservoirs  so  well  filled  with  aromatic 
volatile  oils  that  they  find  great  favour  both  in  kitchen  and 
boudoir. 

* '  Here's  flowers  for  you  : 
Hot  lavender,  mints,  savory,  marjoram." 

SHAKESPEARE,  "Winter's  Tale." 

A  mere  list  makes  pleasant  reading :  Lavender,  Lavandula 
vera ;  Patchouli  and  Sweet  Basil ;  Spearmint,  Peppermint, 
and  Pennyroyal  are  species  of  Mentha ;  Hyssop,  Balm, 
Rosemary,  Sweet  Marjoram,  and  Thyme  are  all  Labiates. 

A  small  bed  near  the  Acanthus  is  reserved  for  the  Catmints 
and  Ground  Ivies,  Nepeteae,  and  another  for  the  fine  Ajuga 
genevensis  in  the  curve  of  the  Stachydeae^  including  the  Dead 
Nettles,  Lamium  ;  Woundworts,  Stachys \  Horehound,  Mar- 
rubium,  and  others.  The  Jerusalem  Sage,  Phlomis  fruticosa, 
growing  in  a  bed  near  the  Library,  makes  a  fine  show  in  June 
with  its  yellow  flowers,  which  prove  so  attractive  to  a  certain 
class  of  visitors  to  the  Garden  that  they  steal  the  name-labels ! 
The  down  of  some  of  the  species  has  been  used  for  wicks, 
hence  the  name,  from  (£Aoy/>u>s,  a  flame. 

"  There  is  ye  wormwood  sage  Called  Mountaigne  sage,  its  to  all 
appearance  like  Comon  sage  only  of  yellower  green,  a  narrow  long  Leafe 
full  of  ribbs ;  In  yor  Mouth  the  flavour  is  strong  of  Wormwood  to  the 
taste"  (Celia  Fiennes,  circ.  1695). 

Ord.  136.  PLANTAGINACEAE.  The  common  weeds  termed 
Plantains  are  in  a  bed  near  the  Taxodium.  They  are  best 
killed  when  in  a  lawn  by  ammonium  sulphate,  sold  impure 
under  the  name  of  "  lawn  sand."  In  olden  days  the  flat  leaves 
were  used  as  vulneraries. 

The  plantain  ribbed,  that  heals  the  reaper's  wound. 

SHENSTONE. 


78  HERBACEOUS   PLANTS 

MONOCHLAMYDEAE 
PLOT    F 

In  the  north-west  corner  under  the  magnificent  Sophora 
japonica  are 

Ord.  137.  NYCTAGINEAE,  represented  by  a  clump  of  the 
Marvel  of  Peru,  Mirabilis  jalapa — not  the  true  Jalap. 
Tricycla  and  Bougainvillea  are  under  glass. 

Ord.  138.  ILLECEBRACEAE  are  all  tiny  herbs;  Corrigiola^ 
Herniaria,  and  Scleranthus  are  English. 

Ord.  139.  AMARANTACEAE.  Prince's  Feather,  Love-lies- 
bleeding,  Amaranthus,  and  Cock's-comb,  Celosia^  are  common 
garden  plants. 

Ord.  140.  CHENOPODIACEAE.  The  Goosefoot  Family  include 
many  familiar  esculents.  The  Mangold,  Beta  vulgaris ; 
Red  Beetroot,  B.  rubra ;  Saltwort  and  Marsh  Samphire, 
Salsola  and  Salicornia  ;  Sea  Elite  or  Suaeda,  containing  sodium 
carbonate,  are  all  common  salt-marsh  plants.  Most  of  the 
Goosefoots,  Chenopodium,  are  weeds,  but  Spinada  oleracea  is 
cultivated  as  Spinach.  Kochia  scoparia  trichophylla  is  a  plant 
of  great  neatness  which  should  be  far  more  cultivated  as  a 
bedding-plant.  During  the  year  it  changes  colour  from  a 
bright  green  to  vivid  red. 

Ord.  141.  PHYTOLACCACEAE.  The  berries  of  the  Pokeweed, 
P.  decandra,  from  N.  America  are  used  for  staining  wine. 

Ord.  143.  POLYGONACEAE.  The  Buckwheats,  Docks,  and 
Rhubarbs  are  often  large-leaved  plants  of  rapid  growth,  with 
small  flowers,  which,  like  those  of  the  Lauraceae,  have  been 
variously  interpreted  by  botanists,  some  considering  that  they 
are  "  rnonochlamydeous "  without  petals,  which  is  the  view 
indicated  by  their  present  position  in  the  Garden  ;  others 
holding  that  the  petalloid  whorl  has'been  reduced  or  disguised. 
The  larger  Buckwheats,  Polygonum  cuspidatum  and  viviparum^ 
take  up  much  room,  and  frequently  stray  into  their  neigh- . 


PLOT   F  79 

hours'  beds.  The  largest  of  all  is  P.  sachalinense ;  Rumex  is 
the  Dock  and  Sorrel  genus  ;  Oxyria,  the  Mountain  Sorrel  ; 
Rheum  officinale\  Medicinal  Rhubarb,  a  Chinese  plant ; 
R.  rhaponticum,  Garden  Rhubarb. 

Ord.   144.  PODOSTEMACEAE.     Tropical  aquatic-plants. 

Ord.  145.  NEPENTHACEAE.  Pitcher-plants  in  the  small  Stove- 
house. 

Ord.  147.  ARISTOLOCHIACEAE.  The  Birthworts  or  Dutch- 
man's Pipes  are  tall  climbers,  which  may  be  seen  both  east 
and  west  of  the  East  Wall.  The  rare  Asarum  europaeum  is 
the  only  British  species.  Aristolochia  dematitis  has  been 
recorded  from  Godstow  and  from  Studley  Priory — both  sites 
of  former  monastic  establishments. 

Ord.  148.  PJPERACEAE.  The  Saururean  Tribe  only  is 
represented  by  Houttuynia  cordata,  a  common  Chinese  weed 
first  grown  in  Oxford  about  1855.  The  flowers  have  neither 
sepals  nor  petals.  Both  Piper  and  Peperomia  are  grown  in 
the  Stoves. 

Ord.  150.  MYRISTICACEAE.  Nutmegs,  M.  moschata,  from  the  Malay 
Archipelago. 

Ord.  152.  LAURACEAE.  The  Sweet  Bay,  Laurus  nobilis,  will  be  found 
against  the  West  Wall.  It  is  not  quite  hardy,  being  cut  back  by  hard 
frosts.  Cinnamormttti,  Camphora,  and  Greenheart,  Nectandra  rodiaei,  are 
exotics  of  this  order. 

Ord.  153.  PROTEACSAE.  South  African  and  Australian  shrubs  and 
trees,  represented  by  Grevillea  in  Conservatory  No.  4. 

Ord.  154.  THYMELAEACEAE.  Daphne  mezereum  and  laureola 
are  the  only  two  English  species.  Like  Elaeagnaceae,  the 
Thymelaeaceae  are  now  believed  to  have  lost  their  petals. 

Ord.  156.  ELAEAGNACEAE.  The  Sea  Buckthorn,  Hippophae 
rhamnoides,  yields  fruit  from  which  a  tolerable  preserve  can  be 
made.  A  small  tree  is  growing  in  the  centre  of  the  plot. 

Ord.  157.  LORANTHACEAE  will  be  found  overhead  upon  the 
Ostrya  carpinifolia  at  the  southern  end  of  the  plot.  The 
Mistletoe,  Viscum  album,  usually  occurs  upon  the  Rosaceous 
trees,  the  apple,  mountain  ash,  hawthorn,  and  upon  poplars 
(especially  in  the  Loire  Valley),  but  in  our  Garden  it  grew 


80  HERBACEOUS  PLANTS 

on  the  Walnut  and  Crataegus  prunifolia  *  in  1864,  and  has" 
extended  its  range  to  the  Horse-chestnut,  Lime,  Cladrastis, 
Crataegus  oxyacantha,  and  to  the  Ostrya,  and  lately  to  the 
Medlar.  It  propagated  by  rubbing  a  ripe  berry  on  a  smooth 
healthy  bark  surface,  until  the  gelatinous  matter  about  the  so- 
called  seed  makes  it  adhere. 

Ord.  158.  SANTALACEAE.  The  Indian  Sandal  wood-tree, 
Santalum  album,  is  represented  in  England  by  the  herb 
Bastard  Toadflax,  Thesium  linophyllum,  found  on  the  chalk. 

Ord.  1 60.  EUPHORBIACEAE.  The  Spurges  are  characterised 
by  their  poisonous  milky  juice,  which  is  used  by  country  folk 
for  destroying  warts,  and  which  may  one  day  have  an  economic 
future  as  the  source  of  indiarubber,  as  it  is  in  the  Central 
American  Siphonia  elastica,  A  bed  in  the  south-east  corner  of 
the  plot  is  devoted  to  Castor-oil-plants,  Ricinus  communis.  It 
is  stated  that  half  a  dozen  of  the  green  seeds  when  eaten  will 
act  medicinally :  they  would  certainly  be  easier  to  take  than 
the  oil  which  is  expressed  from  them. 

The  exotic  Euphorbias  are  of  the  most  varied  appear- 
ance. Many  of  the  leafless  succulents  may  be  seen  in  the 
Cactus  House ;  while  in  the  warm  Stoves  are  the  Poinsettia, 
with  its  bright  red  leaf-like  inflorescence,  the  fme-foliaged 
Crotons,  and  the  useful  Manihot — the  source  of  cassava  and 
tapioca. 

Related  to  the  Euphorbias  is  the  shrubby  tribe  of 

BUXACEAE.  Box  hedges  and  edgings  are  used  in  several  parts  of  the 
Garden.  The  tree  standing  near  the  Danby  Gate,  outside  the  wall, 
measures  2  ft.  in  girth,  and  is  one  of  the  largest  in  Oxford. 

*  On  this  tree  the  Mistletoe  made  a  clump  4  ft.  in  diameter,  and  a 
thrush  built  its  nest  therein  (Gardeners'  Chronicle,  1864).  In  1901  a  list 
of  trees  infected  was  indirectly  supplied  to  the  Gardeners'  Chronicle  by 
Mr.  Baker.  The  list  included  the  above-mentioned  trees  (except  the  Medlar 
and  C.  prunifolia'),  and  added  Crat.  odoratissima,  Acer  monspessulanum, 
Aesculus  hippocastaneum,  Pyrus  aria,  Salix  alba,  and  Fraximis  ornus. 
But  on  the  four  last,  the  growth  was  weak.  Perhaps  some  of  our  scientific 
botanists  have  had  a  hand  in  the  dispersal. 


PLOT  F  81 

In  the  south-east  corner  of  Plot  F  are  the  herbaceous 

Ord.  162.  URTICACEAE,  or  Nettles,  several  of  which  supply 
valuable  textile  fibres,  manufactured  by  the  Chinese,  and  in 
India.  Even  the  bast  fibres  of  the  Common  Stinging  Nettle,* 
Urtica  dioica,  have  been  made  into  thread  and  lace  in  Ireland. 

Closely  allied  are  the 

Cannabineae,  or  Hemp  Tribe,  with  which  the  Hop, 
Humulus  lupulus,  has  also  been  associated.  The  fibre  of 
Cannabis  sativa  may  be  8  ft.  to  9  ft.  in  length.  C.  indica  gives 
intoxicating  properties  to  Arabian  hashisch  (whence  the  word 
assassin)  and  to  Indian  bhang,  the  demoralising  effects  of  which 
are  well  known.  Also  the 

Moraceae  or  Mulberries,  including  Broussonettia  (see 
p.  42),  the  inedible  Osage  Orange,  Madura  aurantiaca,  and 
the  various  forms  of  Figs,  And  lastly  the 

Artocarpeae,  the  Bread  and  Jack  Fruits,  and  other  tropical  genera 
such  as  Cecropia,  the  Trumpet  Tree  and  Galactodendron  {Brosimum 
galactodendron),  the  Cow  Tree,  a  forest  tree  which  yields  an  agreeable 
liquid  food  to  the  natives  of  Venezuela. 

The  order  ULMACEAE,  sometimes  regarded  as  Ulmeae,  a  tribe  of  the 
Urticaceae,  comprise  the  Elm-trees  which  flourish  greatly  alongside  their 
humble  relations  the  Stinging  Nettles  in  the  Grove  of  Magdalen  College, 
where,  until  the  storm  of  April  1911,  grew  the  giant  of  the  race.  Stated 
to  have  been  the  largest  timber  tree  'but  one  in  all  England,  its  dimensions 
are  worthy  of  record  (see  Magdalen  College,  in  Appendix  E,  p.  218). 

*  The  following  is  the  form  in  which  Mr.  Cox  tells  the  story  about 
Dr.  Daubeny's  lecture  on  Nettles,  save  that  he  attributes  it  to  Sibthorp. 
Several  specimens  and  species  were  carefully  laid  out  on  the  lecture-table. 
"Now,  gentlemen,  we  all  know,  from  our  childhood,  that  some  of  the 
nettle  family  have  a  powerful  pungent  property  ;  others  a  less  powerful, 
less  pungent  property  ;  and  others  again  none  at  all,  or  next  to  none. 
Now  to  begin  with  the  last  species,  this  you  see  "  (suiting  the  action  to 
the  word)  "may  safely  be  drawn  through  the  hand,  thus" — some  wicked 
wag,  while  the  doctor's  back  was  turned,  had  impudently  changed  the  order 
in  which  the  specimens  lay,  or  the  Professor  had  unwittingly  laid  a  trap 
for  himself.  The  effect  may  be  imagined  ! 

According  to  another  version,  he  precipitately  left  the  room. 

6 


82  HERBACEOUS   PLANTS 

Catkin-bearing  trees,  or  Amentaceae,  comprise  Nos.  163-169. 
Ord.  163.  PLATANACEAE.     Planes. 
Ord.  165.  JUGLANDACEAE.    Walnuts. 

Ord.  1 66.  MYRICACEAE.  Sweet  Gale ;  Bog  Myrtle,  Myrica  gale,  is 
abundant  in  Scotland  and  on  the  northern  moors  of  England. 

Ord.  167.  CASUARINACEAE.     Australian  trees  in  Conservatory  No.  4. 
~   ,      ,.„  (Fagaceae.   Oaks,  Beeches,  and  Chestnuts. ^    Cf.  the 

CUPULIFERAE.  I  Coryleae'  Hazels  and  Hornbeams.  I  chapter  on 

'  \Betuleae.  Alders  and  Birches.  )  Trees. 

Ord.  169.  SALICACEAE  or  Willows  have  a  bed  in  this  plot 
just  under  the  S.  European  Hornbeam,  Ostrya  carpinifolia 
(Coryleae\  and  have  already  been  described  on  p.  49.  The 
Poplars  are  better  out  of  the  Garden. 

Ord.  171.  EMPETRACEAE.  The  Crowberry,  Empetrum  nigrum,  is  a 
heath-like  shrub. 

MONOCOTYLEDONS 

The  two  plots  on  the  west  side  of  the  Garden  are  laid  out 
so  as  to  illustrate  the  Hardy  Herbaceous  Monocotyledonous 
Plants. 

For  a  long  time  the  Monocotyledons  were  regarded  as  being 
more  primitive  than  the  Dicotyledons,  but  recently  a  view 
has  been  expressed  that  they  have  been  derived  from 
Dicotyledonous  plants,  by  degeneration  consequent  upon 
having  lived  originally  in  water  in  warm  countries,  so  that 
they  cannot  now,  as  land  plants,  recover  to  the  full  the  power 
necessary  to  construct  such  tissues  as  are  found  in  Dicotyledons 
capable  of  resisting  the  injurious  effects  of  cold  climates.* 

Consequently  it  is  in  the  Palm  Houses  that  the  finest  and 
most  typical  examples  must  be  sought ;  and  in  comparison  with 
these,  the  out-of-door  plants  appear  as  starvelings. 

Ord.  173.  HYDROCHARIDEAE.  Water-plants  originally  confined  in 
Britain  to  East  Anglia,  but  one  species,  Elodea  {Anacharis)  canadensis^ 
invaded  the  waterways  of  this  country  about  1847,  and  ls  now  one  °f  our 
commonest  weeds  in  canals  and  ponds.  Vallisncria  spiralis  of  S.  Europe 
has  a  considerable  sale  among  amateurs  of  fresh-water  aquaria.  The  male 
flowers  break  loose  and  float  about,  thus  effecting  the  fertilisation  of  the 

*  Henslow,  "Annals  of  Botany,"  xxv.  p.  720. 


PLOT   G  83 

female  flowers.      The  Water  Soldier,  Stratiotes  a/aides,  is  abundant  in 
the  Fens,  and  I  have  found  it  at  Nuneham. 

Ord.  174.    BURMANNIACEAE. 

Ord.  175.  ORCHIDACEAE.  A  few  hardy  Orchids  are  grown  in  pots 
near  the  south  pond  ;  but  for  the  exotics,  see  Orchid  House,  No.  9. 

Ord.  176.  ZINGIBERACEAE  (Scitaniineae>  in  part),  or  Gingers,  with 
which  the  Marantas  and  Cannas  are  sometimes  united,  are  mostly  in  the 
Stove  and  Palm  Houses,  but  in  the  summer  the  Cannas  are  bedded  out  of 
doors. 

Ord.  177.  MUSACEAE  (Scitamineae^  in  part).  The  Bananas  are  cul- 
tivated in  the  Water-lily  House. 

Ord.  178.  BROMELIACEAE.  Pine  Apples.  See  under  Water-lily 
House,  No.  6,  pp.  106-7. 

Ord.  179.  HAEMODORACEAE.    Bowstring  Hemp. 

PLOT  G 

Ord.  1 80.  IRIDACEAE.  Two  long  beds  at  the  north-east  are 
devoted  to  this  beautiful  order  of  plants.  A  notable  addition 
was  made  to  the  collection  in  1890,  when  a  selection  of  Irises 
was  presented  by  Professor  Sir  Michael  Foster  of  Cambridge. 
Others  will  be  found  between  the  South  Wall  and  Christ 
Church  Meadow  in  the  "  Iris  bed,"  which  is  one  of  the  glories 
of  the  Garden  in  the  middle  of  the  Summer  Term.  The 
Florentine  Iris  is  cultivated  in  Tuscany  for  its  roots,  which, 
under  the  name  Giaggiola  or  Orris-root,  is  the  basis  of  the 
scent  "  Essence  of  Violets." 

In  addition  to  the  Flag  Iris  family  there  are  the  Tiger 
flowers,  Tigridia  pavonia  ;  Hermodactylus  tuberosus,  S.  Europe  ; 
Sisyrinchium  striatum,  from  China,  a  noble  plant  in  June ; 
Watsonia  ardernei  in  Green-house  No.  3  or  4  ;  here  too  belong 
species  of  Ixia  Gladiolus^  Montbretia,  and  Crocus. 

Ord.  181.  AMARYLLIDACEAE.  The  bulbous  section  of  this 
the  Narcissus  Order  includes  the  Snowdrop,  Galanthus 
nivalis ;  Snowflakes,  Leucojum  vernum,  and  aestivum ;  and 
Daffodils  in  the  open  ;  while  under  glass  are  the  Scarborough 
Lilies,  Vallota  ;  Crinum  and  Pancratium.  The  Agave  sp.,  or 
American  Aloes,  and  Furcraea,  which  also  belongs  here,  are  in 


84  HERBACEOUS   PLANTS 

the  Cactus  House.  The  Peruvian  Lily,  Alstroemeria,  repre- 
senting the  third  section  of  the  order,  is  planted  in  a  special 
bed  near  ^.Juniperus  sphaerica. 

Ord.  182.  TACCACEAE.     Perennial  stove  herbs. 

Ord.  183.  DIOSCOREACEAE.  Yams  are  the  starchy  roots  of 
the  tropical  climber  Dioscorea  sativa,  and  of  other  species. 
The  English  member  of  the  order  is  the  Black  Bryony,  Tamus 
communis.  The  S.  African  Hottentot's  Bread,  or  Elephant's 
Foot,  Testudinaria  elephantipes,  is  grown  in  No.  12  Green-house. 

Ord.  185.  LILIACEAE.  The  Lily  order  contains  several 
divisions  of  plants  which  are  at  first  sight  very  unlike  one 
another — e.g.  Butcher's  Broom,  Aloes,  and  Onions. 

i.  The  Lilies  proper  include  the  Snake's  Heads,  Fritillaria 
meleagris,  so  local  in  England  and  so  abundant  in  the  neigh- 
bouring water-meadows  of  Magdalen  College  and  at  Iffley. 
F.  imperialis^  a  native  of  Persia,  imported  into  Constantinople 
in  the  sixteenth  century,  obtained  its  name  from  having  been 
grown  in  the  Imperial  Garden  at  Vienna.  Near  by  are  the 
Tulips  and  Dog-tooth  Violets,  Erythronium,  and  in  a  middle 
cross-bed  the  Scillea,  including  PusMinia  ;  Grape  Hyacinths, 
Muscari ;  Camassia  esculenta ;  Star  of  Bethlehem,  Ornitho- 
galum  narbonense  and  pyrenaicum.  The  Yellow  Tulip, 
T.  sylvestris,  used  to  grow  in  Christ  Church  Meadow  (p.  133). 

ii.  Of  the  Colchicoideae  we  have  out  of  doors  C.  byzan- 
ticum  and  autumnale,  the  Autumn  Crocus  ;  Veratrum  ntgrum', 
White  Hellebore,  much  used  by  veterinary  surgeons,  is  V. 
album  •  while  in  the  Water-lily  House  are  the  beautiful  Gloriosa 
Lilies,  of  which  G.  rothschildiana  is  especially  admired. 

iii.  Another  bed  is  devoted  to  the  third  or  Asphodel 
group,  containing  Eremurus  and  Hemerocallis. 

Under  glass  we  have  the  New  Zealand  Flax,  Phormium  tenax ;  Knip- 
hofia  in  the  Stove  ;  and  in  the  Cactus  House,  the  true  Aloes  and  their 
relations— e.g.  Gasteria. 

iv.  The  Leeks  and  Onions  are  in  a  long  bed  near  the 
Yucca,  the  representative  of  the  Dracaenoideae. 


PLOT    G  85 

v.  The  Dracaenoids,  or  Dragon  Trees  are  mostly, 
in  the  Glass-houses.  A  plant  of  Yucca  gloriosa  flowered 
in  July,  1835,  when  twelve  years  old.  The  flower-stem 
was  8  ft.  long  and  bore  827  flowers,  described  in  detail  in 
the  Gardener?  Magazine  for  that  year.  The  Dasylirions  in 
the  Cactus  House  are  especially  fine. 

vi.  With  the  Asparagus  group  (bed  next  the  Yams)  are 
associated  the  Lily  of  the  Valley,  Convallaria  majalis ; 
Solomon's  Seal,  Polygonatum. 

"The  roole  of  Solomon's  Scale  .  .  .  taketh  away  in  one  night,  or  two 
at  the  most,  any  bruse,  black  or  blew  spots  gotten  by  fals  or  womens 
wilfulness,  in  stumbling  upon  their  hasty  husbands  fists,  or  such  like." — 
GERARD,  p.  758. 

In  the  remarkable  Butcher's  Broom,  Ruscus^  the  branches 
have  become  leaf-like.  Rohdea  japonica  is  related  to  the 
Parlour  Palm,  Aspidistra. 

vii.  Smilax  will  be  found  climbing  both  east  and  west  of  the  East  Wall. 
The  roots  of  S.  officinalis,  papyracea,  and  medico,  yield  the  sarsaparilla 
from  Jamaica,  Brazil,  and  Mexico  respectively. 

viii.  The  beautiful  green-house  climber  Lapageria  is  the  type  of  another 
of  the  sub-orders  of  the  Liliaceae. 

Ord.  186.  PONTEDERIACEAE  are  tropical  aquatics  from  the  New  World. 
Eichhornia  grows  luxuriantly  in  the  Water-lily  House. 

Ord.  188.  XYRIDEAE  are  swamp-dwellers  in  hot  countries. 

Ord.  190.  COMMELINACEAE,  or  Spiderworts,  mostly  require 
stove  treatment,  but  the  Tradescantias  in  the  south-west 
corner  bed  are  hardy.  They  were  named  in  honour  of  the 
younger  Tradescant,  who  brought  one  from  Virginia,  and 
whose  father  so  nearly  became  first  Curator  of  the  Garden. 
Palisota  is  a  stove  plant. 

Ord.  192.  FLAGELLARIEAE.     Susum. 

Ord.  193.   JUNCACEAE.     Rushes, yw^^j1  and  Luzula. 

Ord.  194.  PALMACEAE.  ^ 

Orel.  195.  PANDANACEAE.     Screw  Pines.  V  See  Palm  House,  No.  8. 

Ord.  196.  CYCLANTHACEAE.     Carludovica.} 

Ord.  197.  TYPHACEAE.  The  Bur  reeds,  Sparganium,  and  Bulrushes, 
Typha,  are  grown  in  the  ponds. 


86  HERBACEOUS    PLANTS 

PLOT   H 

To  the  south  of  the  cross  walk  in  the  corner  are  a  few  of  the 

Ord.  198.  ARACEAE,  which  are  hardy  with  us;  the  larger 
and  more  showy  Aroids  will  be  found  in  the  houses.  See 
Amorphophallus,  C alodium  %  Richardia,  or  Calla. 

The  Dracunculus  vulgaris  from  S.  Europe  suffices  to  indicate 
how  fine  Lords  and  Ladies  may  grow  in  warmer  climes.* 

Ord.  199.  LEMNACEAE.  The  Duckweeds  growing  on  the  surface  of 
ronds  may  have  been  derived  from  such  an  aquatic  Aroid  as  Pistia 
stratiotes. 

Ord.  201.  ALISMACEAE.  Water  Plantains  live  on  the  water's  edge, 
Alisma  plantago;  Arrowhead,  Sagittaria  sagittaefolia ;  Flowering  Rush, 
Butomus  iimbellatus  (often  made  the  type  of  a  separate  order,  including 
Limnocharis).  Echinodorus  is  a  tropical  form  (p.  106). 

Ord.  202.  NAIADACEAE.  Pondweeds,  Potamogeton.  Aponogeton 
distachyon  comes  from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  The  flowers  have  a  very 
sweet  scent  resembling  that  of  hawthorn-blossom.  Ouvirandra,  see  p.  106. 

Ord.  203.  ERIOCAULONACEAE.  E.  septangulare,  Jointed  Pipewort,  is 
a  N.  American  species  found  on  the  west  coast  of  Ireland  and  in  the  lakes 
of  Skye. 

Ord.  205.  RESTIACEAE.     S.  African  herbaceous  plants. 

Ord.  206.  CYPERACEAE.  Sedges.  Carex  tomentosa,  the  rare 
Marston  Maisey  Sedge,  was  cultivated  by  Baxter,  and  is  still 
in  the  collection.  The  Papyrus,  grown  in  the  Water-lily 
House,  belongs  to  this  order  (see  p.  102). 

Ord.  207.  GRAMINEAE.  The  Grasses  are  arranged  in  six 
beds,  commencing  with  the  Panicoideae,  the  Millets, 
Panicum  miliaceum,  and  Maizes,  Zea  mats ;  and,  passing  on 
to  the  Agrostideae^  with  the  genera  Apera,  Milium,  Fox-tail 
Grass  Alopecurus^  and  Phleum-,  next  we  come  to  the  Oat 

*  The  spots  upon  the  leaves  of  the  Common  Arum  have  been  explained 
by  an  Oxford  poet.  See  "  Arum  Maculatum,"  a  poem  by  P.  Duncan,  once 
Keeper  of  the  Ashmolean  Museum. 

Flora  to  Zephyrus  once  wrote 

A  very  charming  little  note 

All  about  sighs  and  smiles  and  grief, 

And  dropt  her  ink  upon  this  leaf. 


PLOT   H  87 

Grasses,  Aveneae,  and  the  Fescue  Grasses,  Festuceae, 
and  their  genera.  The  Hordeae,  including  Rye,  Barley,  and 
Wheat,  are  economically  the  most  important  of  all,  and  the 
collection  ends  with  the  Bamboos  in  the  corner  bed. 

In  1824  Professor  Schultes  praised  the  attention  then  given 
to  Grasses  by  the  gardener,  Mr.  Baxter,  who,  from  the  experi- 
ence of  several  years,  was  "  enabled  to  decide  that  Agrostis 
verticillata^  vulgaris,  decumbens,  fasdculata  (Curt.),  and 
stolonifera  are  distinct  species,  which,  when  subjected  to  the 
same  culture  for  a  great  length  of  time,  still  continue  to 
preserve  their  characteristic  marks."  Baxter's  grasses  have 
mostly  made  way  for  more  popular  plants. 

GYMNOSPERMS 

To  complete  our  systematic  review  of  the  Plants  of  the  Garden  we 
append  an  outline  classification  of  the  Gymnosperms.  A  few  species 
have  already  been  mentioned  in  the  chapter  on  Trees. 

Ord.  208.   GNETACEAE.     A  fine  Ephedra  distachya  is  growing  against 
the  West  Wall.    A  specimen  of  the  highly  remarkable  Welwitschia  is  to 
be  seen  in  the  Museum. 
Ord.  209.    CONIFERAE.     See  p.  47. 
Sub-ord.  i.  Pinoideae. 
Tribe  A.   Abietineae. 

Fam.  i.   Araucarinae.     The  Puzzle  Monkeys. 

2.  Abietinae. 

Pinus,  Cedrus,  Larix,  Picea,  Tsuga,  Abies. 

3.  Taxodinae. 

Sequoia,  Cryptomeria^  Taxodium, 
Tribe  B. 

Fam.  4.    Cupressineae. 

Thuja,Libocedrus,  Cupressus,  Chamaecy parts,  Callitris, 

Fitzroya. 
5.  Juniperinae. 
Sub-ord.  ii.    Taxoideae. 

Podocarpus,  Taxus,  Torreya,  Cephalotaxus ,  Phyllodadus,  Ginkgo. 
Ord.  210.    CYCADACEAE.     Species  of  Zamia,    Encephalartos,    Dioon, 
Bowenia,  and  Stangeria  are  all  uepresented  in  the  Stove-houses. 


THE  HARDY  FERNS 

The  collection  of  Hardy  Ferns  was  entirely  rearranged  along 
the  eastern  border  in  1892,  when  the  bed  was  brought  into 
proper  condition  with  suitable  compost.  The  border  was  re- 
made in  1909  ;  but  it  is  still  very  far  from  our  ideal  of  the  kind 
of  habitat  in  which  ferns  luxuriate  when  in  a  state  of  nature. 

There  is  a  good  representative  series  of  Polysttchum, 
Lastraea,  and  others,  and  also  a  collection  of  those  sports  and 
monstrosities  of  leaf-form  which  are  so  highly  prized  by  many 
fern-growers,  but  which  in  a  Botanical  Garden  are  perhaps 
of  less  interest  than  many  other  plants — e.g.  Fungi  or  Mosses. 

The  Royal  Fern,  Osmunda  regalis,  does  not  do  very  well — 
perhaps  the  winters  are  too  cold.  The  glamour  which  sur- 
rounds this  fine  fern  is  unfortunately  slowly  but  surely  tending 
towards  its  extinction  in  Britain. 

In  the  south-east  corner  are 

THE  HORSE-TAILS 

Horse-tails,  Equisetum,  are  the  poor  descendants  of  a  great 
and  ancient  family  which  has  been  "  coming  down  in  the 
world  "  ever  since  Palaeozoic  times.  The  clump  of  Horse-tails 
in  the  south-east  corner  is  a  useful  reminder  of  what  forests 
were  like  in  early  geological  times.  If  we  imagine  these 
plants  with  stems  8  inches  thick  and  high  in  proportion, 
we  shall  have  a  mental  picture  of  a  forest  of  Equisetites 
arenaceus  in  the  Triassic  Period.  The  Calamite  Trees  of 
the  coal-measures  reached  a  higher  stage  of  development 
still,  for  in  them,  in  addition  to  other  structures,  secondary 
wood  was  formed,  just  as  it  is  in  a  modern  forest-tree.  Some 
of  them  had  a  pith  one  foot  in  diameter  ! 

THE  SOUTHERN  HERBACEOUS  GARDEN 

In  the  seventeenth  century  this  land  was  so  subject  to  floods 
that  it  was  not  cultivated,  but  by  Baxter's  time  the  gardeners 
had  made  a  practice  of  using  it  as  a  Kitchen  Garden.  Dr. 

88 


HERBACEOUS    PLANTS  89 

Daubeny  raised  the  level  of  the  ground  considerably,  moved 
the  collection  of  Grasses  there,  and  in  order  to  draw  attention 
to  one  of  the  original  purposes  of  the  Botanic  Garden  as  a 
Physic  Garden  or  receptacle  for  Medicinal  Herbs,  reserved  the 
portion  outside  the  south  corner  of  the  walls  for  such  plants 
of  a  hardy  nature  as  were  admitted  into  the  Pharmacopoeias  on 
the  score  of  their  therapeutic  virtues.  But  the  collection  has 
now  been  distributed,  and  the  Aconite,  the  Hellebore,  the 
Liquorice,  the  Valerian,  the  Saffron,  the  Poisonous  Lettuce, 
Rhubarb,  Henbane,  Belladonna,  Colchicum,  and  many  more 
may  now  be  found  with  their  near  relations  in  the  Systematic 
beds  within  the  walls. 

In  their  place  will  now  be  found  borders  along  No.  12 
Green-house  (remade  and  raised  in  1903)  and  six  long  her- 
baceous beds,  having  in  summer  all  the  charm  and  beauty  of  a 
mixed  herbaceous  border ;  and  many  are  the  suggestions  of 
new  plants  or  of  effective  arrangement  they  afford ; 

Full  gay  was  all  the  ground  and  queint 
And  poudred  as  men  had  it  peint, 
With  many  a  fresh  and  sundry  flour 
That  casten  up  full  good  savour. — CHAUCER. 

The  bed  next  the  path  is  reserved  for  the  collection  of 
Irises,  mostly  horticultural  varieties,  which  do  remarkably 
well  here,  and  are  the  chief  attraction  of  the  flower-garden  in 
the  middle  of  the  Summer  Term.  The  plot  faces  south  and 
is  well  sheltered  on  both  sides. 

Just  within  the  south  boundary  fence,  and  partly  within  and 
partly  without  the  line  of  boundary  stones  which  divide  the 
land  of  Magdalen  College  from  that  of  Christ  Church,  are 
three  Rose-beds  filled  with  dwarf  Roses  and  with  Dahlias  in 
their  season.  This  year,  in  October,  there  was  a  fine  show 
of  red  Salvia. 

The  path  to  the  right  leads  to  a  turnstile  under  a  yew  near 
the  Cottage,  and  a  wicket  in  the  wall  gives  egress  to  Rose 
Lane. 


THE    HARDY   AQUATIC    PLANTS 

The  ripples  seem  right  glad  to  reach  those  cresses, 

And  cool  themselves  among  the  emerald  tresses  ; 

The  while  they  cool  themselves,  they  freshness  give, 

And  moisture,  that  the  bowery  green  may  live  : 

So  keeping  up  an  interchange  of  favours, 

Like  good  men  in  the  truth  of  their  behaviours. — KEATS. 

As  is  natural  in  a  low-lying  garden  on  the  banks  of 
the  Cherwell,  and  in  its  early  days  constantly  menaced  by 
floods,  marsh  and  aquatic  plants  were  not  difficult  to  cul- 
tivate. Robert  Sharrock,  in  his  "  Improvement  to  the  Art  of 
Gardening,"  third  edition,  informs  us  that  "  The  Artificial  Bog 
is  made  by  digging  a  hole  in  any  stiff  clay,  and  filling  it  with 
earth  taken  from  a  bog  ...  of  this  sort.  In  our  Garden  here 
in  Oxford,  we  have  one  artificially  made  by  Bobart,  for  the 
preservation  of  Boggy  plants,  where,  being  sometimes  watered, 
they  thrive  for  a  year  or  two  as  well  as  in  their  natural  places." 

Baxter  cultivated  his  smaller  aquatics  in  the  south-east 
corner  of  the  Garden  in  a  series  of  small  square  tanks,  each  a 
foot  across,  which  had  been  constructed  for  the  purpose  by 
Dr.  Sibthorp,  and  which  lasted  for  more  than  half  a  century 
with  very  little  need  of  repair.  Among  other  moisture-loving 
species,  Sibthorpia  europaea  was  most  appropriately  grown 
there. 

The  present  inadequate  provision  for  Hardy  Aquatics  consists 
of  two  old  cement  tanks  made  in  1834,  as  part  of  Dr.  Daubeny's 
original  plan,  at  a  cost  of  ^"144  8*.  6^.,  and  frequent  frosts 
have  greatly  increased  the  outlay  upon  them.  The  smaller 
plants  are  grown  in  small  compartments  upon  a  raised  shelf 
round  the  periphery  of  the  tanks. 

90 


H.  W.  7\  phot. 


1870 


THE    FOUNTAIN   IN   SUMMER 


H.  W.  T.  phot. 


c.  1864. 


THE    FOUNTAIN   IN  WINTER 


AQUATIC   PLANTS  91 

In  the  small  Fountain-pond  *  in  the  middle  of  the  Garden 
grow  a  few  Water-lilies,  Flags,  and  Arrow-heads,  and  an 
abundant  microscopic  flora  of  algae  and  small  pond  animals ; 
while  just  beyond  the  South  Gate,  in  an  enclosure  closed  to 
the  public,  is  the  second,  an  oval  tank  originally  intended  for 
exotic  water-plants.  It  was  into  this  tank  that  a  small  plant 
of  the  Canadian  Water  Thyme,  Anacharis  alsinastrum,  was 
introduced  about  1850.  It  had  not  previously  been  known 
in  this  county,  but  in  a  marvellously  short  space  of  time  it 
spread  everywhere.  A  ditch  in  the  Long  Meadow  had 
become  filled  with  "an  uninterrupted  dense  mass"  by  August, 
1853  (Baxter  MS.  Druce's  "  Flor.  Oxf.").  It  now  contains  some 
of  Latour-Marliac's  hybrid  Water-lilies,  Reeds,  Arrow-heads, 
and  other  Aquatics.  It  is  surrounded  by  concentric  steps, 
upon  which  the  collection  of  "  Alpine  Plants  "  is  displayed 
during  the  summer  months.t  They  go  into  cold  frames  in 
the  winter.  A  flower  of  the  Bog  Bean,  Menyanthes  trifoliate^ 
grown  in  the  Garden  was  figured  in  Mr.  Baker's  article  on 
Aquatic  Plants.  Aponogeton  distachyon  has  a  curious  tooth- 
brush-shaped flower  with  a  hawthorn  scent. 

As  we  have  remarked  elsewhere,  it  is  a  great  pity  that 
greater  advantage  should  not  be  taken  of  the  favourable 
situation  of  the  Garden  for  the  extension  of  its  Marsh  and 
Aquatic  Department.  A  supplementary  supply  of  water  might,  if 
wanted,  be  obtained  by  means  of  a  ram  at  Holywell  Mill  sluice. 

*  Neither  of  our  ponds  was  the  one  in  which  Mrs.  John  Tradescant 
drowned  herself  on  April  3,  1678,  out  of  chagrin  at  the  decision  of  the 
Court  of  Chancery,  in  consequence  of  which,  her  deceased  husband's 
wonderful  "closet  of  curiosities"  was  carried  off  to  Oxford  to  pose  as 
"  Ashmole's"  Museum.  That  pond  was  in  the  Botanic  Garden  in  South 
Lambeth.  But  the  round  pond  was  the  one  into  which  the  Professor  of 
Botany  (circ.  1880)  inadvertently  plunged  when  learning  to  ride  one  of 
the  old  high  bicycles  in  the  Garden  after  the  closing  hour. 

f  The  practice  of  putting  out  pot-plants  in  this  quarter  dates  from  the 
time  of  the  elder  Bobart.  Loggan's  plan  shows  twenty-eight  large  pots 
there  in  1675.  Water  was  obtained  from  the  ditch  by  means  of  a  pump. 


THE  OXFORD  HEATING  APPARATUS 


THE   GLASS-HOUSES 

Who  loves  a  garden,  loves  a  greenhouse  too. 

Unconscious  of  a  less  propitious  clime, 

There  blooms  exotic  beauty,  warm  and  snug, 

While  the  winds  whistle,  and  the  snows  descend. — COWPER. 

Historical—  The  first  conservatory  or  shelter  for  "tender  greens" 
was,  as  shown  in  Loggan's  plan  of  the  Garden  (p.  7),  a  long,  low  stone 
Orangery  along  the  London  Road,  of  sufficient  solidity  to  admit  of  trans- 
formation early  in  the  eighteenth  century  into  the  herbarium,  library,  and 
professorial  residence  (p.  15).  By  1710,  two  small  glass-houses  had  been 
added  to  it,  one  at  each  end.  In  1776  it  was  pulled  down  to  make  room 
for  a  more  commodious  house  of  two  or  three  stones,  which  was  in 
turn  demolished  that  the  approach  to  the  new  bridge  might  be  widened. 

In  those  early  days,  before  the  extensive  use  of  glass,  and  before  the 
introduction  of  any  efficient  heating  apparatus,  the  massive  walls  of  stone 
conservatories  open  to  the  south,  would  have  not  only  afforded  efficient 
shelter  to  the  plants,  but  by  getting  warmed  by  the  sun  during  the  day 
would  have  slowly  radiated  heat  by  night,  and  thus  have  checked  the 
chilling  of  the  plants.  A  massive  building  might  thus  have  had  advantages 
over  a  light  modern  structure  of  glass  and  wood.  In  very  severe  weather 
a  four-wheeled  wagon  *  was  rilled  with  burning  charcoal,  and  was  drawn 
backwards  and  forwards  along  the  path  by  the  gardener. 

At  an  early  date  the  first  conservatory  was  replaced  by  the  Eastern 
Architectural  Conservatory,  still  partly  standing  to  the  east  of  the  Danby 
Gate,  and  which  is  said  to  have  been  erected  by  James  Sherard,  brother 
of  the  Consul  (Dillenius'  "Letters").  A  "new  herb  house"  is  men- 
tioned in  Wood's  Diary  under  date  May  21,  1695.  It  had  soon,  in  1715, 
to  be  enlarged  to  receive  a  collection  of  curious  exotics  presented  by 

*  We  owe  our  illustration  to  the  courtesy  of  the  Editor  of  the  Gardeners' 
Chronicle,  the  journal  in  which  it  appeared  as  Fig.  163  on  p.  732,  in  1885.. 

92 


GLASS-HOUSES  93 

Bishop  Robinson,  the  benefactor  of  Oriel  College.*  Like  its  prede- 
cessor, the  conservatory  was  afterwards  used  as  a  receptacle  for  books 
instead  of  plants,  and  lectures  were  given  therein.  In  the  absence  of 
more  precise  information,  it  may  be  supposed  that  the  large  sum  of 
^"2,257  8s.  Jd.,  spent  "chiefly  on  new  buildings "  between  Michaelmas, 
1734,  and  Michaelmas,  1736,  was  for  the  two  Architectural  Conservatories 
within  the  walls,  for  the  wooden  Green-houses  described  below,f  and  for 
the  alterations  to  the  Library,  in  consequence  of  the  frequent  declaration 
of  Sherard  that  he  intended  to  leave  his  books  to  the  University.  It  is 
even  stated  that  he  saw  and  approved  the  plans. 

The  third,  or  Western  Architectural  Conservatory,  measured  66  ft. 
long  by  22  ft.  wide  in  the  centre,  and  13^  ft.  high  ;  it  remained  in 
use  as  a  plant-house  till  1853,  when  £"1,250  was  spent  to  adapt  it  to 
receive  the  Fielding  Herbarium,  and  new  green-houses  were  erected  in  its 
place.  Other  alterations  followed,  but  parts  of  its  original  fabric  may  still 
be  seen  sandwiched  between  the  white  walls  of  1911.  The  period  of 
Architectural  Conservatories  is  now  of  the  past  in  this  country,  though 
one  is  still  in  use  at  Kew.  They  are  better  adapted  for  climates  in  which 
the  winter  sun  has  greater  strength  than  in  ours,  and  in  which,  in  summer, 
grateful  shade  is  afforded  by  the  massive  piers. 

The  first  wooden  Green-houses,  30  ft.  long  by  10  ft.  wide  by  14  ft. 
high  in  front,  but  only  10  ft.  high  at  the  back,  were  erected  on  both  sides  of 
the  Danby  Gate  adjoining  the  Architectural  Conservatories.  They  were 
lean-to,  with  steep-sloping  sash-lights  below  round-headed  top-lights. 
They  stood  from  1734  till  1834,  being  then  condemned  by  Daubeny. 
A  good  engraving  of  them  was  published  in  the  Oxford  Almanack  for 
1766,  and  a  later  view  appeared  in  1836  in  Ingram's  "  Memorials  of 
Oxford."  J  They  were  replaced  by  lean-to  houses,  of  which  the  western 
one  was  known  as  No.  2  (1834-79)  and  the  eastern  one  as  No.  3  Green- 
house, which  is  still  standing.  No.  I  Green-house,  a  house  of  the  same 

*  Rawl.  MS.,  "  Chron.  Univ.,"  quoted  by  Wood.  Daubeny  states  that 
Sherard  gave  ^5°°  f°r  the  enlargement  of  a  conservatory  which  was 
finished  by  March,  1726-7. 

f  Perhaps  they  were  the  Green -houses  mentioned  by  Dillenius  in  a 
letter  to  Richardson,  and  which  "Sherard  was  having  built  about  July  II, 
1734"  (Druce,  "  Dill.  Heib.").  Of  the  same  date,  if  not  older,  was  the 
"Stove  House,"  30  ft.  by  14  ft.  by  12  ft.  high,  a  detached  building  with 
glass  only  on  one  side,  which  was  still  standing  in  1834  outside  the  wall 
near  the  site  of  the  present  Palm  House. 

J  A  ground-plan  showing  these  houses,  engraved  by  Hollis,  was  printed 
by  Daubeny.  It  was  inscribed  "  Hortus  Botanicus  Oxonii." 


94  GLASS-HOUSES 

style,   stood  in  the  north-west  corner  of  the  Garden,  on  the  site  of  the 
present  Lecture  Room.     It  contained  the  Succulents  until  1875. 

In  Daubeny's  time  the  Garden  was  better  equipped  with  conservatories, 
or  cool  green-houses,  than  it  is  at  present,  but  the  area  of  the  stoves  was 
not  so  large. 

In  1875,  No.  I  was  pronounced  ruinous,  the  plants  were  removed,  and 
Professor  Lawson  held  a  practical  class  in  it,  and  afterwards  erected  his 
new  Class  Room  on  the  site.  In  the  following  year  Nos.  2  and  3,  which 
were  smoke  flue-heated,  were  condemned  as  being  as  "inefficient  as 
costly,"  and  soon  after,  No.  2  gave  place  to  a  Laboratory. 

With  the  encroachment  of  the  Laboratory  upon  the  Garden,  we  may 
note  the  disappearance  of  the  larger  conservatory  plants,  as,  for  instance, 
of  the  aged  orange-trees  procured  from  Genoa  by  the  Duke  of  Buckingham, 
and  purchased  for  the  Garden  in  1850. 

In  our  description  of  the  various  Glass-houses  we  shall 
endeavour  to  mention  a  few  of  the  more  noteworthy  plants 
which  have  been  seen  in  each  of  the  houses,  but  visitors  must 
remember  that  the  plants  are  not  always  there.  The  floral 
tenants  of  Green-houses  are  like  hotel  guests,  and  change 
with  the  seasons  of  the  year ;  some  to  go  to  a  warmer 
climate,  others  out  of  doors,  while  others  again  are  only 
exhibited  in  the  houses  open  to  the  public  for  decorative 
purposes  while  in  flower. 

And  not  the  least  are  the  seasonal  changes  in  the  flora  of 
No.  4  Conservatory. 

The  existing  cool-houses  are  known  as  Nos.  3,  4,  and  12,  of 
which  No.  4  is  the  only  one  open  to  the  public. 

No.  3  GREEN-HOUSE 

No.  3  Green-house,  standing  to  the  east  of  the  Danby  Gate, 
was  built  in  1846,  and  is  in  a  ruinous  condition.  It  is  often 
used  for  experimental  work  in  connection  with  the  Laboratory, 
and  is  closed  to  the  public.  The  collection  of  bulbous  plants 
from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  is  usually  housed  here  :  species 
of  HaemanthuS)  Ornithogalum,Eucomis,  Crocosmia,  Lachenalia, 
Moraea  glaucopis^  and  Wurmbea  capensis  amongst  others.. 


NO.  4  CONSERVATORY  05 

Also  several  S.  American  Zephyranthes  and  Ismene  ( —  Hymeno- 
callis).     There  are  also  a  few  Crassula  and  Echeveria  species. 

No.  4  CONSERVATORY 

The  first  conservatory  of  more  modern  type  was  built  in 
1835  *  witn  nioney  left  by  Professor  Williams  for  the  purpose. 
It  was  rebuilt  on  a  somewhat  larger  scale,  and  has  recently 
been  enlarged  to  a  size  of  about  60  ft.  by  25  ft.  on  the 
square.  It  contains  the  larger-growing  cool-house  shrubs  and 
trees,  the  temperate  ferns  at  the  back,  and  green-house 
flowering  plants  in  the  front. 

In  the  middle  are  several  of  the  less  hardy  Coniferae. 

A  common  parlour  plant,  but  also  the  most  majestic  of  its 
tribe,  is  the  Norfolk  Island  Pine,  Araucaria  excelsa,  which 
rises  to  a  height  of  more  than  200  ft.  in  its  native  country,  and 
is  remarkable  for  its  graceful  spreading  pendulous  branches. 
It  has  been  extensively  used  for  making  the  masts  and  spars  of 
ships  :  unfortunately  it  soon  outgrows  the  size  of  the  house, 
and  fine  trees  have  to  be  removed  from  time  to  time. 

Fitzroya  patagonica  is  another  large  tree,  the  native  of  an 
inclement  region,  but  not  sufficiently  hardy  to  be  planted 
out  with  us. 

The  hardier  Palms  are  represented  by  the  Date  Palm, 
Phoenix  dactylifera^  which  bears  its  fruit  at  a  height  of  60  ft. 
from  the  ground  in  N.  Africa ;  and  Chamaerops  excelsa,  a  large 
specimen  of  which  was  presented  by  Miss  Acland  in  J9Oi.t 

The  remarkable  tribe  of  Australian  plants,  the  Casuarinae, 
resembling  in  some  respects  the  Coniferae,  but  with  long  and 
slender  branches,  are  represented  by  Casuarina  equisetifolia. 

Among  the  more  highly  organised  plants  are  the  Grevilleas 
(robusta,  alpina^  juniperina  var.  sulphurea)^  elegant  shrubs 

*  We  believe  this  to  have  been  the  house,  then  a  stove,  into  which 
Kewley's  hot-water  apparatus  was  fitted  in  1837. 

t  Miss  Acland  also  presented  fine  Cordyline  australis,  Myrtus  corn- 
munis,  and  Phormium  tenax  in  the  same  year. 


96  GLASS-HOUSES 

and  trees  of  the  Southern  Hemisphere,  which,  with  their 
relatives,  Banksia,  Protea,  and  Dryandra,  all  belong  to  the 
order  PROTEACEAE.  G.  robusta  is  the  Silky  Oak  of  Australia, 
prized  for  its  beautiful  wood.  Protect  argentea  received  its 
appropriate  name  of  Silver  Tree  from  the  silvery  sheen  of  its 
leaves,  well-known  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  Stenocarpus 
cunninghami  was  grown  in  1860. 

The  light  foliage  of  the  Wattles  or  true  Acacias  from 
Australia  will  attract  attention.  In  many  species  the  lamina 
or  broad  part  of  the  leaf  drops  off,  whilst  the  leaf-stalk 
expands  so  as  to  form  a  substitute  for  it.  The  white  or 
yellow  flowers,  like  clustered  miniature  puffs,  are  readily  dis- 
tinguished from  those  of  the  False  Acacias  or  Robinias  of 
N.  America,  which  are  papilionaceous.  In  the  collection  are 
A.  baileyana,  cordata^  dealbata,  riceana,  and  suaveolens. 

Here  (or  in  No.  12)  may  be  seen  the  Carob,  Ceratonia 
siliqua,  the  pods  of  which  are  much  used  for  feeding  animals 
in  S.  Europe  and  Sicily,  and  are  imported  for  mixing  with 
the  concentrated  cattle-foods  of  this  country.  The  small  seeds 
were  used  by  jewellers  as  carat-weights. 

The  Camellia,  nearly  allied  to  the  Tea-plant,  was  intro- 
duced into  Europe  from  China  by  Lord  Petre  in  1739,  and 
has  long  been  cultivated  in  the  Garden.  Raphiolepis  ovata 
is  a  Japanese  shrub  with  glossy  dark  green  leaves. 

Such  are  the  principal  plants  of  large  size  in  the  conserva- 
tory (or  No.  12  Green-house),  but  its  gay  appearance  at  most 
seasons  is  due  to  the  smaller  flowering  herbs  on  the  staging 
near  the  glass.  Here,  in  their  season,  may  be  seen 

Flowers  of  all  heavens,  and  lovelier  than  their  names  (TENNYSON), 

such  as  Cinerarias,  Primulas,  Vallota  Lilies,  and  Heliotropes, 
believed  by  the  Greeks  to  have  been  produced  by  Apollo 
at  the  transformation  of  Clytia ;  also  large  specimens  of 
Agapanthus,  the  finest  of  onions. 

Towards  the  end  of  October  the  stages  are  swept  clear  an.d 


NO.  4  CONSERVATORY  tfl 

the  other  plants  are  huddled  together  to  make  room  for  the 
annual  winter  exhibition  of  florists'  varieties  of  Chrysanthe- 
mums, at  once  the  admiration  and  envy  of  many  a  private 
grower  in  Oxford,  a  town  famous  for  the  Winter  Show*  of 
the  Oxfordshire  Chrysanthemum  Society,  the  jubilee  of  which 
will  probably  be  celebrated  in  1912.  At  Easter  their  place  is 
taken  by  White  Arum  Lilies,  Richardia  aethiopica,  from  the 
Cape,  and  other  appropriate  plants. 

Among  plants  grown  for  the  sake  of  their  foliage  are  several 
species  of  Canna,  often  treated  as  bedding-plants  in  this 
country;  the  Labiates,  Coleus  thyrsoideus  and  others;  Moschosma 
riparium ;  Cretan  Dittany,  Origanum  dictamnus,  well  known 
to  herbalists;  the  large-leaved  Composites,  Farfugium  grande 
from  China,  and  Humea  elegans  from  Australia,  both  nearly- 
related  to  the  Cineraria. 

Other  rare  or  noteworthy  species  are  : 

Abutilon  lawitzii  Podalyria  biflora 

Anigozanthus  flavida  Polygala  apopetala 

Azara  gilliesii  Primula  kewensis  x 

Corosceia  cotoneaster  Thomasia  quercifolia 

Lilium  sulphureum  Watsonia  ardernei 

Peucedanum  fraxinifolium 

NOS.  5,  6,  AND  7  STOVE-HOUSES 
(North  Block) 

Look,  here  is  the  banana  a-bearing  of  its  fruit, 
And  here  you've  got  the  plantain  and  the  cocoa-nut  to  boot : 
The  coffee-plant  in  berry  you  also  here  may  see, 
And  likewise  the  prickly  pear  and  the  Ingy-rubber-tree, 
The  Ingy-rubber-tree. — Punch. 

The  north  block  of  stove-houses  and  the  corridor  outside  the  east 
wall  of  the  Garden,  were  erected  in  1894  by  Messrs.  Boyd  of  Paisley. 

They  took  the  place  of  a  range  of  glass-houses  of  84  ft.  in  length, 
which  were  partly  lean-to  against  the  outside  of  the  Garden  wall,  partly 

*  An  eighteenth-century  precursor  of  such  a  "Florist  Feast"  was 
"  A  Show  of  Carnations  in  the  Town  Hall,  August  8,  1782." 

7 


GLASS-HOUSES 


covered  by  an  iron  and  glass  ridge-and-furrow  roof.  Of  these,  No.  5 
was  originally  a  propagating-house,  but  Daubeny  devoted  it  to  Orchids. 
Nos.  6  and  7  were  built  in  1851  :  No.  6  for  the  Water-lilies  as  at  present, 

Copper  Beech 


ECONOMIC,  VICTORIA  LILY,  AND  ORCHID  HOUSES,  1851-94 

and  No.  7  to  house  the  collection  of  Economic  Plants  useful  in  medicine 
or  in  the  arts. 

In  the  tank  in  the  middle  house  the  large  Victoria  Regia  Water- 
lily  was  grown  in  1853  *  and  subsequent  years,  but  the  room  of  this 
giant  was  found  to  be  worth  more  than  its  company,  and  no  one  who 
sees  the  exquisite  collection  of  Water-lilies  now  grown,  will  much  regret 
its  absence.  This  house  was  a  particular  object  of  pride  to  Dr.  Daubeny, 
who,  during  a  period  of  straitened  finances,  covenanted  to  keep  it  up 
out  of  his  own  pocket ;  and  that  this  was  no  small  matter  is  evident  from 
the  report  of  his  successor,  who  stated  that  for  many  years  the  house  and 
tank  had  been  slowly  but  constantly  sinking.  The  Jews'  Burial  Ground 
afforded  no  proper  foundation. 

THE   NORTH   CORRIDOR 

Some  handsome  climbers,  planted  in  the  bed  along  the 
side  of  the  corridor,  are  trained  against  the  Garden  wall.  A 

*  Only  four  years  after  the  Victoria  Regia  had  flowered  for  the  first 
time  at  Chatsworth,  Nov.  8,  1849. 


NORTH   CORRIDOR  99 

list  of  these  in  order  from  north  to  south  is  given  on  p.  145, 
but  we  may  draw  attention  to  Solanum  wendlandii;  and  to 
Bougainvillea  glabra,  var.  sanderiana,  flowered  in  1897.  The 
variegated  variety  of  Arundo  donax  grows  vigorously  in  the 
bed  under  the  wall. 

On  the  other  side  of  the  corridor,  away  from  the  wall,  are 
the  Acanthaceous  Hexacentris  coccinea,  and  two  specimens  of 
the  India-rubber  Tree,  the  Yam,  Dioscorea  macrura,  Asparagus, 
and  Vitus  plerophora — a  most  instructive  specimen,  for  the 
stem  has  been  cut  away  quite  a  foot  from  the  ground,  down 
to  which  numerous  adventitious  roots  have  grown,  which  lie 
on  the  surface  like  a  tangled  coil  of  string.  The  pink  aerial 
roots  often  exceed  12  ft.  in  length. 

Cyperus,  Begonia,  and  Streptocarpus  are  planted  out  in 
the  border. 

Of  other  Yams  there  are  the  Otaheite  Potatoe,  Dioscorea 
sativa,  cultivated  in  India,  and  D.  reticulata.  The  tubers 
contain  much  starch  and  may  increase  to  a  weight  of  50  Ib. 
They  are  nearly  related  to  the  Elephant's  Foot  grown  in 
Green-house  No.  12. 

Passiflora  edulis  yields  a  fruit  like  the  Granadilla  of  tropical 
America,  from  which  a  preserve  is  made. 

Ficus  elastica,  well  known  from  pot  specimens  grown  as 
ornamental  plants,  is  one  of  the  principal  sources  of  india- 
rubber,*  which  exudes  from  its  leaves  and  trunk  as  a  semi- 
liquid  white  juice,  wherever  an  incision  is  made  through  the 
epidermis. 

No.  5.  THE  FERN  HOUSE 

The  old  collection  of  Tropical  Ferns  was  contributed  in  great 
measure  by  James  Atkins,  Esq.,  of  Northampton. 

*  Other  sources  of  rubber  are  Hevea  braziliensis  or  Siphonia  elastica 
of  Central  America,  one  of  the  Euphorbiaceae  ;  Castilloa  elastica  of 
Mexico  (Artocarpaceae) ;  Landolphia,  Willughbeia,  and  Urceola,  Apocyna- 
ceous  plants  from  Malaya,  Borneo,  and  Central  Africa.  Isonandra  gutta 
{Palaqnium  gutta),  Malaya,  yields  the  well-known  gdtta  parcha. 


100 


GLASS-HOUSES 


Owing  to  the  small  size  of  the  house,  the  collection  of 
Stove  Ferns  is  strictly  limited.  Species  which  will  stand  a 
more  temperate  atmosphere  are  grown  at  the  back  of  the 
Conservatory  No.  4,  where  also  are  a  few  specimens  of 
larger  growth,  such  as  the  Tree  Ferns  of  the  Southern  Hemi- 
sphere, Dicksonia  and  Alsophila. 

Large  examples  of  Davallia  polyantha,  and  of  D.  elegans, 
will  at  once  attract  attention,  and  so  will  two  fine  specimens 
of  Marattia  cooperi. 

In  the  Stag's-horn  Fern,  Platy cerium  alricorne,  the  fertile 
fronds  branch  like  a  reindeer's  horn,  whilst  the  sterile  ones 
form  great  green  discs  upon  the  tree  on  which  it  grows. 

The  Filmy  Ferns  are  housed  in  a  Wardian  case  in  No.  12 
Green-house. 

The  collection  includes : 


Ord.  i.  HYMENOPHYLLACEAE 
Todea  hymenophylloides 
Trichomanes  radicans — 

var.  albamense 

var.  cambricum 

var.  exsectum 

var.  luschnatianum 

Ord.  2.    POLYPODIACEAE 

Fam.  i.  Davallieae 
Davallia  affinis 
,,        alpina 
,,       bullata 
,,       elegans 
„       platyphylla 
,,       polyantha 
,,       tenuifolia  veitchiana 
, ,       wallichiana 
Fam.  2.  Pterideae 
Pteris  argyrea 
,,     flexuosa 
,     hirsuta 


Ord.  2.  POLYPODIACEAE  (cont.} 

Pteris  marattiaefolia 
,,     mariesii 

Adiantum  bausei 

,,         cardiochlaena 

,,         concinnum  latum 

,,         dolabriforme 

,,         formosum 

,,         grandis 

,,         hispidum 

,,        pecottei 

,,        pubescens 

, ,         rhodophyllum 

,,         tenerum 

,,         trapeziforme 

Fam.  3.  Asplenieae 
Asplenium  inequale 

,,          thelypteroides,  var. 
.-  ,  cristatum 

Blechnum  braziliensis 

,,         gracile 
Lomaria  gibba 


FERN  HOUSE                                     101 

Ord.  2.  POLYPODIACEAE  (cont.)  Ord.  2.  POLYPODIACEAK  (cont.) 

Fam.  4.   Aspidieae  Fam.  6.  Acrosticheae 

Nephrodium  chinense  Platycerium  aethiopicum 

,,           odoratum  ,,          alcicorne 

,,           pallidum,var.  cris-  veitchii 


tatum  Ord.  3.  CYATHEACEAE 

proliferum  Alsophila  atrovirens 


Polystichum      cristatum,     var.  trun     . 

variegata  Dicksonia  culcita 

,,  isus  smensis 

Fam.  5.  Polypodieae  Or(L  5'  SCHIZAEACEAE 
Polypodium  adnascens  Aneimia  Phyllitides 

aureum  Lygodium  japomcum 

,,          glaucum  Ord.  6.  OSMUNDACEAE 

,,           ixioides  Osmunda  japonica,  var.  corym- 

,,           pectinatum  bifera    (in    Green- 

,,           pustulatum  house) 

Gymnogramma  chrysophylla  ,,       javanicum 

Many  tropical  Selaginellas  occupy  the  shelf  on  the  south 
side  of  the  house.  Although  all  the  living  forms  are  plants 
of  small  ^ize  at  the  present  time,  yet  in  the  geological  past 
their  near  relations,  the  Lepidodendrons ,  filled  the  extensive 
swamps  which  have  largely  helped  to  form  the  coal  measures. 

Dr.  Daubeny  demonstrated  the  presence  of  a  large  percent- 
age of  alumina  in  the  ashes  of  some  of  the  species  of  Selaginella. 

The  following  are  grown  now,  and  those  marked  with  a  * 
were  also  in  the  collection  in  1856  : 

Selaginella  albonitens  S.  lepidophylla  *  S.  suberosa 

„          amoena  S.  martensii,  Mexico  *  S.  victoria 

„          canaliculata  S.  patula  S.  viticulosa  * 

,,          densa  elegans  S.  plumosa  *  S.  wallichiana  * 

„          emiliana  S.  serpens  S.  vvatsoniana 
„          grandis 

Under  the  name  S.  lepidophylla,  from  Mexico  there  is  a 
beautiful  little  plant  possessing  hygrometric  properties.  The 
fronds  are  arranged  in  a  kind  of  rosette,  and  when  dry  are 
rolled  inwards,  so  that  the  plant  then  resembles  a  ball,  If 


102  GLASS-HOUSES 

in  this  condition  it  is  placed  in  water,  a  large  quantity  of 
that  liquid  is  absorbed,  the  fronds  are  unfolded,  and  the 
original  form  of  the  plant  is  restored. 

The  Club  Mosses,  Lycopodiaceae,  are  not  always  to  be 
seen  in  the  Garden,  which  is  a  pity,  because  they  represent 
an  ancient  race  in  which  the  spores  were  all  of  one  kind. 
The  spore-bearing  leaves  are  often  clustered  in  cones  :  the 
minute  spores  form  the  familiar  lycopodtum  powder. 

No.  6.  THE  WATER-LILY  HOUSE 

The  Water-lily  House,  in  the  middle  of  the  block,  measures 
about  12  yds.  by  10  yds. ;  the  centre  is  occupied  by  the  tank 
measuring  9  yds.  by  7  yds.,  and  is  4  ft.  in  depth. 

During  the  months  of  June  and  July  the  exuberance  of 
healthy  vegetation  in  this  house  is  calculated  to  give  the 
visitor  some  idea  of  the  rank  luxuriance  in  the  steamy  vapours 
of  a  tropical  swamp :  but  here,  the  leaf-forms,  grown  in 
complete  shelter  from  wind,  are  more  perfect.*  Nor  is  the 
resemblance  merely  a  superficial  one,  for  if  the  gardeners  who 
tend  the  water-plants  were  to  omit  to  take  a  periodical  dose 
of  quinine,  fever  in  a  malignant  form  would  be  the  penalty. 

On  entering,  we  are  confronted  by  a  plot  of  Papyrus  growing 
in  the  well-ordered  swamp,  which  has  been  arranged  along 
the  near  border  of  the  tank. 

Papyrus  antiquorum,  now  found  in  Europe  only  on  the 
banks  of  the  Anapo  in  Sicily,  and  in  Africa  high  up  the  Nile 
above  the  cataracts,  supplied  the  ancient  Egyptians  with 
material  for  their  paper,  which  may  easily  be  prepared  by 
selecting  some  of  the  largest  of  the  stems,  and,  after  removing 
the  epidermis,  cutting  the  pith  longitudinally  in  thin  slices, 
and  uniting  the  edges  by  gum-water,  or  any  other  adhesive 
liquid.  Among  the  Egyptians,  water  from  the  Nile  was  said 

*  Illustrations  of  the  interior  have  appeared  in  the  Gardeners  Chronicle 
for  1885,  p.  84,  and  in  the  "  Book  of  Gardening,"  1900.  •_ 


WATER-LILY   HOUSE  103 

to  have  been  employed  for  the  purpose.  In  order  to  counter- 
act the  contraction  which  takes  place  in  drying,  similar  slices 
are  to  be  glued  on  across  the  grain  of  the  former,  after  which 
the  sheet  produced,  must  be  subjected  to  strong  pressure. 

Left  of  the  Papyrus  is  a  strong  plant  of  Mariophyllum 
proserpinacioides. 

Further  to  the  right  is  a  fine  clump  oiJVelumbium  speciosumt 
the  Sacred  Bean  of  Egypt,  anciently  cultivated  in  that  country, 
but  no  longer  found  there,  though  common  enough  in  various 
parts  of  the  East  Indies.  Its  leaves,  which  are  orbicular, 
sometimes  measure  2  ft.  in  diameter ;  and  its  handsome  and 
fragrant  flowers  may  exceed  the  size  of  10  in.  The  ancient 
Egyptians  used  the  seeds,  which  are  enclosed  in  a  pepper- 
box-like fruit,  as  an  article  of  food. 

The  Lotus  is  extensively  cultivated  by  the  Chinese,  by 
whom  the  roots  are  highly  valued  as  a  vegetable. 

Nelumbium  luteum  from  Carolina,  with  pale  yellow  flowers, 
flowered  freely  in  the  first  years  of  the  house,  circ.  1852. 

At  the  corners  of  the  tank,  rising  behind  clumps  of  Cyperus, 
are  small  specimens  of  Plantains  and  Bananas.  Musa 
paradisiaca  is  remarkable  for  its  large  oblong  entire  leaves, 
from  the  centre  of  which  issues  a  spike  of  flowers  disposed 
round  a  common  axis,  each  group  protected  and  covered  over 
at  first  by  a  coloured  bract,  which  afterwards  drops  off  and 
thus  allows  the  fruit  to  expand  and  ripen.  This  species, 
however,  is  too  much  checked  in  its  growth  by  the  dimensions 
of  our  house  to  yield  fruit;  but  another,  the  M.  cavendishii 
or  dwarf  Banana,  which  grows  only  to  the  height  of  6  ft.  or 
8  ft.,  produces  in  most  years  large  bunches  of  fruit,*  which  are 
(or  should  be)  eaten  by  the  Vice-Chancellor,  the  President  of 
Magdalen,  and  the  Professor  of  Botany.  M.  cavendishii  is  a 
Chinese  plant  which  has  had  an  interesting  cultural  history, 
for  it  has  now  been  widely  distributed  in  the  Pacific  Islands. 
A  specimen  grown  at  Chatsworth  was  exported  in  a  Wardian 

*  Bananas  ripened  in  the  years  1888,  1889,  I89I>  l&9$i  l&97>  and  1903. 


104  GLASS-HOUSES 

case  to  Samoa,  whence  in  1848  Mr.  G.  Pritchard  distributed 
specimens  to  the  Friendly  and  'Fiji  Islands  in  the  Pacific 
(which  were  then  stricken  with  famine),  and  with  most  success- 
ful result,  since  this  dwarf  Banana  never  fails  to  ripen  its 
fruit.  M.  Wilsoni  is  also  grown. 

Along  the  margin  of  the  water  the  Water  Hyacinth, 
Eichhornia  speciosa  (Pontederia  crassipes]  from  Guiana  grows 
like  a  weed.  It  bore  its  pretty  blue  spikes  of  blossoms  in 
1898,  and  either  it  or  another  species  has  done  so  on  many 
occasions  since.  It  is  distinguished  by  the  swelling  leaf-stalk, 
which,  filled  with  air,  gives  the  plant  great  buoyancy. 

The  vivid  tints  of  the  Water-lilies  in  the  tank  will  next 
attract  attention — indeed,  from  the  month  of  June  onwards 
they  are  the  feature  of  the  house.  In  Dr.  Daubeny's  time 
the  Oxford  Garden  was  noted  for  the  excellence  of  its  Water- 
lilies,  and  for  the  early  successes  of  Mr.  Baxter.  The  good 
reputation  is  being  ably  maintained  by  Mr.  Baker,  who  is  an 
acknowledged  expert  in  their  cultivation,  and  the  author  of 
the  article  thereon,  in  the  "  Book  of  Gardening."  Several  of 
the  illustrations  in  that  volume  have  been  prepared  from 
plants  grown  in  our  Garden. 

The  Egyptian  Lotus,  Nymphaea  lotus,  is  a  plant  of  much 
historical  interest,  the  blossoms  and  buds  of  which  figured 
much  on  the  painted  monuments  of  that  country,  and  which 
probably  suggested  the  form  of  the  capitals  on  the  columns 
of  certain  orders  of  Egyptian  architecture. 

In  1853  the  collection  of  Water-lilies  included  Nymphaea 
stellata  (coerulea)  from  Egypt,  a  very  beautiful  plant 
with  large  blue  petals ;  N.  cyanea  and  rubra  (red),  from 
the  East  Indies ;  dentata  (white),  from  Sierra  Leone  :  devoni- 
ensis*  a  free-flowering  hybrid,  raised  at  Chats  worth  from 
rubra  and  dentata ;  odorata  minor,  a  small  fragrant  species 
from  N.  America ;  micrantha  from  the  river  Gambia ;  and 
pygmaea,  the  smallest  of  the  species  known  to  us,  a  hardy 
species  from  China.  The  hybrid  N-  daubenyana°  x  (=  N 


WATER-LILY   HOUSE  105 

stellata  x  N.  micrantha  *)  originated  in  the  Garden  about  1851, 
and  for  a  long  time  held  a  place  as  the  best  of  its  class  both 
for  beauty  and  length  of  time  of  flowering.  In  colour  it  is 
pale  blue,  it  has  the  scent  of  N.  stellata,  and  produces  bulbils 
like  micrantha.  Cabomba  viridifolia  and  Euryale  ferox  have 
also  been  grown. 

Among  the  newer  forms  are  : 

Nymphaea  amazonum  •  Nymphaea  mexicana  ° 

„          ampla  •  „  O'Marana  x  • 

blanda  „  stellata  (?)  ° 

„          columbiana  x  „  sturtevantii  • 

„          deaniana  x  •  „  tuberosa,  var.  carnea 

„          flava  °  *  .  M         var.  flavescens 

,,          gigantea,  var.  hudsoni-                „  zanzibarensis  ° 

ana0  „  „          var.  rosea0 
„          lotus,  var.  monstrosa  • 

Some  of  these  bloom  by  day,  some  by  night,  when  the  Garden 
is  closed  to  the  public.  Several  day-bloomers  close  petals 
and  sink  below  the  surface  during  the  night.  Dark  spots  • 
indicate  night-bloomers  ;  light  spots  °  indicate  day-bloomers. 

Those  virgin  lilies,  all  the  night 

Bathing  their  beauties  in  the  lake, 
That  they  may  rise  more  fresh  and  bright 

When  their  beloved  sun's  awake. — MOORE. 

Waterweeds  of  unusual  size  and  form  luxuriate  in  their 
appropriate  quarters  near  the  margin  of  the  tank.  The  largest, 
Pistia  stratiotes,  grown  here  in  former  years,  is  common  in 
the  ponds  of  the  West  Indies,  where  its  leaves  float  loosely 
on  the  surface  of  the  water  like  green  lettuces  unattached  to 
the  soil.  It  is  a  constituent  of  the  "  sadd  "  which  is  so  great 
an  impediment  to  navigation  on  the  Upper  Nile. 

*  Baxter's  hybrid  has  apparently  escaped  the  notice  of  Caspary  and 
Conrad  (1905),  but  it  is  mentioned  by  Maxwell  Masters,  Gardeners' 
Chronicle,  May  24,  1856.  A  few  bulbils  flowered  in  1911. 


io6  GLASS-HOUSES 

In  another  spot  is  confined  the  neat-growing  Salvinia, 
forming  a  delicate  mossy  carpet  floating  on  the  surface  of 
the  water. 

Water  Plantains,  Alismaceae,  are  represented  by  Limno- 
charisflava  and  emarginata  and  Echinodorus  macrophyllum. 

The  pretty  Hydrophyllaceous  Plant,  Hydrolea  spinosa  from 
Surinam,  may  also  be  seen  in  the  tank,  and  in  1864  the 
Madagascar  Lattice  Leaf  Plant,  Ouvirandra  fenestralis>  was 
grown,  and  we  have  had  it  on  several  occasions  since,  but 
it  requires  running  water  for  its  healthy  development.  The 
leaves  look  as  if  they  had  undergone  maceration,  the  in- 
terstices between  the  veins  being  open.  The  roots  are 
cooked  and  eaten  by  the  natives,  who  call  it  the  Water 
Yam. 

Two  or  three  of  the  tropical  Grasses  of  vigorous  habit  have 
occasionally  been  grown.  One  of  these  is  the  Sugar-cane,  from 
whose  closely  jointed  stem  is  extracted  the  saccharine  juice, 
which  we  convert  by  boiling  into  syrup. 

Another  species  of  grass,  which  from  its  size  might  almost 
be  mistaken  for  a  palm,  is  the  Bamboo,  Bambusa  arundinacea^ 
a  plant  which  in  the  tropics  rises  to  the  height  of  more  than 
100  ft.  in  a  season,  and  at  Kew  has  been  measured  to  grow 
10  in.  in  twenty-four  hours  ! 

On  the  shelves  next  the  glass  will  be  noticed  several  beauti- 
ful members  of  the  Lily  Order. 

Most  noteworthy,  perhaps,  are  the  singular  flowers  of  the 
plants  related  to  Gloriosa  superba^  a  name  assigned  by 
Linnaeus  himself,  who  likened  the  scarlet  undulated  segments 
of  its  corolla  to  so  many  tongues  of  flame.  Its  long  style  is 
very  singular,  as  it  points  horizontally,  and  appears,  where 
it  springs  from  the  ovary,  as  if  broken  at  its  base. 

G.  abyssinica  and  G.  rothschildiana  have  both  flowered  in 
recent  years. 

To  the  P  i  n  e  -  A  p  p  1  e  Order,  BROMELIACEAE,  belong 
Billbergia^  Aechmea,  Karatas^  Ortgiesia,  and  Pitcairnia ;  also. 


WATER-LILY   HOUSE  107 

the  epiphytic  Tillandsia — which,  like  tropical  Orchids,  live 
on  trees,  and  often  have  the  bases  of  the  leaves  filled  with 
water,  which  has  proved  serviceable  to  men  and  animals. 
T.  acaulis  zebrina  and  T.  splendens  are  remarkable  for  their 
singular  transversely-streaked  foliage. 
To  this  order  belong  : 

Aechmea  coelestis  Karatas  rutilans 
„         coerulescens  „        tristis 

,,         conglomerata  Ortgiesia  legrelliana 
„         distacantha,     var.  „         tillandsioides 

Schumbergeri  Quesnelia  cayennensis 
„         exudans  „         wittmackiana 

„         pineliana  Rhodostachys  pitcairniaefolia 

Guzmannia  devansayana  Tillandsia  dianthoidea 
Karatas  carolinae  „          fenestralis 

,,        innocentii  variegata  „          lindeni,  var.  anceps 

„       johannis  „         morreni 

,,       makoyana  ,,          parabaica 

,,        princeps  „          tessellata 

Among  the  other  pot  plants  are  some  fine  Caladiums^ 
and  several  members  of  the  SCITAMINEAE  or  Ginger  Order, 
among  which  Hedychium  coronarium  is  related  to  H.  spicatum, 
the  source  of  abir,  the  scented  powder  of  the  Hindus. 

No.  7.  THE  SMALL  STOVE-HOUSE 

On  entering  the  Small  Stove-house  the  first  plants  which 
attract  the  visitor's  eye  are-  the  grotesque  Pitcher  Plants,  of 
which  we  have  a  good  collection  in  hanging  baskets.  Each 
of  the  leaves  terminates  in  a  pitcher,  having  a  lid  at  top. 
These  pitchers  contain  a  considerable  quantity  of  fluid  which, 
as  Daubeny  rightly  argued,  is  secreted  by  the  plant,  and  is 
not  necessarily  derived  from  without.  By  means  of  this  pitcher- 
liquid,  the  plant  is  enabled  to  vary  its  diet  by  adding  an 
occasional  fly  to  its  menu. 

Professor  Vines   has  been   able   to  show  that  in  the  case 


io8  GLASS-HOUSES 

of  Nepenthes  mastersiana  proteolytic  digestion  is  due  to  an 
enzyme,  "  nepenthin,"  and  not  to  a  bacterium  ("  Annals  of 
Botany,"  1897).  The  species  grown  include  IV.  curtisii^ 
dicksoniana,  mixta^  and  tiveyi — several  presented  by  Messrs. 
Veitch  of  Chelsea. 

Overhead  is  trained  a  fine  specimen  of  a  Dutchman's 
Pipe,  Aristolochia  elegans^  from  Brazil.  Here  the  pitcher- 
shaped  flowers  may  be  contrasted  with  the  leaf-pitchers  of 
Nepenthes. 

The  leaves  of  Oxalis  sensitiva,  which  is  occasionally  ex- 
hibited in  this  house,  move,  when  touched,  like  those  of  the 
Sensitive  Plant. 

On  the  stands  will  be  seen  some  fine  species  of  Caladium 
and  Pathos,  remarkable  for  their  large  spreading  and  often 
richly  coloured  leaves.  An  allied  species,  Dieffenbachia  seguina^ 
is  remarkable  for  its  acidity  ;  if  chewed,  it  causes  the  tongue 
to  swell  so  as  to  destroy  for  a  time  the  power  of  speech,  and 
is  hence  popularly  named  the  Dumb  Cane. 

The  Maranta  arundinacea  is  interesting  as  the  plant  which 
yields  the  West  Indian  arrowroot,  whilst  M.  bicolor^  lineata 
alba^  vittata,)  and  zebrina  (now  Calathea  zebrina)  are  grown 
for  their  ornamental  foliage. 

Allied  to  the  MARANTACEAE,  which  yield  a  pure  and  delicate 
kind  of  starch,  are  the  Gingers,  ZINGIBERACEAE  (Scitamineae)^ 
noted  for  their  hot,  stimulating  principle.  Among  them  are 
classed  Globba  (bulbifera,  marantina) ;  Hedychium  hors- 
fieldii)  and  Gardnerianum,  remarkable  for  its  large  head  of 
fragrant  flowers ;  Kaempferia  pandurata  (ethelae,  natalensis^ 
rotunda,  and  undulatd] ;  Alpinia  officinarum  the  Galangal ; 
Curcuma  bakeri^  a  genus  which  supplies  both  Turmeric  and 
East  Indian  arrowroot ;  Amomum,  a  Cardamoms  genus ;  and 
Costus  fissiligulatus  and  Burbidgea  schizocheila.  All  are  in  one 
or  other  of  the  Stove-houses.  Mantisia  sanatoria,  the 
"  Dancing  Girls  "  grown  in  the  sixties,  is,  unfortunately,  no 
longer  with  us, 


SMALL  STOVE-HOUSE  109 

Peppers  are  grown  both  in  the  Small  Stove  and  in  the 
Palm  House.  Piper  nigrum  is  an  Indian  climber,  which 
yields  both  black  and  white  Pepper  ;  the  former  being  the 
unripe  berries,  the  latter  the  ripe  fruit,  from  which  the  rind 
has  been  removed  after  soaking  in  water.  Nearly  half  of  our 
imported  pepper,  about  9,000,000  lb.,  comes  from  the  Straits 
Settlements. 

P.  methysticum  has  a  horse-radish-like  root,  cultivated  in  the 
Pacific  Islands  for  the  preparation  of  kava,  a  slightly  narcotic 
liquid,  which  tastes  like  soapsuds  and  is  good  for  quenching 
thirst. 

P.  porphyrophyllum  and  Peperomia  diaphanoides,  metallica, 
and  resedaeflora  are  all  grown. 

Klugia  notoniana  (Gesneraceae)  was  brought  by  Professor 
Farmer  from  Ceylon  in  1892. 

A  plant  of  exceptional  interest  is  the  Rubiaceous  Myrmecodia 
beccarii,  which  lives  in  Malaya,  in  association  with  a  standing 
army  of  ants,  which  it  provides  with  adequate  lodging  in 
return  for  defensive  services.  Another  instance  of  such  a 
symbiosis  is  afforded  by  the  Buckthorn  Acacia  growing  in  the 
Palm  House,  but  in  that  case  the  plant  provides  board  as 
well,  for  its  defenders. 

The  following  Stove  plants  of  economic  importance  have 
been  grown  in  one  or  other  of  the  houses,  and  if  they  are  not 
in  the  collection  at  any  one  time,  their  places  are  probably 
filled  by  plants  of  as  great,  if  not  greater,  interest : 

Anona  muricata  (Anonaceae),  bearing  the  succulent  West 

Indian  fruit  called  the  Sour  Sop. 

Bombax  malabaricum  (Malvaceae),  an  Indian  large  soft- 
wooded  tree  of  no  great  worth.  From  its  fibrous 
bark,  ropes  can  be  made,  and  the  gummy  exudations 
are  employed  in  Indian  medicine.  The  silk  cotton 
covering  the  seeds  is  used  for  stuffing  cushions. 
Cinnamodendron  rubrum  from  Brazil  has  a  bark  re- 


no  GLASS-HOUSES 

sembling  in  its  agreeable  odour  the  true  Cinnamon, 
which,  however,  comes  from  Cinnamomum,  a  Cinga- 
.  lese  Lauraceous  tree.  We  have  found  many  Cinnamon- 
leaves  as  fossils  in  the  Bournemouth  cliffs,  an  indi- 
cation that  that  health  resort  has  enjoyed  an  even 
warmer  climate  than  at  present. 

Several  species  of  Indigofera  besides  /.  tinctoria  (Legumi- 
noseae)  are  used  in  the  preparation  of  the  dye.  The 
plants  are  soaked  and  beaten  in  vats  until  their 
green  colouring  matter  has  become  oxidised  into 
insoluble  blue  indigotin  which  passes  into  suspension 
in  the  water.  After  settling  and  boiling,  the  blue 
mud  is  dried  in  the  sun.  In  1909,  ^130,000  worth 
of  this  dye-stuff  was  imported,  and  ^"164,000  worth 
was  synthesised  by  manufacturing  chemists. 

Pimento,  officinalis  (Myrtaceae)  is  the  source  of  allspice 
or  Jamaica  pepper,  and  from  the  leaves  of  P.  acris 
the  American  scent,  oil  of  bay,  is  obtained,  which 
is  now  well  known  in  the  bay  rum  of  hairdressers' 
shops. 

The  unopened  flower-buds  of  Eugenia  carophyllata  are 
green  when  newly  gathered,  but  when  dried  turn 
brown  and  are  known  as  cloves. 

Pogostemon  patchouli  is  an  Indian  Labiate.  Its  aromatic 
oil  has  been  less  in  favour  as  a  scent  with  the  fair 
sex  than  was  formerly  the  case. 

Tamarindus  indica  (Leguminoseae)  pods  yield  a  pulp 
with  laxative  properties.  Cooling  drinks  are  pre- 
pared from  tamarinds  in  hot  countries. 

Mucuna  pruriens  is  a  less  desirable  climbing  Leguminous 
plant  from  the  Indies,  both  East  and  West.  The 
stiff  hairs  readily  enter  the  skin,  and  cause  an  itching 
so  intolerable  that  the  plant  is  known  by  the  vulgar 
name  of  Cow-itch. 


SMALL   STOVE-HOUSE 


in 


LIST  OF  OTHER  STOVE  PLANTS  WHICH  HAVE  BEEN  GROWN  IN  THE 
HOUSES  WITHIN  THE  LAST  FEW  YEARS 

(See  also  lists  on  p.  120) 


Acalypha  godseffiana 

„         hamiltoniana 

„         hispida 
Achimenes  pedunculata 
Aphloia  mauritiana 
Biophytum  proliferum 
Brexia  madagascariensis 
Browallia  speciosa 
Callicoma  serratifolia 
Calvoa  orientalis 
Campelia  zanonia 
Cardiospermum      halicacabum 

(annual) 

Cephalotus  follicularis 
Chirita  fauriei 

„       hamosa 
Combretum  aculeatum 
Corynocarpus  laevigatus 
Cyrtanthus  spiralis 
Deherainia  smaragdina 
Elaeodendron  orientale 
Eriocnema  sanderae  x 
Erythroxylon  coca 
Galphimia  glauca 
Gladiolus  buettneri 
Glycosmis  pentaphylla 
Gravesia  guttata 
Haemanthus  kalbreyeri 
,,  katherinae 

„  lindeni 

Hamelia  patens 
Heliconia  sanderi 
Hibiscus  mesnyi 
Hippeastrum  stylosum 
Juanulloa  parasitica 
Kniphofia  aloides  var.  praecox 

„          northiae 
Laden  bergia  rosea  aenea 
Leea  micholitzi 
Lindenbergia  grandiflora 
Manettia  corditolia 

„         luteo-rubra 
Marcgravia  umbellata 
Meconopsis  integrifolia 
racemosa 


Meconopsis  sinuata 
Medinilla  magnifica 
Olyra  floribunda 
Palisota  barteri 

„        bracteosa 

„         maclaudi 
Panax  balfourii 
Passiflora  pruinosa 
Pentarhaphia  longiflora 
„  reticulata 

Phyllarthron  bojeranum 
Physostigma  venenosum 
Pinguicula  caudata 
Pitcairnia  altensteinii 

„          andreana 

„          bromeliaefolia     var. 

platyphylla 

Pithecoctenium  aubletii 
Pleuropetalum  costaricense 
Pollia  condensata 
Portulacaria  afra 
Psychotria  jasminiflora 
Rhytidophyllum  tomentosum 
Richardia  elliottiana 

„          pentlandii 
Royena  lucida 
Sandersonia  aurantiaca 
Scutellaria  ventenatii 
Sinningia    (Stenogastra)    con- 

cinna 
Solanum  commersoni 

„        rantonnettii 
Stenandrium  lindeni 
Stigmaphyllon  ciliatum 
Susum  malayanum 
Tacca  artocarpifolia 

,,      cristata 
Tacsonia  militaris  x 
Theobroma  cacao 
[Tradescantia  reginae] 
Tulbagia  acutiloba 
Turnera  ulmifolia 
Vangueria  madagascariensis 
Whitfieldia  laterita 


H2  GLASS-HOUSES 

NOS.  8,  9,  AND   10  GLASS-HOUSES 
(South  Block} 

The  south  block  of  glass-houses  and  their  corridor  of  communication 
leading  to  the  potting-shed  were  erected  by  Messrs.  Boyd  in  May  to 
November.  1893.  Nos.  8  and  9  adjoin  and  measure  10  yds.  by  10  yds. 
and  10  yds.  by  7  yds.,  respectively.  No.  10,  the  Succulent  House,  is  in- 
termediate in  size  and  is  only  connected  with  the  other  two  by  the 
corridor. 

They  stand  on  the  site  of  a  corresponding  range  of  three  houses 
constructed  in  1852  to  receive  the  stove  plants  rendered  houseless  when 
the  old  central  conservatory  on  the  east  side  of  the  Danby  Gate  was 
altered  to  receive  the  Fielding  Herbarium,  presented  to  the  University 
in  that  year.  In  Dr.  Daubeny's  time  a  stove-house  for  palms  was  flanked 
by  a  fernery  on  the  north,  and  by  a  seed-room  and  stoke-house  on  the 
south. 

THE  SOUTH  CORRIDOR 

On  both  sides  of  the  walk  are  planted  some  interesting 
shrubs  and  climbing  plants,  of  which  a  fuller  list  is  given 
on  p.  145.  Among  the  more  noteworthy  are  several  large 
Fuchsias  and  large  plants  of  Salvia  bethelii^  Reinwardtia 
trigynum,  Justicia  carnea,  and  Jasminum  primulinum. 
Jasminum  sambac  yields  a  strongly  scented  oil,  the  mohle 
of  the  Hindus,  and  belongs  to  the  same  natural  order  as 
the  Olive  and  the  Ash.  As  with  many  other  strongly  scented 
flowers,  the  odour  is  more  apparent  in  the  evening  when  breathed 

From  timid  jasmin  buds,  that  keep 

Their  odour  to  themselves  all  day, 

But  when  the  sun-light  dies  away 

Let  the  delicious  secret  out 

To  every  breeze  that  roams  about. — Lalla  Rookh. 

The  wax-like  honey-laden  flowers  of  Hoya  carnosa  are 
favourites  alike  with  man  and  bees  ;  the  latter,  in  some  places, 
satiate  themselves  so  completely  as  to  be  unable  to  fly  away. 


PALM   HOUSE  113 

No.  8.  THE  PALM  HOUSE 

Although  the  dimensions  of  the  Palm  House  are  not  such 
as  to  admit  of  those  magnificent  examples  of  tropical  vegeta- 
tion which  figure  in  some  public  and  private  collections,  yet 
amongst  its  contents  are  specimens  which  may  serve  to  convey 
some  idea  of  the  mode  of  growth  and  habits  of  that  noble 
tribe  of  plants,  the  Monarchs,  as  Von  Martius  calls  them, 
of  the  Kingdom  of  Nature  to  which  they  belong. 

Some  Palms  which  will  endure  a  cooler  temperature  are 
seen  in  the  Conservatory — where  examples  of  the  Fan 
Palm  and  others  are  exhibited,  A  moist  soil  is  a  necessity 
for  the  well-being  of  palms — indeed,  in  their  native  habitat 
they  are  often  to  be  seen  standing  in  water.  A  Date  Palm 
cannot  have  too  much ;  the  roots,  indeed,  show  a  remarkable 
resemblance  to  parts  of  aquatic  plants,  in  being  full  of  gas 
spaces,*  and  similar  spaces  have  even  been  found  in  the 
stems  of  fossil  Cretaceous  Palms. 

Palms  are  classified  in  six  tribes  by  Hooker  : 

i.  Areceae,  including  Areca  catechu,  the  Betel-nut  Palm, 
the  chewing  of  which  gives  a  fragrance  to  the 
breath  and  a  red  hue  to  the  lips  and  mouth  ;  A. 
glandiformis  ;  Pinanga  kuhlii;  Kentia  sanderiana  ; 
the  Australian  Archontophoenix  cunninghamia,  com- 
monly known  as  Seaforthia  elegans  in  this  country  ; 
Dictyosperma  fibrosum;  Deckenia  nobilisf\  Howea 
fosteriana  (Orchid  House) ;  Bentinckia  nicobarica. 

ii.  Phoenix  is  the  only  genus  of  the  second  tribe.  The 
Date  Palm,  dactylifera,  is  interesting  because  in 
the  most  remote  antiquity  it  was  cultivated,  and 
conveyed  to  those  early  "  arboriculturists "  some 
dim  notion  of  the  distinction  of  sexes  amongst 
plants.  Phoenicia  was  named  after  it,  and 

*  Drabble,  "Roots  of  Palms,"  "Trans.  Linn.  Soc,"  2nd  series,  vi. 
p.  427. 

8 


114  GLASS-HOUSES 

Bethany  =  house  of  dates.     P.  reclinata  from  Natal 
is  in  the  Orchid  House. 

iii.  Corypheae,  including  Sabal,  Corypha,  Chamaerops, 
Coperniria,  Thrinax.  Chamaerops  humilis,  the 
hardiest  of  all  our  palms  and  indigenous  to  the 
south  of  Europe,  is  housed  in  the  Conservatory. 

In  the  Palm  House  are  the  Carnauba  or  Brazilian 
Wax  Palm ;  Copernida  cerifera,  from  which  candles 
may  be  made ;  Pritchardia  padfica ;  Livistona 
inermis;  Thrinax  morrisii^  a  dwarf  palm  of 
Anguilla ;  and  Thrinax  parvi flora,  of  which  a 
small  specimen  was  brought  from  Cuba  by 
Dr.  Daubeny  in  1838  (G.  C.  1864). 

iv.  Lepidocaryeae.  Calamus  stipionum  produces  the 
Malacca  canes  used  for  walking-sticks  and  rods 
for  chimney-sweeping. 

v.  Borassus,  the  Palmyra  Palm,  is  the  type  of  the  fifth 
tribe  to  which  the  Coco  de  Mer  belongs. 

vi.   Cocoinede^  represented  by  Cocos flexuosa. 

The  common  Cocoa-nut  Palm,  Cocos  nudfera,  is  not  always 
grown  in  the  Garden.  It  is  of  varied  and  great  utility, 
as  it  supplies  the  native  of  the  tropics  with  thatch  for  his 
houses;  with  the  materials  for  matting,  brooms,  and  timber; 
with  oil,  expressed  from  the  dried  kernel  or  copra ;  with 
food  for  both  man  and  beast ;  with  a  liquor  (toddy)  capable 
of  fermentation,  and  convertible  into  the  ardent  spirit  known 
as  arrack ;  and  with  fibres  suited  as  a  material  for  preparing 
coir  hawsers.  Cocoa-nut  oil  is  used  in  the  manufacture  of 
composite  candles,  and  some  8,000  tons  are  annually  imported 
into  this  country. 

To  the  Order  of  Screw  Pines -belongs  Pandanus panderi. 

The  Dragon  Trees  are  the  largest  of  the  members  of  the 
Order  of  Lilies.  One  Dracaena  draco  grew  to  the  colossal 


PALM    HOUSE  115 

size  of  51  ft.  in  circumference  in  the  island  of  Teneriffe. 
Several  species  have  been  grown  in  the  Palm  House  in 
recent  years,*  as  well  as  the  nearly  allied  Cordyline  fragrans. 

A  link  with  the  remote  geological  past  is  afforded  by  the 
Sago  Palms  or  Cycads,  which  are  closely  related  to  fossil 
plants  which  flourished  in  the  Mesozoic  Period,  and  afford  us 
living  pictures  of  a  part  of  that  bygone  vegetation.  While 
retaining  very  primitive  characters,  the  extinct  Bennettiteae 
are  thought  to  have  resembled  Angiosperms  in  having  con- 
spicuous flowers,  and  in  having  fruits  which  enclosed  ex- 
albuminous  seeds. 

Modern  Cycads  inhabit  the  warmer  regions  of  the  continents, 
and  reach  a  great  size  and  age. 

Australian  Cycads  grow  60  ft.  high,  and  Dioon  edule  is  said 
to  live  for  1,000  years  in  Mexico.  They  are  unique  among 
flowering  plants,  except  the  Ginkgo,  in  that  the  male  cells 
are  motile  like  those  of  the  Ferns. 

Cycas  revoluta  yields  a  sort  of  sago  from  its  pith,  though 
the  sago  of  commerce  is  usually  obtained  from  the  allied 
C.  cirdnalis.  Another  kind  of  arrowroot  or  sago  is  got  from 
Dioon  edule. 

Several  species  of  Zamia  (integrifolia.  Undent,  loddigesii 
(1890))  have  been  grown,  and  it  was  with  the  trunks  of  these 
plants  that  the  fossils,  called  "  petrified  birds'-nests,"  found  in 
Portland  building  stone,  were  first  identified. 

Bowenia  spectabilis^  var.  serrulata^  flowered  in  1899,  and 
Encephalartos  horridus  produced  a  cone  in  1895. 

The  remarkable  Stangeria  paradoxa  of  Natal,  in  its  habit 
and  veined  fern-like  leaves,  is  unlike  many  other  Cycads,  and 
was  at  first  described  as  a  Fern,  Lomaria. 

Among  the  Aroids  the  large  Amorphophallus  campanulata 
and  rivieri  are  conspicuous;  the  former  flowered  in  1889  and 

*  Dracaena  godseffiana  Dracaena  surculosa 

rumphii  „         thalioides 

sanderiana 


n6  GLASS-HOUSES 

again  in  1892.  The  leaves  of  the  gigantic  A.  titanum  are 
said  to  grow  to  a  circumference  of  45  ft.  (Beccari).  The  allied 
Hydrosme  rivieri  is  also  represented.  Of  the  other  genera 
we  have  Spathiphyllum  patinii;  Nephthytis  liberica;  bright- 
flowered  Anthuriums,  often  with  the  Orchids  in  No.  9 ;  and 
several  fine-foliaged  Caladiums  and  Colocasias  *  scattered 
about  among  the  other  stove  plants.  In  the  East,  Aroid 
roots,  "  cocoes,"  are  a  useful  food,  and  biscuits  are  prepared 
from  Aroid  flour. 

The  Sensitive  Plant  has  been  grown  at  Oxford  as  a  "  wonder 
and  a  curiosity"  ever  since  1654,  when  John  Evelyn  saw  it 
there.  Some  forty  years  on,  Celia  Fiennes  mentioned  it 
again  in  her  diary  :  "  There  is  also  ye  sensible  plant,  take  but 
a  Leafe  between  finger  and  thumb  and  squeeze  it  and  it 
immediately  Curies  up  together  as  if  pained,  and  after  some 
tyme  opens  abroad  again,  it  looks  in  Coullour  like  a  filbert 
Leafe,  but  much  narrower  and  long.  There  is  also  the 
humble  plant  that  grows  on  a  long  slender  Stalke  and  do  but 
strike  it,  it  falls  flatt  on  ye  ground,  stalke  and  all,  and  after 
some  tyme  revives  againe  and  Stands  up,  but  these  are  nice 
plants  and  are  kept  mostly  under  Glass's,  ye  aire  being  too 
rough  for  them." 

And  it  was  perhaps  in  our  Oxford  Garden  that  an  under- 
graduate contemporary  of  Dr.  Daubeny,  and  like  him  an 
enthusiastic  chemist,  may  have  first  become  acquainted  with 

*  In  recent  years  have  been  grown : 

Aglaonema  treubii  Homalonema  rubescens  (6) 

Anchomanes  hookeri  Hydrosme  rivieri  (7) 

Anthurium  hookeri  (9)  Nephthytis  liberica 

„           podophyllum  (9)  Schismatoglottis  neoguineensis 

Arisaema  ringens  (7) 

Caladium  albanense  Spathiphyllum  patinii 

„        speciosa  '       Typhonium  gigantea 

,,         venosa  Xanthosoma  lindeni  (6) 
Colocasia  sanderiana 

The  numbers  refer  to  the  houses  where  the  plants  were  exhibited. 


PALM    HOUSE  117 

the  peculiar  properties  of  that  plant,  the  name  of  which  he 
has  immortalised  as  the  title  of  perhaps  the  most  glowing 
description  of  a  flower-garden  in  our  literature*;  or,  again 
that  the  same  interesting  plant  was  made  the  subject  of  a 
pictorial  simile  by  A.  C.  Collins  in  the  beautiful  picture 
"  Convent  Thoughts,"  in  the  University  Galleries.  On  being 
touched  gently,  the  paired  leaflets  close  upward.  On  rougher 
treatment  the  pinnae  fold,  and  eventually  the  whole  leaf  sinks 
down  and  hangs  as  if  withered.  But  after  an  interval  the 
leaves  rise  and  the  leaflets  open  once  more. 

Equally  wonderful,  though  in  quite  a  different  way,  is  the 
Acacia  sphaerocephala.  It  is  provided  with  organs  by  which, 
in  a  state  of  nature,  it  is  enabled  to  keep  a  mercenary  army, 
an  army  of  ants,  for  its  own  protection.  The  large  stipular 
thorns  are  hollow,  and  serve  as  sentry-boxes  or  dwelling- 
places  for  the  ants,  which  are  thus  not  only  housed,  but  are 
also  fed  by  the  plant,  on  Belt's  corpuscles,  ovoid  structures, 
rich  in  proteids,  which  are  developed  at  the  ends  of  the 
leaflets,  and  are  so  loosely  attached  as  to  be  easily  plucked 
by  the  hungry  soldiers.  Similar  food-bodies  are  grown  by 
the  Imbauba  or  Trumpet  Tree  (Cecropia),  and  by  Thunbergia, 
plants  belonging  to  totally  different  natural  orders,  but  having 
similar  close  relations  with  protective  ants. 

Amongst  the  shrubs  or  trees  which  have  been  grown  on 
account  of  the  valuable  articles  of  commerce  they  yield,  we 
may  mention  the  following  plants  : 

Coffee,  the  seeds  of  Coffea  liberica  (or  C.  arabicd)^  now 
grown  in  many  tropical  countries.  Our  total  imports  exceed 
,£2,500,000  in  value  and  46,000  tons  in  weight.  One  of 
the  earlier  papers  of  Dillenius,  written  before  he  came  to 
Oxford,  was  "  De  Cahve  arabico." 

Cocoa  or  chocolate  comes  from  a  small  neotropical  tree, 

*  "The  Sensitive  Plant."  was  written  in  the  garden  of  Lady  Mount- 
cashell,  less  than  ten  years  after  Shelley  'had  been  sent  down  from 
Oxford. 


ii8  GLASS-HOUSES 

which  is  now  also  cultivated  in  Ceylon,  Theobroma  Cacao. 
Our  home  consumption  exceeds  46,000,000  Ib.  The  Cocoa- 
tree  belongs  to  the  Sterculia  Order,  and  must  not  be  con- 
founded with  Erythroxylon  coca  (of  the  Flax  Order),  the 
leaves  of  which,  in  virtue  of  the  cocaine  they  contain,  when 
chewed,  "  lessen  desire  for  food  and  enable  the  chewer  to 
undergo  an  enormous  amount  of  fatigue  from  an  increase  of 
nervous  energy." 

The  large  Red  Guava,  Psidium  guajava,  var.  pomiferum, 
belongs  to  the  Order  Myrtaceae.  Guava  jelly  comes  from 
the  West  Indies. 

Carludovica  (Order  Cyclanthaceae)  is  a  neotropical  genus 
worthy  of  notice,  as  being  the  source  of  the  "  straw " 
used  for  making  Panama  hats,  which  range  in  price  from 
is.  6d.  to  over  ^20  apiece !  C.  latifolia  and  plicata  are 
grown. 

Several  of  the  following  rubber-yielding  plants  may  also 
be  seen  in  this  house  : 

Funtumia  elastica^  the  source  of  silk  rubber,  a  most  valu- 
able product  of  W.  Africa,  which  may  perhaps  be  found 
suitable  for  growth  in  Uganda. 

Landolphia  klainei  is  the  principal  rubber-yielding  climber 
of  the  Gaboon  region.  Related  to  it  are  Willughbeia  and 
Urceola.  All  are  Apocynaceae. 

Hancornia  speciosa  is  the  source  of  over  1,500,000  Ib.  of 
Pernambuco  rubber  every  year. 

Hevea  brasiliensis  (Siphonia  elastica)  is  another  tree  which 
is  frequently  mentioned  in  the  prospectuses  of  the  rubber 
companies.  It  is  a  Euphorbiaceous  plant. 

The  Mexican  Castilloa  elastica  is  one  of  the  Artocarpeae ; 
and  lastly,  Isonandra  gutta,  a  tree  of  70  ft.  in  height,  and 
3  ft.  or  4  ft.  in  diameter,  yields  the  well-known  gdtta  parcha. 

Ficus  elastica  may  be  seen  in  the" North  Corridor. 

There  is  sometimes  to  be  seen  a  small  specimen  of  the 
Banyan,  Ficus  indica^  or  Urostigma  benghalense,  celebrated  by . 


PALM   HOUSE  119 

our  greatest  poet,  which,  by  sending  i  forth  shoots  from  its 
branches,  contrives  to  spread  over  so  large  an  extent  of 
ground  that  7,000  persons,  it  is  said,  have  been  sheltered 
under  a  single  tree.  One  near  Poona  had  a  crown  of  more 
than  500  yds.  in  circumference  in  1882  (Engler),  and  another 
on  the  banks  of  the  Nerbuddah  has  at  least  320  large  trunks 
and  3,000  small  ones  (Forbes) — 


Spreading  so  broad  and  long,  that  in  the  ground, 
The  bended  twigs  take  root,  and  daughters  grow 
About  their  mother- tree,  a  pillared  shade 
High  over-arched,  and  echoing  walks  between. 


Ficus pandanus,  growing  in  this  house,  has  leaves  shaped  like 
those  of  an  oak,  but  they  may  measure  i  ft.  across. 

Ficus  religiose  the  Sacred  Bo  or  Pepul  Tree,  is  remarkable 
for  the  tail-like  points  at  the  tips  of  its  leaves,  which  are  con- 
verted, by  a  kind  of  maceration  in  water,  and  subsequent 
vanishing,  into  a  sort  of  paper,  upon  which  the  Chinese  make 
drawings.  One  Sacred  Bo  Tree  growing  at  Anarajapoora  is 
stated  to  be  the  oldest  historical  tree  in  the  world,  for  it  was 
planted  in  288  B.C.  "  The  Buddhist  priests  object  to  lop  it 
with  any  weapon,  and  only  distribute  to  pilgrims  the  leaves 
which  fall  naturally  to  the  ground."  F.  benjamina  and 
F.  roxburgii)  remarkable  for  its  large  circular  leaves,  are 
also  grown. 

Another  curious  plant  of  this  family  is  the  Bread-fruit 
Tree,  Artocarpus  incisa  of  the  Pacific  Islands.  Its  fruit 
resembles  a  gigantic  Mulberry  ;  it  is  a  compound  fruit,  sorosis^ 
formed  from  flowers  densely  packed  round  a  common  axis 
It  is  as  large  as  a  child's  head,  and  is  commonly  baked  with 
hot  stones. 

Another  curiosity  is  the  Dorstenia  draksana,  which  bears 
remarkable  inflorescences. 


120 


GLASS-HOUSES 


The  following  plants  were  also 
in  June,  1911  : 

Acidanthera  aequinoctialis 
Albuca  nelsoni 
Aphelandra  grandiflora 
Aplopappus  eriocarpus 
Ariopsis  peltata 
Aristolochiagigas,v.sturtevantii 
Atalanta  buxifolia 
Barnadesia  rosea 
Bauhinia  candicans 
Beaumontia  grandiflora 
Billbergia  decora 

euphemia 
liboniana 
moreli 
speciosa 
vittata-bakeri  x 
Bougainvillea  glabra 
Brillantaisia  palisotii 
Bryophyllum  proliferum 
Cadia  purpurea 
Calodendron  capense 
Centropogon  lucyanus 
Clerodendron  aculeatum 

,,  inerme 

,,  minahassae 

,,  nutans 

,,  splendens 

Clitoria 

Cochliostema  odoratissimum 
Cola  acuminata 
Columnea  rutilans 
Combretum  aculeatum 

,,          purpureum 


growing  in  the  Palm  House 

Cordyline  fragrans 
Cryptostegia  grandiflora 

,,  madagascariensis 

Dichorisandra  discolor 
Episcia  punctata 
Evodia  elegans 
Fallugia  paradoxa 
Francisca  eximia 
Hemigraphis  repanda 
Heritiera  macrophylla 
Hibiscus  rosea  sinensis 
Justicia  ventricosa 
Mammea  americana 
Mascarenhasia 

Monodora  myristica  (nutmeg) 
Monstera  delicosa 
Musa  wilsoni 
Peristrophe  speciosa 
Phyllanthus  retusa 
Piper  belle 

, ,     nigrum 
Pollia  condensata 
Pothos  acaulis 
Procris  frutescens 
Ruellia  moena 
Russelia  juncea 
Salvadora  persica 
Sanchesia  spectabilis 
Sarcocephalus  esculenta 
Senecio  ghiesbrightii 
Talinum  indicum 
Thunbergia  erecta 
Xanthochymus  pictorius 


No.  9.  THE  ORCHID  HOUSE 

The  wing  which  flanks  the  Palm  House  to  the  south  is 
designed  for  the  tropical  Orchidaceae,  which  arrest  our  attention 
whether  we  regard  the  gorgeousness  of  their  flowers,  the 


ORCHID    HOUSE 


121 


singularity  of  their  forms,  the  causes  which  have  produced 
such  bizarre  shapes,  or  the  inaccessibility  of  their  habitat 
on  the  branches  of  living  trees. 

The  fragrance  of  one,  Vanilla  planifolia,  is  frequently 
brought  to  our  recollection  by  chocolate-creams  and  flavoured 
confectionery,  but  the  others  do  not  yield  much  of  value. 
Their  worth  is  in  themselves,  and  no  plants  of  a  purely 
ornamental  character  are  more  popular  with  wealthy  amateurs, 
and  the  prices  given  for  many,  run  into  hundreds  of  pounds. 

To  the  botanist  they  are  of  interest,  because  in  spite  of 
their  high  differentiation  and  wonderful  mechanisms  to  assist 
cross-fertilisation  by  insects,  their  flowers  are  modified  in  the 
number  of  stamens,  which  are  reduced  to  two  or  even  to  one 
only,  as  well  as  in  the  peculiar  condition  of  their  seeds,  which 
germinate  with  difficulty  unless  the  conditions  be  just  right. 

The  epiphytic  species  are  grown  in  fibre  in  open  pots  or 
in  wooden  baskets  slung  from  the  roof.  In  a  state  of  nature 
their  "  air  roots "  are  disposed  so  as  to  be  wetted  by  rain 
or  to  collect  dew  from  the  moist  warm  atmosphere  they  love. 
In  a  green-house  the  conditions  of  a  tropical  rain-forest  may 
be  well  imitated  by  dipping  the  epiphyte  into  a  bucket  of 
warm  water. 

On  the  north  side  of  the  house  is  a  collection  of  Terrestrial 
Orchids,  principally  Lady's  Slippers,  Cypripedium,  which  are 
generally  in  blossom  during  the  later  winter  months  : 


sallierii  aureum  x 

sanderianum 

selligerum 

spicerianum 

stonei 

superbiens 

venustum 

vexillarium  superbum  x 

wallertianum 

williamsianum  x 

williamsonianum 


Cypripedium  : 

almum 

exul 

argus 

godefroyae 

barbatum 

grande 

bellatulum 

haynaldianum 

callosum 

hirsutissimum 

cardinale 

insigne 

caudatum 

„        var.  Maulei 

chamberlainianum 

laurenceanum 

charlesworthii 

leeanum 

curtisii 

oenanthum 

dautherii 

parishii 

elliottianum 

rothschildianum 

122 


GLASS-HOUSES 


The   following  list  includes 
which  have  flowered,  or  have 

Acanthophippium  bicolor 
Acropera  loddigesii 
Ada  aurantiaca 
Adenium  obesum 
Aenanthus  leonis 
Aerides  sanderianum 
Angraecutn  articulatum 
„  humblotii 

„  modestum 

„  sesquipedale 

Brasso-Laelia  digbyano-purpu- 

rata  x 
Catasetum  bungerothi 

„  macrocarpum 

Cattleya  gaskelliana 

gigas 

„        trianae 
„        Victoriae  Reginae 
Chysis  Chelsoni 
Cirrhopetalum  sp.  (?) 
Coelogyne  dayana 
„          lentiginosa 
„          ocellata 
Cymbidium  giganteum 
Cynoches  chlorochilum  (Swan- 

neck  Orchid) 
Cyperorchis  Mastersii 
Cyrtopodium  macranthum 
Dendrobium  aggregatum 
„  clavatum 

„  crassinode 

„  cretaceum 

„  densiflorum 

„  devonianum 

„  dixanthum 

,,  falconer! 

„  farmer! 

„  fimbriatum 

Gibson! 


the   more  interesting  Orchids 
been  recently  received  : 

Dendrobium  glomeratum 

„  gratiosissimum 

„  loddigesii 

„  nobile 

„  Phalaenopsis 

„  primulinum 

„  rosea 

„  suavissimum 

„  wardianum 

Dia-Laelia  Veitchii  x 
Dichaea  picta 
Disa  grandiflora 
Epidendrum  boandii 

„  fournerianum 

„  imschootianum 

„  nemorale 

Hexadesmia  fasciculata 
Laelia  anceps 

,,      cinna-brosa  x 
„      flava 
„      ithone 
„      latona  x 
„      Novelty 
„      olivia 
„      Pacuvia  x 

Laelio-Cattleya  x  canhamiana 
„  „        x  decia 

„  „        x  eudora 

„  „       x  haroldiana 

x  hippolyta 
„  „       Homer  x 

„  „        x  pallas 

„  „        x  picamus 

„  „        x  remula 

„  „        x  statteriana 

„  „       Tenos  x 

„  „        x  Terentia 

„  „        x  Zephyra 

Masdevallia  Shuttleworthii 


ORCHID   HOUSE  123 

Masdevallia  Wallisii  Oncidium  tigrinum 
Maxillaria  sanderiana  „         uniflorum 

„          tenuifolia  „         varicosum 

Miltonia  russelliana  Ornithidium  densum 

Odontoglossum  bictonense  Peristeria  elata 

„  citrosmum  Phaius  grandifolius  Humblotii 

Oncidium  candidum  „      Wallichii 

„         gravesianum  Platyclinis  glumacea 

„        harrisonii  Sophronitis  grandiflora 

„        jonesianum  Stanhopea  Bucephalus 
,,         Lanceanum  „          graveolens 

Papilio  „          oculata 

„        sarcodes  Stenoglottis  longifolia 

,,        sphacellatum  Tetramicra  rigida 

„         splendidum  Vanda  amesiana 

In  the  centre  of  the  house  are  the  showy  Aroid,  Anthurium 
scherzerianum,  and  its  varieties,  Araucaria  brasiliana,  Clero- 
dendron  balfourii,  and  Gloxinias  and  Begonias  in  their  season. 
And  among  other  plants  we  notice  : 

Acacia  sphaerocephala  Haemanthus  lindenii 

Acalypha  godseffiana  Hibiscus  solandra,  var.  grandi- 
Aeschynanthus  lobbianus  floras 

Araucaria  brasiliensis  Howea  fosteriana 

Begonia  argynea  Maranta  massangeana 

Biophytum  proliferum  Phoenix  reclinata 

Ceropegia  woodii  Saintpaulia  ionantha 

Cordyline  fruticosa  Vallesia  cymbiforme 

No.  10.  THE  CACTUS  OR  SUCCULENT  HOUSE 

"A  collection  which  is  probably  hardly  second  to  any  in  England." — 
PROF.  LAWSON  in  1876. 

In  the  relatively  dry  atmosphere  of  this  house  live  the. 
Aloes,  the  Cactuses,  the  leafless  and  poisonous  Euphorbias, 
and  other  succulent  plants,  which  in  their  struggle  to  preserve 
their  stores  of  water  from  drying  up,  and  eventually  from 
thirsty  quadrupeds,  have  sometimes  evolved  such  uncouth  and 
misshapen  swollen  forms  as  to  present  perhaps  the  widest 


124  GLASS-HOUSES 

departure  from  normal  structure  which  is  to  be  seen  among 
the  flowering  plants.  The  majority  come  from  the  hot  desert 
regions  of  the  New  World  :  their  leaves  are  reduced  to  sharp 
dry  spines  of  defence,  and  their  green  stems  often  look  like 
fleshy  leaves,  but  are  more  watertight  than  ordinary  leaves. 

The  Opuntias  or  Nopals  yield  Prickly  Pears,  much  eaten 
in  S.  Italy  and  in  warm  countries  under  the  name  of  Fiche 
d'lndia^  and  their  stems  are  used  for  making  most  effective 
fences.  The  Opuntia  cocdnellifer  or  Nopal  is  largely  culti- 
vated as  the  food-plant  of  a  parasite,  the  cochineal  insect^ 
the  wingless  females  of  which  have  the  power  of  making  from 
the  Nopal  the  well-known  scarlet  dye.  ,£500,000  worth  of 
cochineal  has  been  annually  exported  from  Mexico  alone, 
but  most  of  the  British  import  comes  from  Teneriffe. 

Echinocactus  resembles  a  Melon,  bristling  all  over  with  thorns, 
which  are  used  in  Mexico  as  toothpicks  (E.  visnaga ;  visnaga  = 
toothpick).  E.  cylindraceus  has  long  curved  spines. 

Cereus  develops  some  of  the  most  splendid,  although  in 
general  the  most  short-lived  of  flowers.  C.  grandiflorus,  the 
Night-blowing  Cereus,  when  in  the  Garden,  put  forth,  now  and 
then  in  the  close  of  evening,  one  or  more  blooms  of  great 
beauty,  whose  fragrance  was  sufficient  to  fill  the  whole  house 
with  a  delicate  perfume  of  vanilla,  but  by  the  morning  it  was 
closed  and  faded.  Unfortunately  the  house  is  only  open  to 
the  public  for  two  hours  in  the  afternoon. 

Of  Pilocereus  senilis^  the  Old  Man  Cactus,  with  leaves 
represented  by  white  wool  like  an  old  man's  hair,  the  Garden 
possessed  a  venerable  specimen  said  to  have  been  several 
hundred  years  old,  but  it  died  shortly  after  No.  12  Green- 
house had  been  heightened  for  him.  His  shrivelled  skin  in 
the  museum  is  15  ft.  long.  There  are  large  plants  in  Mexico 
which,  from  the  slowness  of  their  growth,  may  be  as  much 
as  a  thousand  years  old.  C.  giganteus  attains  to  a  height 
of  50  ft. 


CACTUS   OR   SUCCULENT   HOUSE  125 

The  species  of  Phyllocactus  are  usually  grown  grafted  upon 
the  stems  of  other  plants,  such  as  Opuntia.  The  practice  is 
not  new.  Epiphyllum  truncatum  was  grafted  on  Pereskia 
aatleata  stock  at  Oxford,  circ.  1834-7. 

Belonging  to  quite  a  different  family  are  the  Euphorbias  or 
Spurge-cactuses,  the  leafless  forms  of  which  resemble  the 
True  Cactus,  but  are  readily  distinguishable  by  the  milky 
'juice  which  runs  freely  from  the  smallest  wound.  This  juice  is 
so  exceedingly  poisonous  that  it  is  used  in  the  preparation  of 
poisoned  arrows  by  certain  S.  African  tribes. 

The  fine  large  Euphorbia  arborea  in  the  middle  of  the 
house  is  now  perhaps  the  oldest  green-house  plant  in  the 
Garden. 

The  following  are  the  most  noteworthy  of  the  Cacti  which 
have  been  added  to  the  collection  or  have  flowered  within 
recent  years  : 

Cactus  peacockii  Echinocactus  ottonis,  var.  tor- 

Cereus  baumanni  tuosus 

„       bridgesii  „            pfeifferi 

formosus  „             williamsii 

jamacaru  Epiphyllum  gartneri 

„       labouretii  Euphorbia  Caput-medusae 

„       martianus  „          colletioides 

,,       nycticalus  „          meloformis,var.  cor- 

„       quisco  deroyii 

„       schelhasii  Mamillaria   castaneoides,   var. 

„       smithii  cristata 

„       tephracanthus  „          crassispina 

„       tweediei  ,.          crinita 

Echinocactus  capricornis  „          gracilis,    var.    pul- 

„             corynodes  chella 

„            cylindraceus,  var.  „          haageana 

longispinis  „          heyderi 

,,             grusonii  ,,          kleinii 

„             horridus  (?)  „          lactescens 

„            lecontei  ,,          longimamma 

„             myriostigma  „          nicholsonii 


126  GLASS-HOUSES 

Mamillaria  sanguinea  Opuntia  spirocentra 
,,                 „        var.  alba  „        vestita 

„          schelhasii  Pelecyphora  aselliformis 

„          sulco-lanata  Phyllocactus  crenatus 
„          wildiana  „  latifrons 

Melocactus  communis  Rhipsalis  clavata 
Nolina  recurvata  „         funalis,  var.  minor 

Opuntia   cylindrica,   var.   cris-  „         myosurus 

tata  ,,          penduliflora 

„        dillenii  „         salicornoides,       var. 

„        leucotricha  (?)  stricta 

„        monacantha  „          suareziana 

„        polyantha  ,,          sulcata 

„        Salmiana  „         zanzibarica 

On  a  shelf  near  the  glass  is  the  collection  of  Stapelias  or 
Carrion-flowers,  so  called  because  certain  species  are  said 
to  announce  their  flowering  by  the  exhalation  of  an  indoloid 
stench  so  putrescent  as  to  attract  flies,  which  are  thus  tricked 
into  laying  their  eggs  on  the  plant,  mistaking  it  for  putrid 
meat.  The  innocent  grubs,  when  hatched,  soon  discover 
the  difference  and  die  of  starvation !  To  such  depths  of 
subterfuge  does  Nature  descend  in  her  efforts  to  secure 
cross-fertilisation  ! 

Stapelia  gigantea,  hamata,  mamillaris^  planiflora,  and  stricta^ 
were  obtained  in  1891-3. 

Of  the  Aloe-like  plants  there  are  a  great  number  of  species 
which  are  conveniently  divisible  into  the  genera  : 

Aloe,  with  large  flowers. 

Apicras,  with  small  flowers. 

Haworthia,  with  scarcely  any  stem ;  flowers  pendulous. 

Gasteria,         „          „          „        „  „      erect. 

Socotrine  Aloes,  from  A.  perryi^  is  the  medicine  so  ex- 
tensively employed  in  quack  pills  ;  Barbadoes  Aloes  is  derived 
from  A.  verti  •  A.  mitraeformis  is  remarkable  for  its  thick 
succulent  leaves,  pointed  at  the  apex  and  disposed  in  pairs 


CACTUS   OR  SUCCULENT   HOUSE  127 

so   as   to   bear   some   resemblance  to  a  bishop's   mitre ;   A. 
saponaria  is  used  by  the  negroes  for  soap.* 

These  True  Aloes  are  all  Liliaceous  plants,  and  must  not 
be  confounded  with  the  American  Aloes,  which  belong  to 
the  Narcissus  Order  or  Amaryllidaceae. 

One  of  the  few  remarkable  things  a  visitor  t  took  notice 
of  in  the  Garden  in  1695  was  "Ye  Aloes  plant  wch  is  like  a 
great  flag  in  shape,  leaves  and  Coullour,  and  grows  in  the 
fform  of  an  open  Hartichoake  and  towards  the  bottom  of  each 
Leafe  its  very  broad  and  thick,  In  wch  there  are  hollows  or 
receptacles  for  ye  Aloes." 

In  1846  an  American  Aloe  (Agave,  Furcraea  cubensis),  grown 
in  the  stove,  attracted  much  interest  by  suddenly  pushing 
forth  a  splendid  panicle  of  flowers,  which  rose  in  a  week  to 
the  height  of  24  ft.  The  earliest  blossoms  expanded  on 
October  i,  and  by  October  7  the  flowering  stem  had 
produced  28  principal  branches,  on  which,  and  on  the  sub- 
ordinate ones,  were  no  less  than  1,388  flowers  and  pseudo- 
bulbs.  A  multitude  of  the  latter  were  interspersed  amongst 
the  blossoms  as  a  provision  for  the  future  propagation  of 
the  plant,  which  died  exhausted  by  the  great  effort  of  pro- 
ducing a  vast  assemblage  of  flowers  in  so  rapid  a  manner. 
A  drawing  by  J.  H.  Russell  hangs  in  the  Museum.  The 
last  specimen  flowered  in  1893. 

In  more  recent  years  the  flowering  of  large  Aloes  has  not 
been  a  phenomenon  of  such  rare  occurrence — in  fact,  by 
attention  to  their  cultivation,  healthy  plants  can  be  induced 

*  The  collection  also  includes : 

Aloe  albo-cincta  Gasteria  vroomii 

„     aristata  Haworthia  reinwardtii 

„     greenii  Kalanchoe  flammea 

„     percrassa  „          glaucescens 

„     somaliensis  „          kirkii 

„     supralaevis  „  somaliensis 

Gasteria  croucheri  „  thyrsifolia 

f  Celia  Fiennes. 


128  GLASS-HOUSES 

to  flower  at  a  much  earlier  age  than  was  formerly  believed 
to  be  the  case. 

The  American  Aloes  and  Furcraeas  are  an  important  source 
of  fibre  for  making  cordage.  A  strip  of  the  flower-spike 
makes  an  excellent  razor  strop. 

We  have  in  the  collection  : 

Agave  americana  Agave  xylacantha 

„      dasylirioides  „      yuccaefolia 

,,      glaucescens  Furcraea  elegans 

„      lophantha  „         lindenii 

„      Victoriae  Reginae  „         longaeva 

Agave  baxteri  was  sent  to  Kew  by  Professor  Lawson,  along  with  the 
other  succulents,  of  which  a  list  is  given  in  Appendix  B. 

Related  to  the  Aloes  are  the  Dagger  Plants,  Yucca, 
a  hardy  species  of  which  has  been  noted  on  page  85 
with  the  Lilies  in  the  Herbaceous  Beds.  Y.  filifera  and  a 
variegated  variety  of  Y.  recurva  are  grown.  Other  species 
have  an  economic  value  for  cordage  and  paper-making. 

But  perhaps  the  greatest  treasures  of  the  house  are  the 
fine  African  Dracaenids,  Dasylirion  longifolium  and  lati- 
folium,  and  especially  D.  glaucophyllum,  which  came  to  the 
Garden  as  a  seedling  from  the  collection  of  Mr.  Wilson 
Saunders  of  Reigate,  Surrey,  about  1852,  under  the  name 
of  Bonapartea  robusta.  A  glaucophyllum  flowered  in  1911. 

At  the  end  of  the  house  are  the  succulent  species  of 
Cacalia,  Senecio,  Echeveria,  and  several  remarkable  Crassulas, 
as  C.  arborescenS)  lycopodioides,  rubicunda,  portulacoides,  and 
perfossa,  the  leaves  of  which  latter  are  attached  so  slightly 
to  the  stem  that  they  may  be  turned  round  at  pleasure. 
In  1864,  130  species  of  Mesembryanthemum  were  grown, 
many  of  them  Haworth's  types  and  some  the  "  legitimate 
descendants  "  of  Sherard's  plants.  For  in  his  description  of 
an  Oxford  specimen  of  M.  linguiforme  L.,  var.  M.  latum, 
Haworth  wrote:  "This  ancient  species  was  obligingly  com- 
municated to  the  author  in  1819,  from  the  celebrated  garden 


CACTUS    OR    SUCCULENT    HOUSE  129 

of  Oxford,  by  the  Regius  Professor  of  Botany,  Dr.  Williams ; 
together  with  cuttings  of  all  the  other  Mesembryanthema  then 
living  in  that  Collection  :  which  I  conceive  there  is  every 
presumptive  reason  to  suppose  are  the  legitimate  descendants 
of  the  far-famed  Sherardian  stock  at  Eltham  ;  and  which  shine 
so  conspicuously  in  the  works  of  Dillenitis.  Of  all  the 
Mesembryanthema  that  celebrated  botanist  has  so  interestingly 
figured  in  his  matchless  Hortus,  M.  serratum  alone  is  lost — 
all  the  others  are  now  alive  before  the  writer "  ("  Rev. 
Plantarum  Succulentarum,"  p.  98,  1821). 

Many  of  these  plants  are  of  exceeding  slow  growth,  taking 
a  long  time  to  arrive  at  maturity.  They  thrive  in  the  sandy 
deserts  of  Arabia,  where  they  are  enabled  to  retain  for  a 
long  time  the  water  they  imbibe  during  the  short  rainy 
season. 

The  Cycad,  Encephalartos  altensteinii,  is  grown  in  this 
house.  Concerning  Cycads,  see  p.  115. 

No.  n.  THE  PROPAGATING-HOUSE 
(Not  open  to  the  Public] 

A  Propagating-Pit  was  built  in  1852  (?)  and  was  reroofed  in 
1866,  but  the  present  house  is  a  much  more  recent  structure. 

The  contents  of  this  house  of  necessity  undergo  frequent 
changes  with  the  season  and  the  needs  of  the  collections  in 
the  other  houses.  Among  the  more  permanent  flora  are  some 
examples  of  exceedingly  interesting  species  of  flesh-eating 
plants,  which  Darwin  made  the  subject  of  a  special  mono- 
graph, "The  Insectivorous  Plants." 

The  humble  Drosera  or  Sundew  has  leaves,  says  the  old 
herbalist  Parkinson,  that  are  continually  moist  in  the  hottest 
day,  "  yea  the  hotter  the  Sunne  shineth  on  them,  the  moister 
they  are,  with  a  certain  sliminesse  that  will  rise  into  threads." 
When  a  small  fly  settles  on  a  leaf  it  is  immediately  glued  by 
the  clammy  drops,  and  the  adjoining  hairs  bend  round  the 
9 


130  GLASS-HOUSES 

insect  on  every  side  and  hold  it  fast.  Thus  does  the  Sundew 
obtain  its  nitrogenous  food. 

The  leaves  of  Venus'  Fly-Trap,  Dionaea  musdpula  of 
N.  America,  are  even  more  wonderful.  They  are  modified 
to  form  a  spring  gin,  the  spine-fringed  jaws  of  which  snap 
together  over  any  luckless  fly  or  piece  of  meat  which  may 
touch  the  two  or  three  sensory  hairs  situated  in  the  centre 
of  each  of  the  jaws. 

The  Sarracenias  of  N.  America  have  tubular  leaves  in 
which  water  lodges,  and  in  which  many  insects  meet  with  a 
watery  grave. 

Sarracenia  vittata,  maculata  and  williamsii  were  added  to 
the  collection  in  1894. 

In  19  r  i  the  house  contained  young  plants  of  the 
Asclepiadeae.  Ceropegia  barklyi^  debilis,  gardnerii,  perforata> 
radicans,  sandersoni^  stapeliaeformis,  and  many  seedlings  of  the 
Sensitive  Plant,  Mimosa  pudica,  are  also  raised  to  replace 
worn  and  torn  specimens  in  the  other  houses,  which  may  have 
been  roughly  fingered  by  visitors. 

THE  OLD  No.  12  GREEN-HOUSE 

Erected  by  Professor  Daubeny  in  1866  for  plants  requiring 
protection  in  winter,  this  house  is  now  one  of  the  oldest 
in  the  Garden.  Part  of  the  roof  was  raised  in  1879  to  ac- 
commodate the  "head"  of  the  Old  Man  Cactus,  a  centenarian 
which  unfortunately  died  shortly  afterwards,  in  transplanting 
to  the  new  house. 

On  either  side  of  the  entrance  is  a  specimen  of  the  Hottentot's 
Bread  or  Elephant's  Foot,  Testudinaria  elephantipes,  from 
S.  Africa,  a  very  curious  member  of  the  family  of  the  Yams, 
The  rounded  rootstock  which  rises  above  the  ground,  is 
covered  with  a  hard  corky  bark  cracked  in  various  directions, 
so  as  to  bear  a  fancied  resemblance  to  its  ungainly  namesake. 
It  has  been  known  to  grow  over  7  ft.  in  height  and  to  weigh 


OLD    NO.  12   GREEN-HOUSE  131 

nearly  700  Ib.  From  the  middle  of  the  top,  shoots  out  a 
slender  leaf-bearing  stem  not  unlike  that  of  our  common 
Black  Bryony,  which  belongs  to  the  same  family. 

Another  noteworthy  plant  is  the  fine  Rhododendron  ciliicalyx^ 
discovered  by  the  Abbe"  Delavay  in  Yunnan,  and  figured  in 
the  Revue  horticole  for  1899,  the  year  after  a  plant  flowered 
at  Oxford,  having  been  raised  from  seed  by  the  custodian  of 
the  Garden,  Mr.  Baker,  about  1890. 

In  two  Wardian  cases  is  a  collection  of  Filmy  Ferns,  a 
recent  acquisition,  some  of  which  have  been  noted  in  the  list 
of  Stove  Ferns. 

In  1911  the  collection  included  the  following  species  : 

Anemonopsis  macrophylla  Nandina  domestica 

Araucaria  ruleii  Nerine  borodeni 

Bulbine  praemorsa  Nerium  oleander 

Campanula  vidalii  Nymphaea  pygmaea 

Cassia  sp.  Olea  europaea 

Catha  edulis  Pavonia  spinifera 

Ceratonia  siliqua  Podocarpus  sp. 

Cestrum  luridum  Pontederia  cordata 

Citrus  decurrens  Rehmannia  angulata 

Crotalaria  pumila  Rhododendron  ciliicalyx  '98 
Cuscuta  chilensis  „  decorum 

„        reflexa  Sagittaria  lancifolia,  var.  major 

Darlingtonia  californica  Spondias  solandei 

Datura  knightii  Streptocarpus  daviesii 
Erythrina  crista  galli  ,,  dunnii 

Eucalyptus  pulverulenta  „  haygarthii 

Ferraria  ferrariola  „  saundersii 

Heterotoma  lobelioides  „  wendlandii 

Houttuynia  cordata  Tecoma 

Marsilea  aegyptiaca  Vestia  lycioides 

Musa  ensete  Villarsia 

Musschia  aurea  Yucca  aloifolia 


WEEDS   AND   WILD   PLANTS 

Better  to  me  the  meanest  weed 

That  blows  upon  its  mountain, 
The  vilest  herb  that  runs  to  seed 

Beside  its  native  fountain. — TENNYSON. 

FLOWERING  PLANTS 

BY   G.    C.   DRUCE 

Among  the  alien  species  recorded  in  Druce's  "  Flora  of 
Oxfordshire  "  which  owe  their  origin  to  the  Botanic  Garden 
and  are  now  naturalised  on  the  handsome  walls  erected  by 
Danby  are  Hieradum  amplexicaule  L.,  Chondrilla  juncea  L., 
Senecio  squalidus  L.,  the  Oxford  Ragwort,  Linaria  purpurea 
Miller,  and  L.  Cymbalaria  Miller,  which  was  there  in  the  time 
of  Dillenius,  and  was  the  plant  which  Linnaeus  expounded  in 
so  able  a  manner  as  to  commend  him  to  Dillenius. 

The  walls  of  Rose  Lane  formerly  had  Valerianella  carinata, 
which  Baxter  found  in  May,  1841,  and  figured  from  this  place 
in  his  "  Phaenogamous  Botany,"  and  Phleum  paniculatum 
Huds.,  recorded  by  Sibthorp  in  his  "  Flora  "  of  1794 ;  but  these 
are  no  longer  there.  The  plant  of  Rumex  scutatus  which 
grows  in  the  vicinity  may  owe  its  origin  also  to  the  Garden. 

The  unspotted  Lamium  maculatum  L.,  on  one  of  the 
islands  near  the  Cherwell,  originally  found  by  Baxter  in  1815, 
is  probably  another  of  the  stragglers,  as  was  the  solitary  plant 
of  Althaea  officinalis  in  the  Long  Meadow  in  1815;  but  on 

132 


WILD    FLOWERS  133 

the  whole  the  Botanic  Garden  cannot  be  said  to  have  much 
influenced  the  surrounding  flora. 

Viscum  album  L.,  the  Mistletoe  which  is  so  frequent  on  so 
many  trees  in  the  Garden  (p.  79),  has  been  conveyed  to  some 
tall  Swiss  Black  Poplars  in  Christ  Church  Meadow,  and 
possibly  to  the  Hawthorn  in  the  Parks. 

In  the  Garden  beds  year  by  year,  for  the  last  eighty  years, 
appear  self-sown  Sisymbrium  Irio  L.,  Erodium  maritimum, 
and  Ajuga  Chamaepitys,  and  the  same  form  of  Bursa  pastor  is 
which  Baxter  gathered  there  in  1820  still  abounds. 

On  rubbish  carted  away  from  the  Garden  and  deposited 
on  waste  ground  on  the  Iffley  Road,  and  in  the  Marston 
Brickyards  many  alien  species  grew  in  1910  ;  these  included  : 

Atriplex  hortensis,  L.  Leonurus  Cardiaca,  L. 

Atropa  belladonna.  L.  Lychnis  Coronaria,  Desr. 

Barbarea  verna,  Asch.  Malva  verticillata,  L. 

Blumenbachia  insignis,  Schrader  Mathiola  bicornis,  Br. 

Datura  Tatula,  L.  Potentilla  recta,  L. 

Doronicum  austriacum,  Jacq.  Reseda  alba,  L. 

Glaucium  corniculatum,  Curtis  Sisymbrium  Irio,  L. 

,,         luteum,  Scop.  ,,  strictissimum,  L. 

Lamium  garganicum,  L.  G.  C.  D. 

In  addition  to  a  few  of  those  mentioned  in  Mr.  Druce's  list,  Dr.  Daubeny 
noted  Cochlearia  officinalis  and  Euphorbia  portlandica  on  the  rockwork 
near  the  South  Tank,  Lepidium  iberis  in  front  of  the  Entrance  Gateway, 
Erigeron  acris  on  the  South  Wall,  and  Sedum  dasyphyllum  on  the  walls 
and  coping  of  the  Conservatory. 

A  short  list  given  in  the  Gardeners'  Chronicle  for  1872,  p.  733,  mentions 
the  "  ill-named  Senecio  squalidtis,  the  curious  Impatiens  parvi flora,  the 
quaint  Claytonia  perfoliata,  the  ill-smelling  Hieracium  amplexicaule,  a  neat 
species  of  Gxalis  [?  corniculata\  the  gay  Centranthus  ruber,  and  the 
peculiar  Ground  Pine,  Ajuga  chamaepitys." 

And  possibly  of  greater  interest  still,  the  Yellow  Tulip,  Tulipa  sylvestris, 
of  Christ  Church  Meadows  may  have  been  a  Garden  escape.  It  was 
found  in  1869  by  my  friend  Mr.  Hatchett  Jackson,  growing  near  the  ditch 
which  used  to  run  along  the  south  side  of  the  Broad  Walk,  and  his  father 
had  specimens  from  the  same  locality  in  his  herbarium  at  a  much  earlier 
date  (R.  T.  G.). 


134  WEEDS   AND    WILD    PLANTS 

ALGAE 

Spawn,  weeds,  and  filth,  a  leprous  scum, 

Made  the  running  rivulet  thick  and  dumb. — SHELLEY. 

The  earliest  mention  of  an  Alga  living  in  the  Garden  is 
that  by  Uffenbach  in  1710  (p.  12),  but  we  cannot  be  certain 
what  it  was.  It  may  have  been  the  Goat  Ball  Conferva, 
C.  aegagropila  L.,  balls  of  which,  2  in.  in  diameter,  Baxter 
used  to  pull  out  of  a  shaded  pan  of  water  much  to  the 
astonishment  of  his  visitors.  It  throve  as  it  would  have  done 
in  its  native  meres. 

Gonium  perforate  occurred  in  abundance  one  year  in  the 
Lily  Tank  during  Professor  Lawson's  time  (E.  R.  L.  ex  lit.), 
and  in  1894,  the  first  year  of  the  new  tank,  the  water  was 
green  with  it. 

Algal  growths  in  the  tanks  are  very  naturally  regarded  as 
a  nuisance,  and  the  latter  are  subject  to  periodical  cleanings, 
which  do  not  encourage  their  growth  on  a  large  scale. 

The  local  Algal  Flora  has  never  been  worked  at  systemati- 
cally, or  the  list  would  have  been  extended  "  to  infinity." 

CHLOROPHYCEAE  CHLOROPHYCEAE  (cont,} 

Chara  Diatoms 

Mougeotia  Pinnularia 

Closterium  Navicula 

Spirogyra  Melosira 

Pediastrum  etc. 

Cladophora  CVANOPHYCEAE 

Gonium  (occasional)  Oscillatoria 

Pandorina  Abundant  in  Green-houses 

Vaucheria  Anabaena 

Scenedesmus  Nostoc 

Gloeocapsa 

FUNGI" 

In  1889  the  author  found  the  Peach-coloured  Bacterium, 
B.  rubescens,  described  by  Ray  Lankester  in  the  "  Quarterly 


FUNGI  135 

Journal  of  Microscopical  Science,"  1873,  growing  in  plenty  in 
the  old  lead  cistern  which  stands  just  within  the  Danby  Gate. 
A  few  years  after,  the  tank  was  repaired  and  thoroughly 
scoured  and  the  B.  rubescens  disappeared. 

A  good  garden  is  known  by  the  rarity  of  its  Fungoid  in- 
habitants :  none  are  of  any  use,  and  many  cause  the  most 
injurious  diseases.  Diseased  plants  are  promptly  thrown 
away,  and  so,  although  the  list  might  be  extended  possibly 
to  100-200  forms,  the  number  recognised  is  very  low  : 

BASIDIOMYCETES  ASCOMYCETES  (cont?) 

Agaricus  sp.  Nectriaj  On  decaying  logs 

Stereum  Xylaria/         in  the  yard 

On  wood  PHYCOMYCETES 

AECIDIOMYCETES  Saprolegnia 

Ustilagineae  On  gold-fish 

Ustilago  vaillantii  Pythium 

On  Muscari  sp.  On  seedlings 

Cystopus 

Uredineae  On  weeds 

Gymnosporangmm  Phytophthora 

On  Juniper  (formerly)  Qn  weeds 

ASCOMYCETES  MYXOMYCETES 

Sphaeotheca,  Hop  Mildew  Badhamia 

Peziza     \  On  decaying  logs  Stemonitis 

Bulgaria  J         in  the  yard  Didymium 


FAUNISTIC   NOTES 

It  may  seem  strange,  but  it  is  true,  that  to  many  minds  the 
greatest  attractions  in  the  Garden  are  not  the  plants,  but  the 
animals.  Dr.  Daubeny's  monkeys  have  been  already  mentioned. 
Many  visitors  who  cared  nothing  for  plants  came  to  see  them. 
It  is  not  recorded  whether  or  no  a  purchaser  was  found  for 
them  after  the  Doctor's  death,  but  Mr.  William  Hine  informs 
me  that  he  was  deputed  to  fetch  them  away,  alive  or  dead,  to 


136  FAUNISTIC    NOTES 

the  Museum,  where  they  underwent  post-mortem  examination 
on  Professor  Rolleston's  dissecting-tables. 

To-day  the  chief  object  of  interest  to  many  visitors  to  the 
Garden  is  the  tank  with  the  Gold-fish  which  will  eat  crumbs, 
in  the  Water-lily  House.  A  few  years  ago,  the  same  house 
was  regarded  with  awe  by  the  younger  generation,  partly 
because  it  was  always  locked  up,  and  partly  because  it  had 
the  unearned  reputation  of  being  the  place  where  the 
"  Magdalen  Giant "  was  grown. 

For  those  who  are  interested  in  historical  records,  we  may 
note  that  the  first  recorded  fish-tank  in  the  vicinity  was  the 
open-air  pond  belonging  to  Magdalen  College  at  no  great 
distance  from  the  Garden. 

In  1551  the  College  leased  an  ichthyotrophion  sive  vivarium 
piscarium^  situated  between  the  cubiculum  promorum  on  the 
west  and  the  College  meadow  on  the  east  (Macray's  Register). 

In  1856  two  prizes  of  ^25  and  ^20  were  offered  by  the 
Lee's  Reader  in  Anatomy  for  the  two  best  monographs  "On  the 
Fauna  of  Christ  Church  Meadow  and  the  adjoining  Waters." 
The  larger  prize  was  for  the  Invertebrate,  the  smaller  for 
the  Vertebrate  Fauna,  and  the  essays  were  to  be  sent  to  the 
Dean  of  Christ  Church,  who  was  assisted  by  a  strong  body  of 
judges.  But  according  to  Cox  *  no  essay  was  sent  in. 

In  1858  Dr.  Acland  and  Sir  Walter  Trevelyan  offered 
another  prize  for  the  best  essay  "  On  Rearing  Fish  in  the 
Cherwell  and  Isis." 

BIRDS 

The  earliest  note  I  have  come  across  relating  to  a  bird  in 
the  Garden  is  about  a  Thrush  which  built  its  nest  in  the  middle 

*  Cox  wrote,  that  since  the  recent  masonry  and  palisades  round  "  the 
Meadow,"  it  would  be  idle  to  look  for  specimens  of  Fauna  or  Flora  there  : 

Stone  and  iron  will  soon  environ 

All  Oxford  Walks,  or  near  it; 
But  be  it  known  to  iron  and  stone, 

That  men  of  taste  can't  bear  it, 


BIRDS  137 

of  a  large  bunch  of  Mistletoe  in  1864.  Nearer  our  own  time, 
Mr.  Warde  Fowler*  has  drawn  attention  to  the  presence  of 
the  Thrush  tribe  throughout  the  autumn  :  "  In  the  Gardens 
the  thrushes  and  blackbirds  have  become  so  tame  from 
constant  quiet  and  protection,  that,  like  the  donkeys  at  Athens 
of  which  Plato  tells  us,  they  will  hardly  deign  to  move  out 
of  your  way.  .  .  .  Missel-thrushes  are  also  to  be  seen  here ; 
and  all  these  birds  go  out  of  a  morning  to  breakfast  on  the 
thickly-berried  thorn-bushes  at  the  Cherwell  end  of  the  Broad 
Walk,  where  they  meet  with  their  relations  the  Redwings, 
and  now  and  then  with  a  Fieldfare." 

The  Lesser  Spotted  Woodpecker,  Dendrocopus  minor,  nested 
in  a  hole  in  an  old  tree  not  long  ago  (H.  A.  Evans,  1905). 
The  great  Poplar  which  fell  a  year  ago  across  the  Cherwell 
beyond  the  southern  boundary  was  a  favourite  tree  with  the 
Owls,  which  also  often  sit  in  the  south-east  corner  of  the 
Garden. 

The  Goldcrest,  Regulus  cristatus,  has  frequently  built 
in  the  Garden,  and  even  the  Firecrest,  R.  ignicapillus, 
has  been  recorded  there  on  February  13,  1882,  by  A.  R. 
Battye. 

And  last,  but  not  least,  I  have  been  informed  that  Mr.  G. 
Tickner,  who  knows  Oxford  birds  well,  states  that  he  saw 
a  Black  Redstart  sitting  in  a  tree  near  the  water,  and,  after 
some  search,  found  its  nest  in  one  of  the  creepers  against  the 
South  Wall,  whence  he  took  an  egg  for  his  collection 
(June  16-20,  1902). 

"  In  the  summer  of  1886  the  Reed  Warbler,  Acrocephalus 
streperuS)  was  quite  abundant  in  and  round  Oxford.  If  I 
am  not  mistaken,  a  nest  was  built  in  the  reeds  of  the  fountain 
at  the  south  end  of  the  Botanic  Garden,  a  perfectly  secure 
spot.  I  heard  the  song  there  as  late  as  the  end  of  July  " 
(W.  W.  F.). 

And  the  same   authority  informs  me  in  a  letter  that   "  in 
*  "  A  Year  with  the  Birds." 


138  FAUNISTIC    NOTES 

May  1888  and  1889  a  Reed  Warbler  sang  in  the  privet  hedge 
just  outside  the  turnstile  by  the  School,  and  in  a  bush  just 
inside  the  privets,  in  spite  of  the  school-children  ;  the  song 
was  so  unusually  fine  for  a  Reed  Warbler  that  I  began  to 
think  it  must  be  a  Marsh  Warbler,  a  bird  I  did  not  then  know. 
Nests  of  the  Reed  Warbler  used  to  be  built  in  lilacs,  privets, 
etc.,  in  the  city,  but  now  the  numbers  have  clearly  diminished, 
and  one  has  to  go  further  to  find  them."  Mr.  Warde  Fowler 
shortly  afterwards  visited  the  Alps  and  proved  that  the  wonder- 
ful singer  of  the  Garden  was  after  all  only  a  highly-gifted 
Reed  Warbler. 

"  Flycatchers  used  to  sit  on  the  labels  occasionally  and  catch 
the  bees,  as  one  might  prove  by  the  little  parcels  of  wings 
and  legs  which  they  dropped  on  the  ground.  Blackcaps  and 
Willow-wrens  were,  and  probably  still  are,  the  characteristic 
summer  singers.  One  year  at  least  I  remember  hearing 
the  Lesser  Whitethroat  singing  in  bushes  just  by  the  gate 
into  the  High  Street ;  it  was  for  some  years  very  abundant 
all  about  the  city.  But  of  late  I  have  not  heard  so  many  " 
(Letter  of  October  5,  1911). 

But  on  the  whole,  Mr.  Warde  Fowler — and  no  one  has 
watched  the  birds  more  closely — does  not  consider  the  Garden 
so  good  for  birds  as,  for  example,  Parson's  Pleasure,  which  for 
some  reason  has  attracted  travellers  like  the  Pied  Flycatcher 
and  the  Wood-wren. 

FROGS 

"  A  curious  fact  I  remember  is  that  the  gardeners  used 
to  collect  frogs  for  us  in  early  summer,  and  that  many  (quite 
a  large  proportion)  had  mutilated  fore-limbs  and  sometimes 
ditto  hind-limbs.  I  never  heard  what  this  could  be  due  to — 
perhaps  frost-bite  during  hibernation,  or  perhaps  rats !  I 
should  rather  like  to  know  if  it  has  been  observed  since — 
and  if  known  elsewhere  as  common  "  (E.  R.  L.  ex  lit.). 


BEETLES.     FLIES.     SAW-FLIES  139 

BEETLES 
Recorded  from  the  Botanic  Garden,  unless  another  locality 

is  given  : 

Calathus  melanocephalus,  L.    R.  G.       Heledona  agaricola,  Hbst. 

11       T-»  •    /-U   /-u  In    fungus   on   a   dead    Birch. 

Anchomenus  puellus,  Dej.  Ch.  Ch.  ° 

rr  .  Ch.  Un. 

Holme  .         .    „           n  X-. 

^.1      /~.i  Pyrochroaserraticornis,Scop.  K. G., 

Ocypus     fuscatus,     Gr.       Ch.    Ch.  igoo 

Holme  Apoderus  coryli,  L.     F.  W.  H. 

Dacne  humeralis,  F.     Ch.  Ch.  Otiorrhynchus   sulcatus,    F.      Very 

Mycetophagus   piceus,   F.      Taken  common.     F.  IV.  H. 

in  1820  by  F.  W.  Hope  Orchestes      alni,       L.       Magdalen 

Grove.     R.  G. 

Clytus  mysticus,  L.     F.  W.  H.  Ceuthorrhynchus  contractus,  Marsh. 

Bruchus  seminarius,  L.     Baxter  R.  G.,  1890 

Crioceris  12-punctata,  L.    F.  W.  H.       Ceuthorrhynchus   pollinaris,   Forst. 

Baxter,  1820 
Phaedontumidulus,  Germ.     R.  G.,       Calandra  oryzae,  L.     Baxter 

Cossonus  ferrugineus,  Clairv. 

Sermyla   halensis,    L.     F.    W.  H.,  In  a  decaying  elm,  Sept.  1893. 

1820  R.  G. 

FLIES 
BY  A.  H.  HAMM 

The  following  are  a  few  of  the  more  interesting  Flies  found 
in  the  Garden : 

DlPTERA  DlPTERA  (cont.) 

Syrphus  ribesii,  L.  Eristalis  tenax,  L. 

,,        bifasciatus,  Fab.  „        arbustorum,  L. 

„        corollae,  Fab.  ,,        pertinax,  Scop. 

,,        balteatus,  Beg.  Helophilus  pendulus,  L. 

Sphaerophoria  scripta,  L.  Syritta  pipiens,  L. 

„  menthrastri,  L.  Bombilius  major,  L. 

Ascia  podagrica,  Fab. 

SAW-FLIES 

Both  Nematus  ribesii^  the  Currant  Saw-fly  and  N.  gallicolay 
which  occasions  the  Bean  Galls  or  red  swellings  on  the  leaves 
of  the  Willow,  have  been  found  in  the  Garden. 


140  FAUNISTIC    NOTES 

ANTS,  BEES,  AND  WASPS 

BY    W.    E.    HILEY    AND   A.    H.    HAMM 

The  plumed  insects  swift  and  free 

Like  golden  boats  on  a  sunny  sea 

Laden  with  light  and  odour,  which  pass 

Over  the  gleam  of  the  living  grass. — SHELLEY. 

HYMENOPTERA  ACULEATA.     HETEROGYNA 

Lasius  niger,  L.  This  common  garden  ant  is  abundant  in  the  grounds 
and  houses. 

Myrmica  rubra,  L.     Common  in  the  grounds. 

Plagiolepis  flavidula,  Rog.  This  exceedingly  small  exotic  ant  is  some- 
times abundant  in  the  Palm  and  Orchid  Houses.  It  is  a  native 
of  S.  America,  Cuba,  etc.,  and  is  also  found  in  the  hot-houses 
at  Kew  and  Cambridge,  no  doubt  having  been  introduced  with 
plants  from  abroad. 

FOSSORES  DlPLOPTERA  (cont.) 

Trypoxylon  figulus,  L.  Vespa  sylvestris,  Scop. 

Stigmus  solskyi,  Moran.  ^      Austriaca,    Panz.     This 

Psen  pallipes,  Panz.  is  a  most  interesting  wasp, 

Crabro  tibialis,  Fab.  as  it  makes  no  nest,  but  is 

„       cephalotes,  Panz.  probably  inquiline   upon  V. 

DlPLOPTERA  'Ufa. 

Vespa  vulgaris,  L.  Odynerus  parietum,  L. 

,,      germanica,  L.  ,,         gracilis,  L. 

,,      rufa,  L.  ,,         callosus,  Thorns. 

BEES  are  of  especial  interest  in  a  Botanic  Garden,  since  the  careful 
watching  of  their  habits  enables  the  observer  to  see  some  of  the  complex 
floral  mechanisms  at  work.  With  some  exotic  plants,  such  as  those 
pollinated  by  humming  birds,  it  is  impossible  in  England  to  see  the 
flowers  pollinated  as  they  are  intended  to  be  ;  but  for  most  garden  types 
the  English  insects  are  sufficient,  overcoming  by  their  ingenuity  the 
difficulties  of  mechanisms  formerly  unknown  to  them.  The  following  is 
a  list  of  the  bees  recorded  for  the  Botanic  Garden  : 

ANTHOPHILA  ,  ANTHOPHILA  (cont.) 

Prosopis  signata,  Panz.  Halictus  leucozonius,  Scheuck. 

„         communis,  Nyl.  ,,         cylindricus,  Fab. 

„         brevicornis,  Nyl.  „         nitidiusculus,  Kirb.     •  • 


ANTS,   BEES,   AND   WASPS 


141 


ANTHOPHILA  (cant.) 
Halictus  tumulorum,  L. 

„         Smeathmanellus, 

Kirb. 

Andrena  albicans,  Kirb. 
,,         rosae,  Panz. 

fulva,  Schr.  This  bee 
makes  nests  on  the  edges 
of  paths  and  beds,  throwing 
up  small  mounds,  which  are 
very  numerous  all  over  the 
Garden  in  May. 
Andrena  nigroaenea,  Kirb. 

wilkella,  Kirb. 
Nomada  succincta,  Panz. 
„         alternata,  Kirb. 
„         ruficornis,  L. 
Chelostoma  florisomne,  L. 

„  campanularum, 

Kirb. 
Megachile  ligniseca,  Kirb. 

„         centuncularis,  L. 
Osmia  rufa,  L. 

„      fulviventris,  Panz. 
Anthidium  manicatum,  L. 
Melecta  armata,  Panz. 
Anthophora  pilipes,  Fab.    This 


ANTHOPHILA  (cont.') 

bee  appears  in  the  early 
spring,  and  is  the  only  bee 
out  at  this  time  which  has 
a  proboscis  as  long  as  20  mm. 
It  therefore  monopolises  all 
the  flowers  with  corolla  tubes 
of  more  than  15  mm.  It  is 
later  replaced  by  Bombus 
hortorum,  which  has  a  pro- 
boscis of  about  the  same 
length,  but  does  not  appear 
in  large  numbers  till  June. 
Psithyrus  rupestris,  Fab. 

,,        vestalis,      Foure. 
These  two  bees  are  inquiline 
on  various  species  of  Bombus 
which  they  resemble. 
Bombus  venustus,  Smith. 
,,        agrorum,  Fab. 
„        hortorum,     L.       See 
note  on  Anthophora  pilipes. 
Bombus  terrestris,  L. 
„        sylvarum,  L. 
,,        Derhamellus,  Kirb. 
„        lapidarium,  L. 
Apis  mellifica,  L.* 


HYMENOPTERA  TUBULIFERA.     CHRYSIDIDAE 
Chrysis  ignita,  L. 

„      cyanea.     These  two  Ruby-tails  are  parasitic  on  the  Aculeata. 

MITES 

Eriophyes  (Phytoptus)  rudis  was  responsible  for  the  Witches' 
Brooms  f  which  used  to  hang  like  rooks'  nests  from  the  old 
Birch  in  the  Garden  prior  to  its  removal,  and  there  are 
several  examples  in  Christ  Church  Meadow.  A  fine  specimen 
of  the  result  of  this  mite  taking  up  its  domicile  in  the  young 
buds  of  a  Hornbeam  may  be  seen  near  the  further  end  of 
Addison's  Walk.  It  was  the  subject  of  an  amusing  practical 
joke  in  VIIIs'  week,  1903.  See  plate,  p.  214. 

*  It  may  be  of  interest  to  record  that  in  May,  1838,  the  Oxford 
Apiarian  Society  made  a  rule  "  To  keep  a  garden  for  experiments  on 
bees."  The  leading  spirit  was  W.  C.  Cotton  of  Ch.  Ch. 

f  Witches'  Brooms  are  also  caused  by  a  fungus. 


142  FAUNISTIC    NOTES 

CRUSTACEA 
Trichoniscus  (Philougria}  roseus.  No.  12  Green-house,  1896. 

MOLLUSCS 

Physa  acuta  and  P.  hypnorum  are  stated  to  have  been  taken 
in  the  Lily  House  in  1902. 

A  foreign  species  of  Bulimus  was  discovered  on  the 
Water-lilies  in  the  tank  by  Mr.  G.  D.  Carpenter,  and 
from  the  same  source  Sir  Ray  Lankester  used  to  obtain 
Paludina  for  his  embryological  researches,  including  among 
others  the  demonstration  of  the  coincidence  of  blastopore 
and  anus. 

Sir  Ray  Lankester  also  informs  me  that  he  once  procured 
thirty  great  orange-coloured  Slugs,  Arion  rufus  from  Germany, 
and  tried  to  keep  them  in  a  large  cucumber-frame,  but  they 
all  escaped  into  the  Garden,  unfortunately  without  establish- 
ing themselves  there  ! 

The  Roman  Snail,  Helix  pomatia,  was  to  be  found  in  the 
Garden  some  years  ago  (A.  H.  C.).  It  is  so  no  longer,  for  the 
gardeners,  who  in  virtue  of  their  manhood  "  have  dominion 
over  every  living  thing  that  moveth  upon  the  earth,"  do  not 
pause  to  consider  Cowper's  teaching  : 

An  inadvertent  step  may  crush  the  snail 
That  crawls  at  evening  in  the  public  path  ; 
Yet  he  that  has  humanity,  forewarned, 
Will  tread  aside,  and  let  the  reptile  live. 

WORMS 
(For  a  list  of  the  Earthworms^  see  p.  260.) 

That  most  interesting  terrestrial  Flat-worm  (Planarian) 
Bipalium  kewense^  first  discovered  crawling  on  damp  surfaces 
in  Kew  Gardens,  turned  up  in  the  Banbury  Road,  in 
J.  T.  Filsell's  Orchid  House,  in  1898,  but  I  can  find  no  certain 
record  of  its  having  appeared  in  the  Botanic  Garden. 


CLIMATE   AND    SOIL  143 

CLIMATE   AND   SOIL 

The  situation  of  Oxford  is  low  and  watery,  the  neighbouring  meadows 
being  overflowed,  close  to  the  garden,  after  the  autumnal  rain,  so  that 
the  dews  and  heavy  morning  fogs  will  scarcely -allow  the  plants  of  hot 
climates  to  attain  perfection. — DILLENIUS  in  1742  or  1743. 

Horto  [nostro]  insigne  damnum  attulit  gelu  superioris  anni  insolitum 
quod  omnes  Galliae  Narbonensis,  Italiae,  Hispaniae  et  Africae  citerioris 
plantas,  quae  nobiscum  aerem  liberum  ferunt  et  in  solo  plantatae  erant, 
pessumdedit— DILLENIUS  to  Haller,  Dec.  n,  1740. 

Knowing  how  closely  climatic  conditions  are  connected  with 
success,  or  the  reverse,  in  horticulture,  Dr.  Daubeny  com- 
menced a  Meteorological  Record  of  observations  made  in  the 
Garden  and  at  his  Laboratory.  This  record  is  still  kept  at 
the  Daubeny  Laboratory,  and  some  of  the  means  have  been 
published  in  the  "  Report  of  the  British  Association  "  for  1891 
and  in  the  "  History  of  the  Daubeny  Laboratory  "  in  1904 — so 
that  it  is  unnecessary  to  go  further  into  the  matter  here. 

The  effect  of  weather  on  the  growth  of  garden  plants  has 
not  yet  been  studied  with  any  great  accuracy  of  detail, 
although  the  more  general  effects  are  perfectly  well  known 
to  all  successful  horticulturists. 

And  the  same  is  true  of  the  soils.  No  one  knows  better 
than  Mr.  Baker  what  our  Oxford  soil  will  and  will  not  grow,  or 
what  ingredients  it  is  necessary  to  add  to  it  to  make  it  grow 
a  particular  species  of  plant ;  but  it  is  very  probable  that  no 
chemical  or  bacteriological  analyses  have  been  made  of  it 
since  Dr.  Daubeny  attempted  the  former  in  the  middle  of 
the  last  century. 


WALL   PLANTS,   CLIMBERS,    ETC. 
NORTH   WALL 

W.  END 

Clematis,  Ville  de  Lyon 
,,         Nelly  Moser 
,,         Jackmanni  superba 

DOOR 

,,         Ville  de  Paris 

,,         Princess  of  Wales 

,,         Snow-white  Jackmanni 


8 


DOOR 

,,  Marcel  Moser 

,,  Lucie  Lemoine 

,,  Countess  of  Lovelace 

Clematis  lanuginosa 

DOOR 

Clematis,  M  .  Edouard  Andre 
Tropaeolum  tuberosum 
Clematis  pitched 
MAGNOLIA  GRANDIFLORA 
Magnolia  yulan,  China 
Ficus 


ATO 
LLE 


~g 


DOOR 


Vitis 


Lead  Tank  (1780) 

DANBY   GATEWAY 

Paliurus  aculeatus,  L., 
S.  Europe 


No.  3  CONSERVATORY 
Ampelopsis  quinquefolia 
Clematis 
Clematis 
?  Passiflora 
Ampelopsis  quinquefolia 

Phlomis  fniticosa 

No.  4  CONSERVATORY 


DOOR 


E.  END 
144 


WALL   PLANTS 


EAST   WALL 


Kerria  japonica 

Rose 

Rose,  Reve  d'Or 

Ivy 

Ivy 

Lonicera  japonica,  var.   aurea 

reticulata 
Ivy 
Ivy 

Berberis  stenophylla 
Ivy 

Vitis  vinifera,  var.  apiifolia 
Rose 

Smilax  sarsaparilla,  N.  Amer. 
Ivy 

Vitis  vinifera,  var.  foliis  incanis 
Ivy 

Kerria  japonica 
Aristolochia  sipho 
Rose 


N.  END 


Crataegus  pyracantha,  var.  lelandi 
Ceanothus  azureus,   Mexico,   var. 

Gloire  de  Versailles 
Ceanothus  veitcheanus,  California 

Manettia  bicolor 
Jasminum  sambac 
Solanum  wendlandii 
Grevillea  robusta 
Strobilanthus  sabianus 
Arundinaria  donax  variegata 
SMILAX  OFFICINALIS 
Stygmaphyllum  ciliatum 
Combretum  grandiflorum 
Ipomaea  atropurpureuni 
Phyllanthus  retusa  variegata 
Pithecoctenium  aubletii 
Aristolochia  elegans 
Combretum  purpureum 
Aristolochia  ornithocephala 
Bougainvillea  cypheri 


S5    53 

s  § 


EAST  GATE 


Kerria  japonica 

Rubus 

Menispermum  canadense 

Ivy 

WISTARIA 


Ivy 

Kerria  japonica  fl.  pi. 
Thirteen  Ivies 

10 


S. 


Reinwardia  trigyna 
Ipomaea  sellowii 
Reinwardia  trigyna 
Justicia  carnea 
Semele  androgyna 
Passiflora  princeps 
Mackaya  bella 
Plumbago  capensis 
Jasminum  sambac 
Lonicera  sempervirens,  var. 
Jasminum  primulinum 
Abutilon  thompsonii  fl.  pi. 
Streptosolen  jamesonii 
Bignonia  cherere 
Jacobinia  mohintli 
Hoya  carnosa 
Cestrum  newellii 
Justicia  carnea 
Bignonia  venusta 
Solanum  jasminioides  . 

END 


<    O 


e 


146 


WALL   PLANTS 


North  Aspect 


SOUTH  WALL 
E.  END 


Ivy  Rose 

Ivy  Rose 

GATE 
Ivy 
Rose 

Rubus  biflorus,  Himalayas 
Rubus  ichangensis 
Bupleurum  fruticosum 
Rubus  deliciosus,  Torr.  N.W.  America 
(Weigelia)  Groenwegei 
Azara  microphylla,  Hook,  Chili 
Ivy 

Choisya  ternata,  Mexico 
Rosa  acicularis,  China 
Celastrus  articulatus,  Thunb.,  Japan 
Cotoneaster  horizontalis,  China 
Rubus  lasiostylis 
Vitis  artnata,  var.  Veitchii 
Jasminum  nudiflorum,  China 
Actinidia  arguta 
Rubus  parkeri 
Fhiladelphus  triflorus 
Rubus  flosculosus 
Euonymus  Koopmanni 
Ivy 
Hedera  spectabilis  aurea 

SOUTH  GATE 
Ivy 

Lonicera  periclymenum,  var.  lutea 
CRATAEGUS  MEXICANA,  Moc.  et  Sesse, 

Mexico,  1824 
Rose 

Lonicera  fragrantissima,  Lindl.,  China 
Rose 
Rose 

Berberis  vulgaris,  L. 
Ivy  Buttress 

Berberis  stenophylla 
Lonicera  discolor,  India 
Rose 

Rubus  henryi 

Schizophragma  hydrangeoides,  Japan 
Forsythia  suspense,  China 
Viburnum     cotinifolium,     Himalayas, 

1832 

Cotoneaster  microphylla,  Himalayas 
Ivy  Buttress 

Dieryilla  rosea,  var.  variegata,  China 
Kerria  japonica,  var.  variegata 
Rose 

Kerria  japonica,  var.  variegata 
Lonicera  etrusca  Santi,  Mediterranean 
Rose 

Kerria  japonica 
Lonicera  brachypoda,  Japan 
Rose 
Ivy 
Rubus 
Euonymus    japonicus,     var.    radicans 

variegata 

W.  END 


South  Aspect 


Rosa  multiflora 

Punica  granatum,  S.  Europe 

Magnolia  grandiflora,  N.  America 

Anagyris  foetida,  L. 

Pyrus  japonica,  var.  alba 

Rose 

Akebia  quinata 

Vitis  coignetiae,  Japan 

Rose,  Richardson 

Vitis  thompsonii 

Clematis  montana,  var.  rubens 

Jasminum  primulinum 

Rose,  Yellow  Banksian 

Pyrus  japonica 

Genista  aethnensis,  Sicily 

TAMARIX  GALLICA 

PYRUS  JAPONICA 

Wistaria  multijuga 

Rose 

PARROTTIA  PERSICA,  Persia 

Ercilla  volubilis,  Peru 

Lonicera 


DWELLING-HOUSE 
AND    GARDEN 


ENTRANCE    FROM    ROSE    LANE' 


WALL   PLANTS  14? 

WEST  WALL 

N.  END 

ERIOBOTRYA  JAPONICA,  Lindl. 
Rhamnus  dahurica,  N.  India 
Caryopteris  mastacanthus,  China 
Syringa  persica,  var.  alba 
Laurus  nobilis,  L. 
Ficus  carica 

Ephedra  distachya,  L.  ^       WISTARIA  SINENSIS 

Colletia  spinosa,  S.  America  ^  The   twisted   rope-like   branches 

Ficus  carica,  var.  Brown  Ischia          ^  of  this  large  Wistaria  would,  if 

Rose  fully  extended,  measure  84  ft. 

Rose  H  south  and  75  ft.   north  of    the 

Rose  y  root,  or  159  ft.  along  the  wall 

Periploca  graeca,  S.  Europe.  ^  in  all. 

Ceanothus  veitchianus 
Rose 

Lonicera  japonica,  var.  aurea 
Euonymus  japonicus 
Spiraea  lindleyana 
Vitis  vinifera,  var.  corinthiaca 

WEST   GATE 

Vitis  riparia 

Colutea   cruenta,    Dry.   Caucasian 

Region 

Lycium  Europaeum 
Gooseberry 
Rose 

Gooseberry 
Rose 

Actinidia  arguta 

Clematis  crispa  ^ 

Lycium  barbarum,  E.  Asia  j 

Amorpha  fruticosa,  N.  America          ^ 
Rose,  Ch.  Cluster 

Gooseberry  c/3 

Rose  g 

Ficus 

Actinidia  polygama,  Japan 

Rosa  stylosa 

Caragana  arborescens 

Discaria  serratifolia 

GARRYA  ELLIPTICA,  MALE,  N.W. 

America 
Ivy 
Ivy 
Jasminum  officinale 

S.   END 


THE    HERBARIUM 

Old  books,  old  flowers,  old  feeling,  foliage  pressed 

By  time,  who  lays  the  stony  weight  of  years.— SYMONDS. 

A  report  upon  the  Herbarium*  has  been  published  so 
recently  by  the  Delegates  of  the  University  Press  that  we 
need  not  reprint  the  lists  of  collections  in  detail,  but  we 
may  express  a  hope  that,  when  a  new  edition  is  printed,  the 
name  of  the  author  may  also  be  permitted  to  appear  upon 
the  title-page. 

The  collections  of  Dried  Plants  were  no  doubt  at  first 
kept  with  the  books  by  the  Professor  in  his  private  house, 
but  when  they  became  too  bulky,  special  accommodation  had 
to  be  provided  elsewhere,  At  first  the  Eastern  Conservatory, 
the  present  Library,  was  used,  but  in  1850  the  old  Central 
Western  Conservatory,  being  no  longer  used  for  cultivation 
of  plants,  was  adapted  for  the  purpose.  The  collections 
include  one  of  the  earliest  in  Britain,  namely,  that  of  300 
North  Italian  Plants,  made  by  Gregory  of  Reggio  about  i6o6,t 
and  the  following : 

*  [G.  C.  Druce.]  "An  Account  of  the  Herbarium  of  the  University  of 
Oxford,"  1897.  See  also  "The  Dillenian  Herbaria,"  Oxford,  1907,  by 
the  same  author. 

f  This  hortus  siccus,  one  of  the  oldest,  if  not  the  oldest  in  existence, 
was  known  to  Baxter,  who  had  cleaned  it  in  1862,  and  to  Maxwell  Masters 
(Card.  Chron,,  p.  808,  1889).  At  some,  time  when  the  Herbarium  was 
transferred  from  the  Western  Building  to  its  present  quarters  (1882-4), 
this  unique  collection,  with  Bloxam's  British  Rubi,  and  others,  were 
(temporarily  ?)  deposited  above  the  coke  in  the  boiler-house,  and  by  gross 

148 


HERBARIUM  149 

Specimens  Locality  Date  * 

Bobart  Herbarium  .         .  .  2,000         Oxford  Garden         1656-1670 

Morison  (Bobart)  Herbarium  .  5,300  General  1680-1714 

Du  Bois  Herbarium          .  .  13,000                     ,,  1690-1723 

Sherard          ,,           .-  .  14,000                      ,,  1696-1726 

Shaw              ,,           .         .  .  660  Barbary  circ.  1720 

Dillenius        ,,          .         «    -  .  575  Britain  1724-1741 

Sibthorp        ,,          .         .  .  2,000  Greece  1786-1794 

So  rich  were  these  collections  in  plants  that  Sir  James 
Smith  pronounced  the  Oxford  Herbarium  to  be  the  best 
in  P^ngland,  until  the  arrival  of  the  one  which  he  had  himself 
obtained  from  the  celebrated  Linnaeus. 

By  the  acquisition  of  the  FIELDING  HERBARIUM  in  1852^ 
over  80,000  specimens  were  added,  and  the  collection  was 
once  more  raised  to  a  pre-eminent  position  among  the 
herbaria  of  the  world. 

The  Fielding  Collection  was  at  first  kept  on  the  ground- 
floor  room  of  the  old  Western  Conservatory,  the  Upper  of 
Sherard  Room  being  devoted  to  the  other  herbaria  and  to 
the  Botanical  and  Agricultural  Museum.  This  Upper  Room 
could  only  be  reached  by  a  ladder  so  shaky  that  an  eminent 
botanist,  the  Rev.  W.  Newbould,  once  said  that,  but  for  the 

carelessness  left  there  and  forgotten,  except  as  bundles  of  "  rubbish."  The 
"  rediscovery  "  was  attributed  by  the  Athenaeum,  June  8,  1889  (and  quoted 
in  Card,  Chron.,  p.  752),  to  the  then  sub-curator,  Dr.  Schonland,  but 
there  was  no  great  merit  in  any  such  rediscovery,  for  the  collection  was 
bound  in  a  cover  made  of  the  leaves  of  an  Italian  Service  Book  and 
clearly  labelled  "  Herbarium  Divers.  Nat.  Gregorii  a  Reggio."  The  real 
credit  is  due  to  Mr.  Druce,  who  searched  among  the  "rubbish,"  recognised 
the  collection  as  the  Gregory  of  the  Bolognese  Reggio  (not  of  Reggio  di 
Calabria),  a  man  noted  for  his  botanical  knowledge,  and  who  eventually 
undertook  the  remounting  of  the  collection.  See  Druce,  "History  of 
Botany,"  Pharm.  Journ.,  January,  1890,  reprinted  in  part  in  Journ.  Bot., 
p.  276,  1890. 

*  Dates  revised  by  Mr.  Druce. 

f  Donation  accepted,  June  15,  1852.  ,£2,000  was  voted  from  money 
received  from  the  University  Press,  for  maintaining  and  adding  to  the 
collection.  £"1,250  was  voted  for  a  suitable  building  for  its  reception  in 
the  Botanic  Garden, 


150  HERBARIUM 

strain  it  inflicted  upon  his  nerves,  Oxford  would  have  been 
his  place  of  residence  (Druce,  "  Flora  of  Berkshire,"  p.  clxxvi.). 
At  this  time  William  Baxter,  Sen.,  arranged,  catalogued,  and 
kept  the  collections  free  from  dust  and  insects  with  "  assiduous 
care  and  unremitting  attention,"  and  was  ready  at  all  times 
to  exhibit  specimens  to  any  one  who  might  wish  to  consult 
them  for  the  purpose  of  study.  His  successor  was  Maxwell 
Tylden  Masters,  Sub-Curator  of  the  Herbarium,  and  after- 
wards editor  of  the  Gardeners'  Chronicle. 

By  1885  all  the  dried  collections  had  been  moved  into  six 
rooms  in  the  house  built  by  Dr.  Daubeny  as  the  Official  Resi- 
dence for  the  Professor  of  Botany.  But  no  account  of  them 
should  omit  to  mention  the  names  of  Mr.  H.  E.  Garnsey,* 
Fellow  of  Magdalen,  and  of  Mr.  Boswell,  the  authority  on 
Mosses,  who,  as  a  labour  of  love,  arranged  and  mounted  large 
sections  of  the  collection.  Indeed,  much  would  now  be  in 
poor  state  had  it  not  been  for  their  devoted  services.  Mr. 
Boswell's  valuable  herbarium  was  purchased,  and  is  now  in- 
corporated in  the  general  collection. 

The  appointment  of  Special  Curator  of  the  Fielding 
Herbarium  under  the  direct  control  of  the  Sherardian  Professor 
was  approved  by  Convocation  in  November,  1895  >  and  the 
University  has  been  fortunate  to  secure  the  services  of 
so  genial,  devoted,  and  skilled  a  botanist  as  Mr.  G.  C.  Druce, 
who  for  many  years  had  placed  his  time  and  knowledge  at 
the  disposal  of  the  officers  of  the  Garden.  Under  his  care 
the  collections  are  gradually  increasing,  both  by  gift  and 
by  purchase,  and  since  space  is  limited,  it  has  been  sug- 
gested that  for  the  immediate  future,  new  additions  to  the 
Herbarium  should  be  principally  made  to  illustrate  the  Flora 
of  Europe  and  especially  that  of  the  Mediterranean  Lands 
as  fully  as  possible. 

*  Mr.  Garnsey's  work  in  the  Herbarium  is  described  in  an  obituary 
notice  by  Druce  in  the  "  Report  of  the  Ashmolean  Nat.  Hist.  Soc." 
for  1903. 


BOTANICAL   MUSEUM  151 

THE   BOTANICAL   MUSEUM 

Whilst  they  (as  Homer's  Iliad  in  a  nut) 

A  world  of  wonders  in  one  closet  shut. — TRADESCANT  Epitaph. 

It  would  seem  probable  that  the  first  museum-specimens  of  plants 
owned  by  the  University,  were  exhibited  with  Tradescant's  collection  of 
curiosities  in  1683  ;  but  with  other  things,  they  would  have  become  dilapi- 
dated through  neglect  and  have  been  thrown  away. 

Early  museums  generally  had  a  botanical  side.  One  of  the  most  valued 
specimens  in  the  Thoresby  Collection  at  York  was  a  pineapple-leaf;  and 
the  Sloane  Collection  (1753),  which  formed  the  nucleus  of  the  British 
Museum,  comprised  334  dried  plants. 

Among  the  Ashmolean  Collections  (circ.  1830)  were  M.  Louis  Calamai's 
wax  models  of  24  Italian  fungi  and  a  collection  of  the  skeletons  of 
leaves  and  seed-vessels  of  32  plants  in  a  glazed  frame,  presented 
by  J.  S.  Duncan,  and  catalogued  in  detail  in  the  printed  catalogue  of 
1836.  There  were  also  a  bamboo  cane,  60  ft.  in  length,  in  two 
pieces,  the  lower  part  of  which  had  a  circumference  of  16  in.,  a  branch 
of  the  cork-tree,  and  numerous  specimens  of  economic  interest  from 
the  Southern  Hemisphere.  These  latter  included  specimens  of  bread- 
fruit; a  branch  of  the  Lagetto  tree,  N.S.W.  ;  oily  nuts  from  the  Doo-doo 
tree  ;  mulberry-tree  slings  and  cloth  ;  New  Zealand  flax  ;  also  paintings 
of  John  Tradescant  and  of  G.  Fairchild,*  botanists,  and  of  tulips  and 
of  the  fern  called  the  Lamb  of  Tartary,  the  Polypodiiuii  barometz,  Linn. 

In  the  year  1859,  Dr.  Daubeny,  with  the  co-operation  of 
Mr.  Baxter,  Sen.,  arranged  in  systematic  order,  in  the  cases 
of  the  Sherard  Room  (the  room  over  the  old  Western  Con- 
servatory), various  specimens  illustrative  of  the  structure, 
functions,  and  uses  of  Vegetables,  for  which  no  place  could 
be  assigned  in  the  Herbarium. 

The  specimens  comprised  a  collection  of  seed-vessels,  seeds, 
stems,  roots,  and  other  organs  of  plants,  together  with  products 
useful  or  ornamental,  that  have  been  obtained  from  their 
several  parts.  The  whole  was  modestly  described  as  a  humble 
attempt  to  set  up  something  in  Oxford,  in  imitation  of  the  inter- 
esting Museum  at  Kew,  in  connection  with  the  Royal  Botanic 
Garden  under  the  superintendence  of  Sir  William  Hooker. 

*  Now  hung  in  the  Botanic  Library  ;  other  specimens  have  disappeared. 


152  BOTANICAL   MUSEUM 

The  catalogue  of  the  principal  exhibits,  published  by 
Professor  Daubeny,  shows  that  the  collection  of  economic 
products,  parts  of  plants,  and  models  was  well  arranged  in 
systematic  order  in  twenty-six  cases  lettered  A  to  Z.  After 
his  death,  convenient  access  to  the  Sherard  Room,  which 
had  previously  been  reached  by  a  staircase  in  the  College 
Laboratory  north  of  the  wall,  was  cut  off  by  order  of  the 
College,  and  the  Botanic  Museum  fell  into  a  state  of  neglect 
and  was  but  little  visited — it  was  "  so  ill-used,  so  ill-lighted, 
and  so  ill-adapted"  (Lawson);  indeed,  its  existence  is  still 
almost  unknown  in  the  University,  partly  no  doubt,  on  account 
of  its  inaccessibility.  Sections  of  trees  and  preparations  of 
botanical  specimens  have,  however,  been  added  from  time  to 
time.  It  is  a  small  "  Naturalien-kabinet "  for  the  more 
wonderful  productions  of  the  Gardens,  and  a  store  whence 
material  for  demonstration  at  lectures  can  be  drawn.  The 
specimens  have  been  well  labelled  by  Mr.  Kempin,  but  data 
of  value  concerning  the  older  specimens  have  been  lost. 

In  its  present  condition,  the  Museum  is  botanical  rather 
than  economic,  and  is  sadly  in  need  of  enlargement.  In 
the  alterations  of  1911  to  the  building,  a  new  and  more 
commodious  means  of  access  has  been  constructed  in  the 
place  of  an  awkward  spiral  stairway  of  iron — an  improvement 
which  will,  let  us  hope,  both  increase  the  utility  and  further 
the  development  of  the  Museum. 

THE   LIBRARY 

They  read  Botanic  Treatises, 

And  Works  on  Gardening  thro'  there, 

And  Methods  of  transplanting  trees 

To  look  as  if  they  grew  there. — TENNYSON. 

The  condition  of  the  old  Library  about  the  year  1695  was 
described  by  Celia  Fiennes  in  her  diary,  recently  printed 
under  the  title  of  "  Through  England  on  a  Side  Saddle/'  We. 


iii 


A'o.  2  Grecnhoiise 
THE   MUSEUM   ANU   LABORATORY,  1848-79 


c.  1859 


Sophora 


THE  PROFESSOR'S  HOUSE  AND  LIBRARY 


No.  \  c. 

Copper  Beech 


il 


si 


LIBRARY  153 

believe  that  the  apartment  which  she  visited  was  on  the  first- 
floor  above  the  Conservatory  on  the  High  Street,  in  the 
building  also  known  as  the  Professor's  House  (pp.  162-3). 

"  The  library  is  as  large  as  2  or  3  roomes  but  old  and  a 
little  disreguarded  except  one  part  wch  is  parted  from  the  rest 
wansecoated  and  fitted  up  neate  and  painted  which  was  done 
by  King  James  ye  Second  \vn  he  designed  Maudling  Colledg 
for  his  priests  A  Seminary." 

When  the  house  of  the  Professor  of  Botany  was  pulled 
down  in  1795,  in  order  to  widen  the  approach  to  Magdalen 
Bridge,  the  East  Central  Conservatory  was  converted  into  a 
Library,  Herbarium,  and  Lecture  Room,  and  was  for  forty 
years  the  only  apartment  at  the  disposal  of  the  Professor  for 
private  study  or  for  public  instruction.  In  1834  the  Library 
consisted  of  about  1,900  volumes,  comprehending  the  follow- 
ing valuable  collections  of  books  : 

Jacob  Bobart's*  library,  containing  about  280  volumes. 
Consul  Sherard's      ,,  ,,  ,,      600        ,, 

John  Sibthorp's       ,,  ,,  ,,      750        ,, 

Prof.   Williams'         ,,  ,,  ,,      250        ,, 

And  to  these,  Dr.  Daubeny's  botanical  library  was  added  in 
1868.  The  whole  library  was  classified  by  one  of  the  Bodleian 
assistants  a  few  years  ago,  and  it  is  probably  the  best  arranged 
and  most  handy  library  of  reference  in  Oxford.  The  library 
assistant,  Mr.  H.  Baker,  is  always  helpful  to  readers. 

Among  the  especial  treasures  in  the  collection  we  must 
mention  the  MS.  Pinax  of  Dillenius  and  Sherard,  which 
occupied  446  packages,  divided  into  u  books  and  116 
sections.  The  death  of  Sherard  prevented  the  publication 
of  the  results  of  so  many  years'  patient  labour,  and  the  lapse 
of  time  has  seriously  detracted  from  its  value.  Still  it 
remains — a  monument  to  industry.  The  library  also  contains 
the  valuable  drawings  of  the  Animals  of  the  Levant  executed 

*  We  would  suggest  that  each  of  Bobart's  books  should  be  marked 
with  a  bookplate  copied  from  the  engraving,  No.  2,  described  on  p.  5. 


154  LIBRARY 

for  Dr.  Sibthorp  by  his  travelling  companion  and  draughts- 
man, the  celebrated  Ferdinand  Bauer. 

Oxford  is  also  indebted  to  Dr.  Sibthorp  for  one  of  the  only 
two  copies  ever  struck  off  from  the  plates  engraved  by  order 
of  the  Emperor  from  the  celebrated  MS.  of  Dioscorides, 
with  illuminated  figures,  preserved  in  the  Imperial  Library 
at  Vienna.  The  MS.  is  said  to  have  been  copied  at  the 
expense  of  Juliana  Anicia,  daughter  of  the  Emperor  Flavins 
Anicius  Olyber,  about  the  year  492.  Our  copy  contains 
410  figures  of  plants,  to  which  Dr.  Sibthorp  has  attached  the 
Greek  names.  A  similar  and  still  earlier  MS.  exists  in  the 
Library  at  Naples. 

The  books  in  the  Sibthorpian  Collection,  which  deal  more 
particularly  with  the  agricultural  side  of  science,  were  removed 
to  the  School  of  Agriculture  at  St.  John's  College  in  1907, 
for  the  edification  and  enjoyment  of  our  Sibthorpian  Professor 
of  Rural  Economy. 

Against  the  railing  of  the  gallery  are  suspended  portraits  in 
oils  of  Robert  Morison,  Dillenius,  Linnaeus,  Fairchild  (from 
the  Ashmolean),  Sibthorp,  Daubeny,  and  another  passing  as 
"  Bobart,"  but  not  a  bit  like  his  description.  An  unknown 
portrait  against  the  west  wall  may  be  of  Sherard.  There  are 
also  numerous  engraved  portraits  of  botanists  and  some  views 
of  local  interest. 


LECTURE  ROOMS  AND  LABORATORIES 

'Twas  primarily  founded  for  a  Nursery  of  Simples  and  that  a  Professor 
of  Botanicey  should  read  there,  and  show  the  use  and  virtue  of  them  to  his 
Auditors.— WOOD. 

Sine  experientia  nihil  sufficienter  sciri  potest. — R.  BACON. 

Botany  classes,  like  everything  else,  have  their  periods  of 
maxima  and  minima.  The  King's  Botanic  Professor  for  his 
^40  was  to  read,  not  according  to  statute,  hut  at  such  time 
as  he  thought  most  proper — that  is,  in  Spring  and  Autumn. 
Dr.  Morison  was  well  attended  in  the  open  air. 

According  to  Dr.  Tatham*  (1810)— 

"  The  Botanical  Lecture,  which  possesses  every  advantage  that  very 
munificent  benefactions  can  bestow,  I  have  known  attended  some  years 
ago,  before  this  chilling  Statute  [the  Public  Examination  Statute]  nipt  all 
the  shoots  and  blossoms  of  good  learning,  by  a  most  respectable  class  of 
more  than  sixty  persons.  It  has,  however,  so  much  dwindled  and  de- 
clined, that  some  years  the  Professor  has  not  of  late  been  able  to  muster  a 
class  at  all  ;  and  when  he  has  been  so  fortunate,  that  class  has  not 
amounted  to  a  third  of  that  number  :  although  he  is  able  and  diligent, 
and  has  made  a  most  liberal  sacrifice  of  the  lucrative  profession  of  a 
Physician  to  this  Academical  Office  of  Professor  of  Botany  ;  after  the 
example  of  his  very  learned  and  public-spirited  predecessor  [Sibthorp], 
who  was  so  devoted  to  that  useful  and  delightful  branch  of  learning,  that 
he  increased  the  stipend  by  a  liberal  benefaction." 

Dr.  Daubeny  drew  well  when  he  lectured  on  Agricultural 
Chemistry,  but  only  scantily  with  his  Geographical  Distribution 
of  Plants  t ;  but  among  the  few  students  was  John  Ruskin. 

*  Tatham,  E.,  "  A  new  Address  to  the  Free  and  Independent  Members 
of  Convocation."  Oxford,  1 8 10. 

f  At  a  somewhat  later  period  "  We  had,  it  is  true,  a  Professor  of 
Botany,  but  he  might  have  resided  at  Botany  Bay  for  anything  we  saw  or 
knew  of  him"  (S.  R.  Hole  of  B.N.C.,  1840-44).  But  the  impression 

155 


156        LECTURE   ROOMS   AND    LABORATORIES 

Dr.  Daubeny,  finding  the  Library  unsuited  for  herbaria 
books  and  lectures,  moved  the  former  into  the  Central  Western 
Conservatory  and  lectured  in  the  Magdalen  College  Lecture 
Room,  built  by  him  in  1848. 

After  his  death,  lectures  were  given  in  the  Fielding 
Herbarium,  as  the  Western  Conservatory  was  then  called, 
and  this  sometimes  caused  injury  to  the  specimens. 

An  interesting  survival  of  this  period  may  be  seen  in  the 
University  Accounts  of  the  present  day,  where  the  large 
balance-sheet  of  the  present  Botanical  Laboratory  appears 
under  the  somewhat  inadequate  title  of  "  Fielding  Herbarium." 

Laboratory  teaching  of  biological  science  is  only  of  modern 
growth  in  Oxford.  Dr.  Daubeny  had  already  made  a  begin- 
ning, by  showing  some  slides  of  vegetable  tissues,  "  made  in 
Germany,"  to  his  classes.  For  students  of  medicine,  chemical 
laboratory  and  dissecting-room  had  sufficed  for  a  long  period, 
and  it  was  not  until  quite  recent  times  that  the  value 
of  thorough  training  in  practical  microscopic  methods  and 
results  was  fully  realised.  Students  of  biological  science  had 
to  depend  almost  entirely  upon  their  lectures  and  upon  in- 
spection of  collections  and  apparatus.  Opportunities  for  ex- 
perimental training  did  not  exist.  From  1861  onwards, 
George  Rolleston,  the  Linacre  Professor  of  Physiology,  had 
regular  classes  for  practical  instruction  in  comparative 
anatomy  at  the  New  Museum  ;  but  botanical  teaching  still 
proceeded  on  old  lines. 

Among  the  earlier  attempts  to  raise  the  standard  were  the 
original  Regulations  of  the  National  Science  Board  of  1872, 
superseded  some  ten  years  later.  In  the  summer  of  1873, 
Professor  Lawson  advertised  lectures  on  Structural,  Systematic, 
and  Economic  Botany,  and  in  the  following  year  commenced 

conveyed  by  the  Dean  of  Rochester's  "note  is  certainly  very  erroneous, 
for  in  the  forties  and  fifties  we  are  surprised  at  the  variety  of  subjects, 
botanical  and  agricultural,  upon  which  Dr.  Daubeny  held  forth  in  his 
lecture-room  "contiguous  to  the  Botanic  Garden." 


LECTURE   ROOMS   AND    LABORATORIES         157 

a  course  of  thirty  lectures  in  conjunction  with  the  Biological 
Departments  of  Exeter  and  Magdalen  Colleges,*  followed  by 
two  hours'  practical  work  for  "  Dissections "  and  "  Experi- 
ments in  Vegetable  Physiology." 

In  October,  1874,  a  comprehensive  botanical  course  was 
arranged,  comprising  eight  lectures  on  the  Lower  Cryptogams 
in  Michaelmas  Term,  eight  on  the  Higher  Cryptogams  in  Lent 
Term,  and  twenty-four  on  Phanerogams  in  the  Summer  Term ; 
but  the  lectures  do  not  appear  to  have  been  well  attended, 
and  were  supplanted  in  the  Summer  Term  by  a  most  successful 
biological  course,  which,  as  Sir  Ray  Lankester  informs  me, 
was  very  popular. 

Deficiencies  in  the  older  professorial  courses  of  instruction 
had  been  felt  so  acutely,  that  in  April,  1875,  biological 
teaching  according,  to  newer  methods  of  practical  microscopy 
was  given  by  Professor  Lawson  and  Mr.  Lankester  of  Exeter 
College  in  the  Herbarium  at  the  Botanic  Garden. 

The  lecture  hour  was  from  10  to  n  a.m.;  the  laboratory 
work  from  n  a.m.  to  12.30  p.m.,  and  from  1.30  to  4  p.m. 
every  day.  The  fee  was  the  very  moderate  one  of  two 
guineas.  The  following  is  an  outline  of  the  subject-matter 
of  the  lectures,  and  an  enumeration  of  the  types,  whose 
structure  and  (where  possible)  life-history  the  student  was 
enabled  to  examine  in  actual  specimens  provided  for  the 
purpose  : 

PLANTS.  Class  i.  :  Algae,  i.  Palwella,  2.  Protococcus,  3.  Volvox,  4. 
Nostoc,  5.  Oscillatoria,  6.  Bacterium,  7.  Closttrium^  8.  Bacillaria,  9. 
Zygnema,  10.  Vaucheria,  II.  FUCUS,  12.  Ceranmim. — Class  ii.  :  Fungi. 
13.  Torula,  14.  Penicillium,  15.  Aethalium  (plasmodiurn),  16.  Ascophorai 
17.  Peziza,  18.  Agaricus. — Class  iii.  :  Muscales.  19.  Marchantia,  20. 

*  To  these  Combined  College  Lectures,  in  Michaelmas,  1873,  Mr. 
Lankester  contributed  an  "Introduction  to  Biology  —  the  Study  of 
Homologies  "  at  Exeter  College,  while  Mr.  Chapman  lectured  on  "  The 
Chemistry  and  Physiology  of  the  Albumens"  at  the  Magdalen  Laboratory. 
In  the  next  year,  1874,  Mr.  Chapman  lectured  on  "The  Comparative 
Anatomy  of  Vertebrata,"  and  Mr.  Yule  gave  a  series  of  practical  demon- 
strations in  Experimental  Physiology. 


158       LECTURE    ROOMS    AND    LABORATORIES 

Funaria. — Class  iv.  :  Filicales.  21.  Pteris,  22.  Selaginella,  23.  Equisetum, 
— Class  v.  :  Gymnospermae.  24.  Pinus. — Class  vi.  :  Angiospermae.  25. 
Poa,  26.  Stilla,  27.  Arum,  28.  Chamaerops,  29.  Orchis,  30.  Euphorbia, 
31.  Primula,  32.  Taraxacttm,  33.  Heracleum,  34.  ^^a,  35.  Dianthus, 
36.  Ranunculus. 

ANIMALS.  Sub-kingdom  i.  :  Protozoa.  I.  Grtgarina,  2.  Actinophrys, 
3.  Spirostoma,  4.  Vorticella. — Sub-kingdom  ii.  :  Coelenterata.  5.  Hydra, 
6.  Cordylophora,  7.  Spongilla,  8.  Actinia. — Sub-kingdom  iii.  :  Vermes. 
9.  Planaria,  10.  Taenia,  n.  Rotifer,  12.  Lumbrtcus,  13.  Ascaris. — Sub- 
kingdom  iv.  :  Echinodermata.  14.  Uraster,  15.  Echimis  (shell).— Sub- 
kingdom  v.  :  Mollusca.  16.  Plumatella,  17.  Limnaeus,  18.  Anodon,  19. 
Sepia.— Sub-kingdom  vi.  :  Arthropoda.  20.  Astacns,  21.  ^//w,  22.  Blatta, 
23.  Scorpio,  24.  Limuluj. — Sub-kingdom  vii.  :  25.  Stages  of  the  common 
Frog,  26.  Amphioxus,  27.  Ascidian  Tadpoles,  28.  Lamprey,  29.  Dog-fish. 

This  course  was  intended  not  only  to  provide  for  the 
student  who  meant  to  take  Honours  in  Biology  in  the  Natural 
Science  School,  the  general  survey  of  the  structure  of  both 
plants  and  animals  which  is  the  necessary  preliminary  to 
a  more  detailed  study  of  Anatomy  and  Physiology,  but  was 
also  open  to  other  students  who  were  not  preparing  for 
examination  in  the  subject. 

In  the  following  year  the  course— with  a  few  minor  alterations 
in  the  list  of  types — was  repealed,  and  the  practical  work 
was  done  in  the  large  "  greenhouse  in  the  north-west  corner 
of  the  Garden  (site  of  1911  Lecture  Room),  which  Lawson 
cleared  out  and  made  into  a  delightful  room  for  the  practical 
class."  Sir  Ray  Lankester,  who  has  so  kindly  written  to  me 
on  this  point,  writes :  "  I  drew  up  with  Lawson  printed 
schedules  of  each  day's  work,  and  I  had  a  very  stiff  time— as 
it  was  my  first  year  at  University  College,  London.  I  lectured 
there  in  the  Summer  Term  three  days  a  week  and  three  days 
a  week  in  Oxford  at  the  Botanical  Gardens,  followed  by  a 
whole  day's  practical  work.  Lawson  took  the  other  three 
days.  The  Plasmodium  of  Aethalium  was  obtained  by  me  at 
Abingdon — Lawson  and  I  went  over  to  get  it — and  it  was  a 
lovely  sight !  " 


LECTURE   ROOMS   AND   LABORATORIES        159 

In  the  winter  terms  of  1876-7  the  new  buildings  (p.  28) 
not  having  been  completed,  Professor  Lawson  was  unable 
to  give  his  advertised  lectures  on  Vegetable  Histology,  but 
he  joined  with  Messrs.  Yule  and  Chapman  in  delivering  a 
course  of  Saturday  evening  lectures  to  artisans  in  the  Magdalen 
Laboratory ;  he  chose  Vegetable  Physiology  as  his  subject. 
In  the  later  seventies  Professor  Lawson  advertised  lectures  at 
the  Professor's  House. 

However,  by  1879  the  Lecture  Room  had  been  refitted, 
and  two  Laboratories  were  built  on  the  site  of  two  old  green- 
houses (Nos.  i  and  2),  one  at  each  end  of  the  Lecture  Room. 
The  Western  one  was  the  Class  Room,  capable  of  accommo- 
dating twenty  students  ;  the  Eastern  one,  a  small  Laboratory. 

When  Professor  Lawson  resigned  his  Professorship  at  the 
end  of  1882,  his  duties  were  taken  by  Mr.  Chapman,  who 
lectured  in  the  Magdalen  Laboratory  and  superintended  the 
practical  work.  During  Lent  and  Summer  Terms,  1883,  he 
conducted  a  Practical  course  on  Elementary  Vegetable  Morpho- 
logy, and  in  Michaelmas,  1883,  and  Lent,  1884,  he  lectured 
on  Vegetable  Histology — in  fact,  he  kept  things  going  until 
the  new  Professor  had  been  elected  (see  p.  29).  A  long 
series  of  microscopic  preparations  made  at  that  time  shows 
that  the  Histology  of  Higher  Plants  was  also  studied,  perhaps 
in  as  great  detail  as  it  is  in  elementary  classes  at  the  present 
day.  In  the  Magdalen  Laboratory,  too,  a  little  later,  Professor 
Burdon-Sanderson,  assisted  by  Dr.  Gotch,  carried  out  his  re- 
searches on  Venus'  Fly  Trap,  Dionaea,  there  being  then  no 
suitably  furnished  Botanical  or  Physiological  Laboratory  con- 
nected with  the  University. 

Lawson's  Laboratories  and  Lecture  Room  remained  very  much 
in  statu  quo,  except  that  the  Fielding  Herbarium  was  removed 
into  the  Professor's  House,  leaving  the  Central  Western  Con- 
servatory as  Lecture  Room  only.  But  in  October,  1911, 
Professor  Vines  changed  the  places  of  Lecture  Room  and 
Western  Laboratory,  so  that  the  former  was  moved  to  the 


160        LECTURE    ROOMS    AND    LABORATORIES 

extreme  north-west  corner  of  the  Garden,  and  the  two  Labora- 
tories came  to  be  next  door  to  one  another,  with  considerable 
gain  of  space  and  convenience. 

At  the  same  time  a  new  Laboratory  building  of  bad 
architectural  proportions,*  and  overtowering  the  old  Danby 
Gate  in  a  manner  that  never  would  have  been  permitted 
by  the  better  taste  of  the  Fellows  of  Magdalen  of  1876,  was 
erected  north  of  the  wall,  on  the  site  of  a  wretched  little  study 
which  had  been  the  Professor's  only  private  room  in  the 
building. 

The  new  building  provides  physiological  and  photographic 
rooms  on  the  ground  floor,  while  above  is  a  fair-sized 
Laboratory  with  north  light,  and  charming  rooms  for  the 
Professor  and  Demonstrator.  The  new  staircase  should  lead 
to  the  improvement  of  the  Botanical  Museum,  which  has  thus 
been  made  reasonably  accessible  for  the  first  time. 

This  is  not  the  place  in  which  to  criticise  the  scientific 
value  of  the  researches  which  have  been  undertaken  in  the 
old  Laboratories  of  the  Botanic  Garden,  but  some  idea  of 
their  scope  may  be  gleaned  from  a  list  of  papers  describing 
them. 

If  we  had  to  make  a  selection  of  the  most  important,  we 
should  mention  the  Professor's  physiological  researches  on 
digestive  processes,  and  Dr.  Church's  fine  morphological 
studies  of  plant-form,  to  the  mastery  of  which  he  has  brought 
a  combination  of  scientific  accuracy  and  artistic  skill  that  has 
rarely  been  approached,  and  that  will  appeal  to  all  disciples 
of  Goethe,  the  Father  of  the  science  of  Morphology.  The 
reproduction  of  his  drawings,  however,  by  the  Clarendon  Press, 
leaves  much  to  be  desired. 

*  This  building  has  reminded  us  of  Dodgson's  uncompleted  Syllogism 
in  "  Celarent  "  on  the  new  belfry  at  Christ  Church  : 
The  Governing  Body  would  conceal  this  appalling  structure,  if  they  could  ; 
The   Governing   Body  would   conceal  the  feelings  of  chagrin   with  which  they  now 

regard  it,  if  they  could  ; 
Ergo,  .  .*  .  *  ' .,          •  •  (MS.  unfinished^ 


LIST   OF   PAPERS   AND    REPORTS  161 

LIST  OF  PAPERS  AND  REPORTS   ON   THE   RESULTS   OF   RE- 
SEARCHES   WHOLLY   OR   PARTIALLY   CARRIED   OUT   IN   THE 

BOTANIC  LABORATORIES 

All  references  are  to  volumes  and  pages  of  the  Annals  of 
Botany  unless  otherwise  stated: 

1887.  Schonland,  S.      The  Apical  Meristem  in  the  Roots  of  Pontederi- 

aceae.     i.  179. 

1888.  Schonland,   S.      On    the  Morphology    of    the    Mistletoe,    Viscum 

album,     ii.  283. 
,,     Vines,  S.  H.     On  the  Relation  between  the  Formation  of  Tubercles 

on  the  Roots  of  Leguminosae  and  the  Presence  of  Nitrogen  in 

the  Soil.     ii.  386. 
,,      Farmer,  J.  B.     On  the  Development  of  the  Endocarp  in  Sambucus 

niger.     ii.  389. 

1889.  Vines,  S.  H.     Contribution  to  the  Morphology  and  Physiology  of 

Pulpy  Fruits.     Hi.  393. 

1890.  Vines,  S.  H.     On  Isoetes  lacustris.     v.  37. 

1891.  ,,          ,,         On   the  Presence  of  a  Diastatic  Ferment  in  Green 

Leaves,     v.  409. 

1892.  Farmer,  J.  B.     On  the  Embryogeny  of  Angiopteris  erecta,  Hoffm. 

vi.  265. 

1893.  Farmer,  J.  B.     On  the  Relation  of  the  Nucleus  to  Spore  Formation 

in  certain  Liverworts.  Proceedings  of  the  Royal  Society,  liv.  478. 
,,     Groom,  P.     On  Dischidia  rafflesiana.     vii.  223. 
,,          ,,         ,,      The  Aleurone  Layer  of  the  Seed  of  Grasses,     vii.  387. 

1895.  ,,         ,,      On  a  new  Saprophytic  Monocotyledon,     ix.  45. 

,,          ,,         ,,      On  Thismia  aseroe  (Beccari)  and  its  Mycorhiza.    ix.  327. 
,,          ,,         ,,      Contributions  to  the  Knowledge  of  Monocotyledonous 

Saprophytes.    Journal  of  the  Linnean  Society,  xxxi.  149. 
,,     Church,  A.  H.    The  Structure  of  the  Thallus  of  Neomeris  dumetosa, 

Lamour.     ix.  581. 

1896.  Groom,  P.     Preliminary  Note  on  the  Relation  between  Calcium  and 

the  Conduction  of  Carbohydrates  in  Plants,     x.  91. 
,,     Vines,  S.  H.     Demonstration  of  Root  Pressure  and  Transpiration. 

x.  291. 
,,      Vines,  S.  H.     The  Suction  Force  of  Transpiring  Branches,     x.  429. 

1897.  Groom,  P.     On  the  Leaves  of  Lathraea  squamaria.     xi.  385. 
,.     Vines,  S.  H.     Proteolytic  Enzymes  of  Nepenthes,     xi.  565. 

1898.  „         „  „  „  „  xii.  545. 

II 


162       LIST  OF  PAPERS  AND  REPORTS 

1898.  Church,  A.  H.     The  Polymorphy  of  Cutleria  multifida.     xii.  75. 

,,     Ewart,  A.  J.     Action  of  Cold  and  Sunlight  upon  Aquatic  Plants. 

xii.  363. 
,,     Ewart,  A.  J.     Action  of  Chloroform  on  CO2-assimilation.     xii.  415. 

1899.  Sturch,  H.  H.     Harveyella  mirabilis.     xiii.  83. 

1901.  Church,  A.  H.     Note  on  Phyllotaxis.     xv.  481. 
,,     Vines,  S.  H.     On  Leptomin.     xv.  181. 

,,          ,,          ,,         Proteoly tic  Enzymes  of  Nepenthes,     xv.  563. 

1902.  ,,          ,,        Tryptophane  in  Proteolysis.     xvi.  I. 

J903-       ,,          ,,         Proteolytic  Enzymes  in  Plants,     xvii.  237,  597. 
,,     Ewart,   A.  J.       On  the  Physics   and    Physiology   of  Protoplasmic 
Streaming  in  Plants.     8vo.     Oxford. 

1904.  Church,  A.  H.     The  Principles  of  Phyllotaxis.     xviii.  227. 

1904   Vines,  S.  H.     The  Proteases  of  Plants,  I.  xviii.  289  ;  II.  xix.  149  ; 
to  III.    xix.    171;    IV.    xx.    113;    V.    xxii.    103;    VI.    xxiii.    i; 

1910.  VII.  xxiv.  213. 

1904.  Church,  A.  H.  On  the  Relation  of  Phyllotaxis  to  Mechanical 
Laws.  8vo.  London.  I.  Orthogonal  Trajectories ;  2.  Sym- 
metry and  Asymmetry ;  3.  Secondary  Growth  Phenomena ; 
4.  Mathematical  Notes. 

1908.  Church,  A.  H.     Types  of  Floral  Mechanism.    Part  I.    41.0.   Oxford. 

1909.  Boodle,  L.  A.,  and  Hiley,  W.  E.     On  the  Vascular  Structure  of 

some  Species  of  Gleichenia.     xxiii.  419. 

THE   PROFESSOR'S   HOUSE 

May  I  a  small  house  and  large  garden  have, 

And  a  few  friends,  and  many  books,  both  true. — COWLEY. 

There  have  been  at  least  four  Professor's  Houses  in  the 
history  of  the  Garden,  without  counting  the  little  turret-room, 
shown  on  Loggan's  map,  p.  7,  on  the  wall  to  the  west  of  the 
main  gate. 

The  earliest  stood  north  of  the  wall,  and  is  shown  in 
Loggan's  plan,  1675,  but  not  in  later  views.  The  elder 
Bobart  died  there  in  1679. 

The  second  was  built  upon  the  site,  and  perhaps  on  the 
walls,  of  the  first  conservatory  for  tender  greens,  on  the  street. 
It  was  probably  the  one  which  had  served  as  the  Library  of 
1695,  vide  supra,  and  was  the  one  referred  to  by  Ayliffe  : 


PROFESSOR'S   HOUSE  163 

"  In  1714  Bobart  had  a  very  handsome  house,  lately  built  for 
his  Use  at  the  expence  of  the  University ;  where  he  attends 
Courses  of  Botany,  if  any  Persons  are  so  curious  as  to  study 
and  go  thro'  the  same."  The  large  sums  of  money  which 
were  spent  by  the  University  on  the  Garden  between  1692 
and  1696  (stated  in  detail  in  the  section  on  Finance,  pp.  175-6) 
probably  included  the  cost  of  this  house.  A  view  of  the 
top  of  this,  the  Old  House  as  it  was  called,  appeared  in  the 
Oxford  Almanack  for  1766,  as  shown  in  our  view  facing  p.  153. 
It  stood  on  the  street,  at  the  foot  of  the  bridge. 

In  the  seventies,  plans  for  the  construction  of  a  new  house 
were  contemplated,  and  James  Wyatt,  the  architect,  went  into 
the  matter  in  1775  ;  but  whether  or  not  the  house,  actually 
built  with  the  aid  of  the  grant  made  by  Convocation  in  1776, 
was  entirely  planned  by  him,  is  not  certain.  An  advertisement 
inviting  tenders  appeared  in  Jackson ^s  Oxford  Journal  for 
March  23,  1776. 

Meanwhile,  the  foundation-stone  of  the  new  Magdalen 
Bridge  had  been  laid  on  March  26,  1773,  and  when  the 
bridge  was  finished,  the  approach  was  found  to  be  not  wide 
enough.  Either  the  new  Professor's  House  *  or  Magdalen 
Tower  obviously  had  to  be  moved. 

*  Good  views  of  the  Professor's  House  have  been  published  by  Malchair 
in  "  A  view  from  St.  Clements  of  Magdalen  Bridge,  before  it  was  taken 
down  in  1772";  also  in  the  Oxford  Almanacks  for  1771,  reproduced  as 
plates  123  and  124  by  Skelton  ;  also  by  Buckler  in  his  "  View  of  Magdalen 
College  from  the  South-east,"  and  in  the  "  Entrance  to  Oxford  by  the 
London  Road."  It  is  no  longer  seen  in  a  similar  view  of  Magdalen 
Tower  and  Bridge  published  in  the  Oxford  Almanack  for  1797. 

In  1797  the  Oxford  Paving  Commissioners  paid  to  Magdalen  College 
^94  for  the  purchase  of  12  ft.  added  to  the  street  and  for  loss  to  the 
College  by  the  pulling  down  of  houses  which  were  under  lease.  The  land 
opposite  to  the  College  was  enclosed  in  1819  by  an  iron  railing  similar 
to  that  in  front  of  the  Physick  Garden.  The  last  notice  of  the  house 
was  a  credit  of  £299  17S-  4^*  Paid  by  the  Street  Commissioners  for  the 
materials  of  the  Old  House,  which  appeared  in  a  Garden  Improvements 
Balance  Sheet  for  Nov.  2,  1835. 


164  PROFESSOR'S   HOUSE 

"We  are  now  taking  down  the  Physic  Garden  House  and 
Library  ;  i.e.  the  botany  Professor's  House  and  botanic  Library, 
(tho'  both  new  buildings),  to  make  room  for  the  approach  to 
the  bridge  from  the  town  "  (Letter  from  Daniel  Price  of 
February  10,  1790). 

Sibthorp  was  the  Professor  at  the  time  ;  and,  anxious  to 
reside  as  near  to  his  work  as  possible,  moved  over  the  new 
bridge  into  a  house  in  Cowley  Place.* 

This  move  was  an  irreparable  calamity  to  the  Garden. 

With  Professor  went  books,  papers,  and  collections.  They 
remained  at  Cowley  Place  during  his  second  tour  in  Greece, 
and  when  he  returned  with  his  new  collections  after  the 
disastrous  journey  home  in  1795,  he  was  too  ill  to  put  any- 
thing in  order.  To  make  a  sad  story  short,  a  few  printed 
books  were  procured  for  the  University,  but  Sibthorp's  irre- 
placeable manuscripts  and  letters  of  supreme  interest  went 
partly  to  a  paper-mill,  partly  to  wrap  up  the  wares  of  the 
petty  tradesmen  of  the  neighbourhood. 

*  A  good  story  about  this  house  is  told  by  Cox  in  his  "  Recollections." 
Dr.  Sibthorp  built  what  is  called  "  Cowley  House  "  (being  in  the  parish  of 
Cowley),  merely  separated  from  the  Botanic  Gardens  by  a  meadow  and 
a  stream.  It  was  said  that  he  intended  it  as  a  residence  for  his  successors  ; 
the  gift,  however,  was  never  made.  The  house  is  said  to  have  been  built 
of  bricks  made  of  clay  upon  the  spot.  Dr.  Sibthorp  in  some  measure 
spoilt  its  arrangement  and  proportions  in  order  to  accommodate  a  fine 
staircase  and  some  large  windows  which  he  had  purchased  at  the  pulling 
down  of  Lord  Abingdon's  house  at  Rycot,  near  Thame.  The  building 
itself  certainly  has  no  pretension  to  external  beauty,  notwithstanding  its 
fine  situation  :  Dr.  Sibthorp,  nevertheless,  the  admirer  of  his  own  creation, 
appears  to  have  thought  otherwise ;  for  he  is  reported  to  have  asked  the 
Dean  of  Christ  Church  for  a  Studentship  for  one  of  his  family,  on  the 
ground  of  having  built  "  so  beautiful  and  classical  a  terminus  to  the  vista 
of  the  Broad  Walk  !"  "A  Studentship  !"  replied  Dean  Cyril  Jackson. 
"  My  good  Sir,  I  will  give  you  two  if  you  will  be  so  kind  as  to  pull  it 
down  again.'* 

Cox's  other  story  about  the  lecture  on  nettles,  I  have  always  heard  told 
of  Dr.  Daubeny.  (See  p.  81.)  . 


PROFESSOR'S    HOUSE  165 

Much  may  depend  upon  an  official  residence;  and  Dr. 
Daubeny  knew  what  he  was  about  when  he  built  the  fourth 
and  last  Professor's  House  in  1835.  The  building  is  still 
standing  almost  as  he  left  it,  with  its  Cave  Canem  painted 
upon  Neapolitan  tiles  inlaid  in  the  threshold.  It  has  been 
uninhabited  for  thirty  years,  notwithstanding  that  one  of  the 
advertised  amenities  attaching  to  the  Professorship  is  that  this 
residence,  on  the  banks  of  the  Cherwell,  with  five  acres 
of  garden  and  an  unrivalled  view  of  Magdalen  Tower,  is 
"  rent-free  !  " 

THE   EXPERIMENTAL  GARDEN 

Yet  say  the  neighbours  when  they  call 

It  is  not  bad  but  good  land, 
And  in  it  is  the  germ  of  all 

That  grows  within  the  woodland. — TENNYSON. 

During  the  first  years  that  Dr.  Daubeny  had  care  of  the 
Garden,  a  portion  of  ground  outside  the  East  Wall  was  set 
apart  for  experiments  connected  with  vegetable  physiology, 
and  its  applications  to  agriculture.  A  plan  of  this  ground, 
showing  the  disposition  of  the  crops,  was  printed  in  the  first 
edition  of  the  Garden  GUIDE  in  1850. 

The  Garden  soil  was  carefully  analysed  (an  operation  which 
has  probably  not  been  repeated  since)  and  its  capability  for 
growing  standard  crops  tested.  The  most  important  experi- 
ments made  there,  with  the  assistance  of  the  Daubeny 
Laboratory,  proved — 

i.  That  plants  only  contain  the  mineral  ingredients  which 
are  supplied  to  them  by  the  ground,  and  hence  that  the 
quantity  of  their  earthy  contents  is  determined  by  the  chemical 
composition  of  the  soil  in  contact  with  their  roots,  although 
its  quality  will  depend  upon  the  plant  itself,  those  ingredients 
which  are  uncongenial  to  it  being  excreted, — Linnean  Trans- 
actions, 


i66  EXPERIMENTAL    GARDEN 

2.  That  plants  give  out  more  oxygen  during  the  day  than 
they  absorb  at  night. — Philosophical  Transactions,  1836. 

3.  That   the    more   luminous    rays   of  the    solar   spectrum 
are   especially   instrumental   in   stimulating  the  vital  energies 
of  plants,  thus  causing  them  to  absorb  moisture  by  their  roots, 
to  exhale  it  from  their  leaves,  and  to  emit  oxygen  through 
the  decomposition  of  carbonic  acid  gas. — Philosophical  Trans- 
actions^ 1836.     [Anticipation  of  Draper's  discovery.] 

4.  That  some  of  the  ingredients  of  a  soil  are  active,  whereas 
others  are  dormant,  i.e.  a  portion  only  of  the  mineral  matter 
in   a   soil   is   in   a   condition   to   be   taken    up   by   a   plant. 
Ploughing  and  other  agricultural  operations  seem  to  be  mainly 
of  utility  in  promoting  the  gradual  operation  of  atmospheric 
agents,  in  unloosing  the  dormant  ingredients  from  their  union 
one  with  the  other,  and  in  thus  rendering  them  available  for 
the  purposes   of  the  plant. — Botanic  Lecture,    1843;  Journ. 
Royal  Agric.  Soc.,   1846. 

5.  That  the  rotation  of  crops  is  advantageous. — Baker ian 
Lecture',  Philosophical  Transactions,  1845. 

6.  That  the  mineral  phosphates  of  Estremadura  in  Spain  are 
most  efficacious  as  a  manure. — Journ.  Royal  Agric.  Soc.,  1846. 

7.  The  relative  utility  of  certain  manures. — -British  Associa- 
tion Reports,  1846;  Agricultural  Notes,  1846. 

8.  That  ferns  can  subsist  for  a  limited  time  in  an  atmo- 
sphere containing  no  less  than  20  per  cent,  of  carbonic  acid 
gas,  and,  since  the  cold-blooded  animals  which  were  associated 
with  the  plants  of  the  coal  formation  could  in  all  probability 
also    endure   an  atmosphere   containing  50  per  cent,  of  this 
gas,  there  is  nothing  contrary  to  probability  in  the  supposition 
of  M.  A.  Brongniart,  that  at  this  early  period  a  larger  amount 
of  CO  2  existed  in  the  atmosphere  than  is  present  in  it  now.— 
British  Association  Reports,  1848. 

9.  That  the  relative  proportions  of  potash  and  soda  vary 
in  barleys  grown  in  plots  artificially  impregnated  with  these 
alkalies.— -fourn.  Chemical  Society,  1853.  % 


EXPERIMENTAL    GARDEN  167 

10.  Another  research  of  great  interest  was  undertaken  at 
the  instance  of  the  British  Association  for  the  Advancement 
of  Science.  It  was  the  testing  of  the  limit  of  the  vitality  of 
the  seeds  of  various  plants.  This  was  sought  to  be  done  by 
sowing  a  few  of  each  sort  at  intervals  of  five  years,  and  noting 
whether  or  not  any  of  them  vegetated.  A  list  of  the  seeds 
tried  was  published  in  the  Reports  of  the  British  Association 
for  1848,  p.  32,  and  some  of  the  seeds  then  collected  should 
still  be  upon  the  premises  of  the  Botanic  Garden. 

For  the  purposes  of  this  investigation  the  seeds  were  kept 
buried  under  an  inch  of  dry  sand,  in  porous  pots,  the  mouths 
of  which  were  then  covered  with  strong  paper  dipped  in 
corrosive  sublimate. 

When  in  1852  new  glass-houses  were  erected  on  the  Ex- 
perimental Ground,  Dr.  Daubeny,  aware  of  the  importance 
of  continuing  field-work,  purchased,  for  ,£140,  i  acre  3  roods 
1 1  poles  *  near  the  IfHey  Road  from  Magdalen  College,  which 
he  subsequently  made  over  to  the  University,  in  trust  for  the 
Professor  of  Rural  Economy  for  the  time  being,  in  order 
that  he  might  have  the  means  of  carrying  on  inquiries  con- 
nected with  scientific  agriculture  which  from  time  to  time 
suggest  themselves. 

The  Iffley  Road  plot  was  perhaps  not  so  good  a  piece  of 
land  as  it  might  have  been,  for  the  surface  was  not  level  and 
its  condition  was  somewhat  uneven,  but,  as  the  Experimental 
Notebooks  show,  useful  observations  were  made  there,  and 
among  the  published  results  was  the  paper : 

"  That  roots  select  the  ingredients  presented  to  their 
absorbing  surfaces  which  are  fitted  for  assimilation,  but  reject 
those  which  are  either  useless  or  noxious."— -Journ.  Chemical 
Society,  1862. 

We  believe  that  in  all  this  work  Daubeny  had  come  under 

*  A  plan  of  the  ground,  with  results  of  experiments,  is  contained  in 
Daubeny  MS.  Experimental  and  Day  Books,  1848-66,  in  Magdalen  College 
Library. 


1 68  EXPERIMENTAL   GARDEN 

the  influence  of  Liebig,  with  whom  he  was  on  terms  of  intimate 
correspondence,  and  that  both  by  the  example  of  his  early 
experiments  in  the  Botanic  Garden  and  by  his  enthusiastic 
exposition  of  the  principles  of  the  science  in  his  lectures, 
he  imbued  one  of  his  pupils,  John  Bennet  Lawes,  with  so 
bright  a  desire  to  further  agricultural  progress  by  exact  field 
experiments,  that  the  fame  of  the  latter's  hereditary  estate  of 
Rothamsted  will  endure  through  the  ages. 

But  although  this  pioneer  work  yielded  so  rich  a  harvest 
elsewhere,  it  is  sad  to  have  to  record  that,  with  Dr.  Daubeny's 
death,  the  practical  exercise  of  the  oldest  of  the  Arts  became 
dormant  in  Oxford.  Mr.  Gamlen  informs  me  that  Professor 
Lawson  used  the  plot  for  the  culture  of  Strawberries  ;  but  I 
have  not  been  able  to  find  that  the  Professor  published  any 
account  of  the  results. 

Then,  Sibthorpian  Professors  of  Rural  Economy  were  only 
elected  for  three  years,  and  any  one  man  was  debarred,  by  the 
1883  scheme,  from  holding  the  chair  for  more  than  six  ;  and, 
as  they  were  not  allowed  any  funds  for  working  allotments, 
the  utility  of  Daubeny's  experimental  plot  was  reduced  to  a 
minimum.  But  it  looked  well  in  the  advertisements  to  be 
able  to  state  that  "the  Professor  shall  have  the  use  of  the 
Garden  appropriated  for  making  experiments  in  the  subject  of 
his  Professorship."  The  University  was  not  in  the  least  in- 
terested in  the  art  of  getting  better  and  more  abundant 
vegetable  produce  from  the  land,  and  finally  seized  an 
opportunity  of  letting  the  experimental  plot  and  cottage  for 
;£i2  per  annum,*  and  later,  in  1901,  of  selling  it  for  about 
;£8oo  to  Mr.  W.  F.  Cross ;  and  thus,  with  the  approval  of 
the  Board  of  Agriculture  (?),  a  valuable  lesson  has  been  given 
to  would-be  benefactors  interested  in  experimental  agriculture. 

The  cottage  and  plot  are  at  the  end  of  Fairacres  Road — 

*  The  transaction,  we  are  glad  to  record,  did  not  meet  with  universal 
satisfaction.  The  little  house  was  known  in  the  Magdalen  Common  Room 
as  "  Swindledon  Villa." 


EXPERIMENTAL   GARDEN  169 

the  former  roofless,  the  latter  pasturage  run  wild.  All  the 
land  above  has  been  "developed,"  as  it  is  called,  i.e.  covered 
with  rows  of  little  speculative  villas.  Several  of  their  small 
garden-paths  are  edged  with  tiles  taken  from  the  walks  of  the 
old  Experimental  Ground.  A  row  of  fine  large  fruit  trees  of 
the  Doctor's  planting  stretches  across  the  ground  :  they  once 
shaded  his  walk  from  the  cottage  to  the  river,  which  runs  a 
field  or  two  below.  Along  the  upper  side  are  a  few  old 
Scotch  Firs,  but  much  cut  about  and  broken:  they  are  no 
doubt  the  last  vestiges  of  a  belt  of  trees  planted  to  screen 
the  ground  from  the  easterly  winds.  For  years,  so  the 
neighbours  told  me,  Dr.  Daubeny's  plants  used  to  come  up 
and  give  pleasure  to  later  generations. 

It  was  a  picture  of  the  lost  opportunities  of  half  a  century. 
In  the  eloquent  words  of  Charles  Kingsley,  "  our  field  may  be  a 
small  field,  but  it  is  a  field  ;  tillage  is  possible,  a  crop  is  possible  ; 
who  can  tell  whither  the  wind  may  waft  its  seeds  when  the 
crop  is  ripe?"  Had  the  opportunity  been  present,  Oxford  might 
have  had  her  share  in  the  scientific  "creation"  of  those  new 
wheats  the  wonderful  qualities  of  which  promise  to  raise  the 
position  of  English  agriculture  and  reflect  the  greatest  honour 
on  the  directors  of  the  Experimental  Grounds  at  Cambridge. 

As  an  undergraduate  I  remember  how  carefully  the  tenant 
had  fenced  himself  in  with  barbed  wire,  notice  boards,  alarm- 
bells  on  the  gate,  and  perhaps,  most  effective  of  all,  the  sight  of 
a  man-trap  hung  upon  the  wall  of  his  cottage — a  curiosity  which, 
a  few  years  later,  I  could  not  restrain  myself  from  acquiring. 

But  the  spirit  of  scientific  research  is  not  easy  to  kill. 
For  years  the  plot  yielded  guinea-pigs  for  the  Physiological 
Laboratory,  and  with  its  aid  George  Romanes  carried  on 
experiments  of  far-reaching  consequence  upon  the  crossing  of 
Himalayan  with  other  varieties  of  rabbits,  a  research  alluded 
to  in  "  Darwin  and  after  Darwin,"  but  one  which  had  not  been 
concluded  at  the  time  of  his  early  death.  Romanes  much 
vyished  to  see  established  in  Oxford  what  M.  Giard  has  called 


170  EXPERIMENTAL   GARDEN 

an  Institut  transformiste,  and  he  even  circulated  a  memorandum 
urging  that  some  garden  or  farm  might  be  set  aside  for  such 
studies  as  that  of  the  hereditary  transmission  of  characters 
(Romanes'  "  Life,"  p.  267).  His  scheme  was  given  the  cold 
shoulder,  and  we  are  now  beginning  to  realise  the  opportunities 
which  have  been  lost. 

After  fifty  years  we  have  again  a  resident  Professor  of 
Rural  Economy.  He  receives  some  £20  a  year  in  lieu  of 
being  expected  to  till  his  trust  estate ;  and  St.  John's  College 
has  lent  another  experimental  plot.  Perhaps  in  a  few  more 
years  our  reformers  will  urge  the  College  to  present  that 
land  also  to  a  University  which,  in  a  few  more,  will  sell  it 
— perhaps  to  build  a  hangar  for  aeroplanes. 

GOVERNMENT 

Sendo  1'intento  mio  scrivere  cosa  utile  a  chi  1'intende,  mi  e  parse  piu 
conveniente  1'andare  dietro  alia  verita  effettuale  della  cosa,  che  all'  imagina- 
zione  de  essa. — MACHIAVELLI. 

The  responsibilities  of  management  at  first  lay  entirely  with 
the  Professor  and  with  the  Praefectus  Horti>  as  the  Curator 
of  the  Garden  was  then  called.  Now  he  is  the  Horti  Gustos, 
who  resides  in  the  Garden  and  must  not  be  confounded  with 
the  Curators  of  the  Garden,  who  are  quite  a  modern  institution, 
are  non-resident,  and  who  meet  once  a  year. 

On  July  9,  1733,  the  Court  of  Chancery  ordered  that  a 
Perpetual  Committee  should  be  established  to  supervise  and 
regulate  all  things  relating  to  the  Botanic  Garden.  In 
accordance  with  the  provisions  of  Sherard's  will  (1728),  it  was 
to  consist  of  the  Vice-Chancellor,  two  Proctors,  Regius 
Professor  of  Medicine,  and  "  the  seven  seniors  resident  upon 
the  physic  line."  This  Perpetual  Committee  only  lasted  until 
July  21,  1871,  when  it  was  replaced,  by  the  same  Court,  by 
a  Board  of  Curators  of  the  Botanic  Garden,  who  were  to 
be  three  resident  Members  of  Convocation  to  be  nominated 
by  the  Vice-Chancellor  and  Proctors,  subject  to  the  approba- 
tion of  Convocation,  to  hold  office  for  ten  years, 


LIST   OF    OFFICERS  171 

The  duties  of  the  Curators  were  to  manage  the  Garden 
and  to  expend  the  annual  University  grant  of  ,£150  on 
Garden,  Green-house,  and  Library.  In  1884  the  control  of 
the  entire  Garden  expenditure  was  handed  over  to  them,  and 
in  1888  the  obligation  of  annually  reporting  their  doings  to 
Convocation  was  laid  on  them.  The  term  of  office  of  the 
three  Curators  appointed  in  1876  expired  in  1886,  and  shortly 
after,  their  number  was  doubled  and  the  present  method  of 
appointment  inaugurated;  two  were  to  be  appointed  by  the 
Vice-Chancellor  and  Proctors,  two  by  the  Hebdomadal 
Council,  and  two  by  Congregation,  and  one  in  each  class 
was  to  retire  at  short  intervals. 

The  Professor  had  assigned  to  him  by  the  University 
Commissioners  of  1877  the  charge  and  supervision  of  the 
Garden,  subject  to  any  authority  vested  by  statute  in  the 
Curators  of  the  Garden. 

The  College  of  Physicians  have  visitatorial  powers. 

LIST  OF  OFFICERS 


7rp6s  TJIV  dXiyavOpwiriav  avayKoiov  TO, 
ARISTOTLE,  Politics. 

PROFESSORS  CUSTODIANS   OF   THE   GARDEN 

[John  Tradescant].* 
Robert   Morison,  Jacob  Bobart,  Sen.     .    1632-1679 

ist  Danby  Professor       .    1669-1683 

Jacob  Bobart,  Jun.    .         .    1683-1719     PTilleman  Bobart. 
Edward  Sandys         .         .    1720-1724 
Gilbert  Trowe  .  .    1724-1734 

John  Jacob  Dillenius,  ?G.  D.  Ehret     .         .    1750  -- 

1st  Sherardian  Professor    1734-1747 

Humphrey  Sibthorp  ,         .    1747-1784     ?  James  Benwell,  f 

Gardener. 

*  Had  he  lived,  the  younger  Tradescant  would  have  had  the  office 
(MSS.  Twyne,  "  Archiv.  Univ.  Ox.,"  pp.  286-7)  '  "  He  (Lord  Danby) 
came  to  some  reasonably  good  terms  of  agreement  with  John  Tradescant 
of  West  Lambeth,  designed  for  the  gardener,  viz.  for  a  yearly  stipend  of 
or  thereabouts."  And  not  long  after,  the  said  J.T.  died. 

f  An  engraving,  published  by  J.  Skelton  in  1817,  gives  his  age  as  82. 


172 


GOVERNMENT 


PROFESSORS 

John  Sibthorp, 

Regius  and  Sherardian 

Professor  after  1 793  *     . 
George  Williams 
Charles  Giles  Bridle  Dau- 

beny      .... 
Marmaduke        Alexander 

Lawson  .  . 
Isaac  Bayley  Balfour 
Sidney  Howard  Vines 


CUSTODIANS   OF   THE   GARDEN 


1784-1795    J.  Foreman 
1796-1834     William  Baxter  f 


?      -1812 
1813-1851 


1834-1867     William  H.  BaxterJ   .    1851-1887 


1868-1883 

1884-1888  W.  G.  Baker 

1888- 


1888- 


DEMONSTRATORS 


John  Bretland  Farmer 
Arthur  Henry  Church 

Wilfrid  Edward  Hiley 


.  1887-1892 
.  1894- 


CURATORS   OF    THE    HERBARIUM 

William  Baxter. 


Maxwell  Masters 


circ.  1856 


Selmar       Schonland, 

Ph.D.  Kiel   .         .    1885-1890 
1908-  George     Claridge 

Druce    .         .         .    1895- 


MEMBERS   OF   THE    BOARD   OF   CURATORS 


Edward  Hartopp  Cradock 
William  Walrond  Jackson 

§Edward  Chapman 
Robert  William  Raper 
Aubrey  Lackington  Moore 
Franklin  T.  Richards  . 
Edward  Armstrong    .,,. 
Thomas  Herbert  Warren 
Henry  Jardine  Bidder  . 

§Llewe11yn  J.  M.  Bebb 
William  Warde  Fowler 
Charles  Lancelot  Shadwell 

§Cyril  Robert  Carter   ,. 

§George  Edward  Baker 


1876-1886 

1876-1886 

1876-1895 

1887-1896 

1887-1889 

1887-1897 

1887- 

1887- 

1899- 

1896-1901 

1896- 

1897- 

1899-1901  and  1910- 

1902-1909 


*  King  George  III.'s  foundation  was  announced  in  the  Gazette  for 
Jan.  8,  1793. 

f  b.  Rugby  Jan.  15,  1787  ;  retired  1851  ;  d.  Nov.  i,  1871  (biographical 
notice  by  G.  C.  Druce,  "  Flora  of  Berkshire").  An  engraved  portrait  by 
J.  Whessell  hangs  in  the  Botanical  Library. 

J  Died  1890,  as  Superintendent  of  the  University  Parks.  Obituary 
notice  by  Druce,  in  "  Rep.  Ashm.  Nat.  Hist.  Soc.,"  1903. 

§  Acted  as  Secretary  to  the  Curators. 


RULES  173 

A  unique  honour  was  conferred  on  Mr.  Chapman,  who,  in  May,  1896, 
was  constituted  a  Perpetual  Curator  by  Decree.  Unfortunately,  soon 
afterwards,  it  was  discovered  that  the  appointment  was  ultra  vires,  and 
Convocation  in  1898  rescinded  their  decree.  Mr.  Chapman  replied  to 
the  Vice-Chancellor  expressing  his  regret  and  endorsing  the  opinion  of 
Mr.  Bumble  on  the  Law. 

RULES  AND  RED  TAPE 

Sherard's  original  "  Orders  for  the  Physic  Garden "  show 
how  little  the  man  in  the  street  was  encouraged  to  enter  the 
Garden  in  those  early  days.  They  read : 

I.  That  no  Person  presume  to  break  through,  or  leap  over  the  Hedges 

and  Fences  in  the  Garden. 

II.  That  no  Person  appear  within  the  Quarters  or  close  Walks  of  the 
Garden,  unless  the  Professor  or  Gardiner  attends  on  such  Person 
during  his  Stay  there. 

III.  That  no  Person  brings  Dogs  into  the  Garden  or  do  any  Damage  to 

the  Greenhouses,  Stoves,  Trees  or  Plants,  by  Handling,  Breaking 
or  otherwise  Defacing  Them,  or  by  Meddling  with  any  of  the 
Numbers. 

IV.  That  no  Person  continue  in  the  Garden  after  the  Dusk  of  the  Even- 

ing, but  depart  quietly  at  the  usual  Time  of  Shutting  the  Gates. 
V.  That  no  Person  be  admitted  in  the  Garden  on  Sundays. 
VI.  That  Attendance  be  given  to  such  as  want  to  see  the  Garden,  Stoves, 
etc.,  from  the  Opening  of  the  Garden  Gates  to  the  Closing  of  the 
Same. 

VII.  No  Roots,  Plants,  Flowers,  Fruits,  Seeds,  Slips,  Cuttings  or 
Specimens  of  Plants  are  to  be  given,  sold,  exchanged  or  taken 
away,  without  special  Leave  from  the  PROFESSOR. 

Dr.  Daubeny  drew  up  a  revised  code  of  "  Regulations  of 
the  Botanic  Garden,"  dated  June  29,  1835  : 

I.  The  Botanic  Garden  is  open  to  Members  of  the  University  during 

week-days,  from  Sun -rise  to  Sun-set. 

II.  The  principal  Entrance,  towards  the  High  Street,  is  kept  locked, 
but  admittance  will  be  obtained  on  ringing  the  Bell  attached  to 
the  Gateway. 

III.  General    orders    have  been    given    to    exclude   Nursery-maids   and 
Children  from  the  Premises,  but  every  facility  will  be  afforded  for 


174  GOVERNMENT 

the  admission  of  persons  to  whom  the  Garden  may  seem  likely  to 
be  a  source  of  interest  or  improvement. 
IV.  Specimens  of  Flowers,  &c.,  may  be  obtained  from  the  Curator  ;  but 

it  is  requested  that  none  will  be  plucked  without  special  leave. 
V.  The   Conservatories,   Hothouses  and    other   parts   of  the    Garden 
which  are  kept  locked,  may  be  visited  by  applying  to  the  Curator. 

VI.  The  Library  of  the  Botanic  Garden  may  be  consulted  during  week- 

days, by  Members  of  the  University,  and  others  known  or 
introduced  to  the  Professor,  from  Twelve  to  Four  o'clock  ;  the 
Portress,  who  has  keys  of  the  cases,  being  directed  to  take  down 
such  books  as  may  be  required,  and  to  see  them  replaced  on  the 
shelves  afterwards. 

VII.  It  is  requested  that,  to  prevent  abuse,  every  person  who  avails 
himself  of  this  permission,  will  enter  his  name,  the  place  of  his 
abode,  the  date  of  the  year,  and  the  title  of  the  volumes  which  he 
consults,  in  a  book  kept  for  the  purpose  in  the  Library. 

By  1850  Regulations  VI.  and  VII.  had  been  combined,  the 
Library  hours  being  extended  first  to  4  p.m.  and  then  to 
5  p.m.,  the  Gardener  was  given  the  duties  of  the  Curator, 
and  a  new  Regulation  VII.  was  promulgated  : 

VII.  The   Herbarium  may  be  consulted    under  similar  regulations  by 

application  to  Mr.  Baxter,  Sen.,  who  is  in  attendance  at  the 
Garden  from  9  till  5  o'clock.  (May  1st,  1850.) 

In  1853  the  Fielding  Herbarium  arrived,  and  Regulation  VII. 
was  altered  so  as  to  read  : 

VII.  The  Herbaria  may  be  consulted  by  Members  of  the  University, 
between  the  hours  of  Twelve  and  Five  every  week-day  during  Term, 
and  whenever  the  Sub-Curator  is  in  attendance,  in  the  Vacations. 
Other  persons  desirous  of  examining  this  Collection  are  requested 
to  apply  for  permission  to  the  PROFESSOR  OF  BOTANY,  or  to 
either  of  the  other  Curators. 

On  April  3,  1851,  the  Garden  Committee  made  an  order 
that  the  unpopular  fee  of  one  shilling  should  be  demanded 
of  those  who  visited  the  Green-houses  ;  and  in  1856  the  writer 
of  a  leaflet  signed  "B.D."  made  this  an  excuse  for  opposing  the 
Garden  grant  in  Convocation. 

Under  the  present  arrangements  the  Garden  is  open  on 


RULES  175 

week-days  (Good  Friday  and  Christmas  Day  excepted)  between 
7  a.m.  and  6  p.m.,  from  March  24  until  September  29,  and 
between  7  a.m.  or  daylight,  until  5  p.m.  or  dusk,  from 
September  30  until  March  23. 

The  Library,  Herbarium,  and  Museum  are  open  on  week- 
days to  Members  of  the  University,  and  others  between 
10  a.m.  and  4  p.m.  Admission  by  application  to  the  Professor 
of  Botany. 

In  1887  the  Curators  sanctioned  Sunday  opening  for  the 
first  time — a  privilege  much  appreciated  by  the  public.  And 
now  on  Sundays  (in  summer  only)  the  Garden  is  open  from 
mid-day  until  six  o'clock. 

The  Green-houses  are  open  free  to  the  public  on  week-days 
between  the  hours  of  2  and  4  p.m.,  and  the  only  restrictive 
notice  states  that 

Dogs  are  not  admitted. 

Visitors  are  requested  not  to  gather  the  flowers  or  seeds. 
Children  are  not  admitted  unless  in  charge  of  a  responsible  person. 

BY  ORDER  OF  THE  CURATORS. 

FINANCE 

"And,  finally,  as  the  College  authorities  live  secluded  from  the  world, 
and  so  are  like  children  as  to  commercial  matters,  I  would  advise  them 
to  consult  .  .  ."—RHODES. 

EARLY    BILLS 

£  *.    d. 
1660-1.     William    Bird   for    mending    King's   and    Founder's 

Arms  over  the  Gate.         .         .  .......         .       i     i     o 

1685-90.  Burgesse  [=  Burghers]  for  engraving^      .  £2  n     o 

plates  for  Morison's  2nd  vol.  /      .      9  17     6 

For  4  plates    .         .         .         .    .      .    10  13     o 

,,  10      ,,  .         .         .  27  18     o 

,,     i  plate     .         .         .         .  2  18    o 

53  17     6 
1692-3.     Young,  the  smith,  for  work  at  the  Garden,  St.  Mary's, 

and  the  Library 37     7     o 

,,          Plumbers,  including  work  done  at  the  Museum  and 

Library 52     2     4 


1 76  GOVERNMENT 

EARLY    BILLS    (cont.~) 

£    S.     d. 

1692-3.     Robinson,  a  mason  .         .         .        • .      ;  ..         .       '  .     39     5     9 

,,          Plaisterer        ".'        ,        ..         .'        .         .         .         .     15     I     9 

,,          Carpenter         .         .         .  •'     ,         .         .         .         .     42  15     5 

1693-4.     Young,  the  smith      .         .        V        .  •  'r  .'      '.«       .     14    o    o 

„  Robinson,  mason      .       :.».'•       .         .         .         .  .-    .   122     8  u 

1694,  October.  The  aVenue  leading  to  the  Garden  was  finished 

at  the  charge  of  the  University. 

1694-5.     Vanderstene,  carver  .    .     .         .'       .         .         .     26  10     o 

,,          Robinson,  including  work  at  St.  Mary's  and  at  the 

Printing  House 54     8     I 

,,          Geo.  Smith,  carpenter,  including  work  at  St.  Mary's 

and  at  the  Printing  House  .  v  .  . .  .  56  9  7 
,,  Plaisterer,  including  work  at  the  Printing  House  .  13  7  o 
,,  Painters  .  .  ...  .  .  .  .1176 

1695-6.     Mason      .         .         ,r  '' 33  13     7 

,,          John  Vandersteen,    carver,  for  cutting  the  Earl  of 

Danby's  statue  and  for  other  work    .         .         .       7  12     o 
The  heavy  payments  made  from  1692  to  1696  were  probably  for  the  new 
house  for  Professor  Bobart,  as  well  as  for  the  "  new  herb  house  "  (p.  92). 

To  completely  unravel  the  intricate  Accounts  of  the  Garden 
would  probably  be  a  task  beyond  our  powers,  even  if  the 
materials  for  such  a  research  were  forthcoming. 

The  difficulty  lies  in  the  frequent  confusion  of  the  stipend 
of  the  Sherardian  Professor  with  the  budget  of  the  Physic 
Garden,  and  in  the  fact  that  sometimes  Professors  have  helped 
to  support  the  Garden  with  their  salaries,  at  others  they  have 
looked  to  Garden  funds  for  their  own  maintenance. 

Frequent  have  been  the  protests  of  Professors  against  the 
alleged  illegal  practice  of  charging  Garden  repairs  to  the 
Sherardian  Fund ;  and  even  now  it  is  doubtful  whether 
the  accounts  have  been  squared  up  fairly. 

We  will  for  a  moment  confine  ourselves  to  a  few  statements 
concerning  the  financial  position  at  various  epochs. 

It  is  our  own  pious  opinion  that  the  founder,  Lord  Danby, 
died  in  the  belief  that  the  proceeds  of  the  Rectory  of  Kirkdale 
in  Yorkshire  would  serve  for  the  upkeep  both  of  Garden  and- 


FINANCE  177 

Professor.  The  bequest  took  effect  in  1659,  and  in  1669 
Convocation  elected  the  first  Professor,  Dr.  Morison,  assigning 
him  the  small  stipend  of  ,£40  a  year.  It  is  said  that  no 
successor  was  elected  by  Convocation. 

In  1734,  in  compliance  with  a  condition  in  Dr.  Sherard's 
will,  an  annual  payment  was  made  of  ^150  for  the  main- 
tenance of  the  Garden. 

In  1793  King  George  III.  granted  the  sum  of  ^200  yearly, 
which  was  reduced  by  fees  of  office  to  ^182,  half  to  augment 
the  stipend  of  the  Professor,  and  half  towards  the  maintenance 
of  the  Garden.  This  sum,  since  the  remission  of  certain 
stamp  duties  in  1855,  ^s  Pa^  from  the  University  Chest. 

After  Lord  Danby  had  bought  out  the  original  tenant, 
Ellis  by  name,  Magdalen  College  leased  the  Garden  to  the 
University  for  the  annual  payment  of  the  corn  rent,  the  quit 
rent,  and  a  nominal  fine  at  each  renewal  of  the  lease,  which 
took  place  every  seven  years. 

The  original  rent  for  the  use  of  the  Garden  was  40*.  per 
annum,  and  from  1650  to  1697  the  rents  and  fees  continued 
to  average  this  sum.  Later,  the  lease  was  for  a  period  of  forty 
years,  renewable  every  fourteen  years  at  a  small  reserved  rent. 

In  1855  the  University  paid  to  the  College  : 

£   s.  d. 

Corn  Rent        .         .         .  •       .         .     3  18  o 

Quit  Rent         .         .         .     '    .         .     I     o  2 

"Old  Rent"    .  .     o  16  2 


£5  14     4 

and  the  total  rates  and  rent  came  to  ^40  35-.  3^. 

Full  accounts  for  1870-1  were  submitted  by  Professor  Lawson 
to  the  University  Commission  and  were  printed  with  theirReport. 

In  1876  Magdalen  College  granted  and  the  University 
accepted  a  new  lease  for  sixty  years  at  a  rent  of  £30  per 
annum,  on  three  conditions  :  Firstly,  that  the  University 
should  lay  out  ^5,580  on  repairs  and  new  buildings  ;  next, 

12 


1 78  GOVERNMENT 

that  the  College  should  have  the  veto  on  all  removal  of  trees 
and  on  the  erection  of  buildings,  temporary  or  permanent, 
which  they  might  consider  unsightly  or  prejudicial  to  their 
property ;  and  thirdly,  that  the  lease  should  terminate  absolutely 
whenever  the  land  shall  cease  to  be  used  as  the  principal 
Botanic  Garden  of  the  University. 

In  pursuance  of  this  covenant  the  University  forthwith  spent 
£2,200  upon  the  Wall  and  the  Lecture  Room,  and  built  the 
Class  Room  and  small  Laboratory  adjoining,  on  the  sites  of 
the  dilapidated  Western  Green-houses  ( University  Gazette  for 
May  22,  1876). 

In  later  years  the  University  Accounts  tell  a  monotonous 
story  of  a  continual  making  up  of  the  deficits  in  the  accounts 
of  the  Botanic  Garden,  relieved  by  occasional  votes  of  larger 
sums  of  money  for  building. 

Thus,  in  1893,  ;£3j5°°  was  asked  to  cover  expenditure 
estimated  at  £"1,400  in  1893,  £"542  in  1894,  and  £"1,112  in 
1895.  Large  sums  were  also  spent  for  Botany  elsewhere,  for 
in  1898  ,£7,500  was  voted  for  a  Joint  Laboratory  and 
Lecture  Room  for  the  Botanical  and  Comparative  Anatomy 
Professors  upon  a  site  so  remote  from  the  Garden  that  the 
joint  scheme  can  only  be  regarded  as  a  makeshift  arrangement. 

Again,  by  the  munificence  of  St.  John's  College,  in  1907-9 
an  Institute  of  Applied  Botany  (Rural  Economy)  was  built 
at  a  cost  of  .£8,159  i2s.  yd.,  not  counting  the  value  of  the  site. 

And  during  the  present  year  an  expenditure  of  over  £3,500 
has  been  incurred  for  improved  Laboratory  accommodation  at 
the  Botanic  Garden  itself. 

In  1903  Magdalen  College,  of  its  own  free  will,  and  out  of  a 
wish  to  benefit  the  University  at  a  time  of  stress  rather  than 
to  aggrandise  itself,  and  notwithstanding  the  increased  value  of 
land  in  the  City  of  Oxford,  reduced  the  rent  from  £^30  to 
IQS.  per  annum,  at  which  figure  "it  now  stands.  At  present 
the  other  rents  paid  are  one  of  $s.  to  the  Oxford  Corporation 
and  one  of  6d.  to  Christ  Church,  so  that  the  University 


FINANCE  179 

cannot  be  said  to  be  over-rented  for  its  Garden  ;  the  total 
rent  being  15$.  6d. 

It  has  been  computed  that  the  total  cost  of  the  upkeep 
of  the  Garden  to  the  University  for  the  years  1650  to  1812 
was  ,£19,430  i&s.,  ,£7,608  75-.  \d.  of  which  was  received  from 
Kirkdale,  the  Danby  Benefaction. 

At  the  present  time  the  total  income  of  the  Botanic  Garden 
and  "  Fielding  Herbarium  "  is  ,£1,095,  °f  which  ,£452  is  from 
trust  funds  and  ,£25  is  from  a  donation  from  Professor  Vines. 

Under  the  misleading  and  antiquated  term  "  Fielding 
Herbarium  "  larger  accounts  lie  perdus^  for  it  includes  the 
Library  and  its  staff  (Books  and  Binding  alone  cost  .£147), 
as  well  as  the  Botanical  Lecture  Rooms  and  Laboratories,  with 
the  Demonstrators  and  Assistants  therein  employed.  For  the 
use  of  Laboratories  and  Lectures,  students  contributed  in  1910, 
directly  or  indirectly,  no  less  than  ,£614,  and  yet  the  Fielding 
Herbarium,  sensu  stricto^  was  a  closed  book  to  them.  Again, 
the  indebtedness  of  students  to  the  Garden  is  assessed  at  ,£75 
per  annum.  It  seems  a  lot  to  pay  for  a  few  flowers  for  dis- 
section !  The  money  might  be  used  for  renewing  or  for 
improving  laboratory  equipment,  or  for  reducing  the  fees 
payable  by  students  ;  and  in  any  case  such  a  payment  to  the 
Garden  should  not  be  necessary. 

The  present  income  of  the  Garden,  apart  from  that  of  the 
Laboratory,  Library,  and  Herbarium,  brought,  by  a  grant  voted 
by  the  University,  up  to  ,£670,  would  have  seemed  affluence 
in  days  of  our  predecessors,  but  nevertheless  the  accounts 
have  been  for  many  years  in  debit.  The  Chairman  of  the 
Curators  reported  in  1902  that  expenses  were  kept  down  to 
starvation  point,  that  the  painting  and  maintenance  of  the 
houses  were  not  adequately  provided  for,  and  that  any  un- 
foreseen increase  of  expenditure,  as  might  be  occasioned  by  a 
rise  in  wages  or  a  prolonged  and  cold  winter,  would  mean 
increased  debt. 

But  the  real  question  for  the  Curators  to  answer  is,   Is  it 


i8o      EXTRACTS   FROM   THE   VISITORS'   BOOKS 

not  the  first  duty  of  a  great  University  Department  to  conduct 
its  business  so  as  to  avoid  the  reproach  which  attaches  to 
any  private  individual  who  lives  above  his  income  ? 

EXTRACTS   FROM   THE   VISITORS'   BOOKS 

1621,  July  25.     William  Piers,  Vice-Chancellor  [p.  2]. 

,,  ,,         Edward  Dawson,  a  Cambridge  physician  who  incorporated 

at  Oxford  [p.  2]. 

,,  „         Dr.  Thomas  Clayton,  Regius  Professor  of  Medicine  [p.  2]. 

1654,  July  12.     John  Evelyn  and  his  wife. 
1664.  Sorbiere,  a  French  physician  [p.  n]. 

,,      Oct.  24.    John  Evelyn  and  (?)  Lord  Cornbury. 

1668,  June  9.     Samuel  Pepys. 

1669,  Elias  Ashmole  [p.  6], 

,,  May  4.  Cosmo  de  Medici,  Grand  Duke  of  Tuscany,  who  lodged 
at  the  Angel,  just  within  the  East  Gate,  "went  and  saw  the 
Phisick  Garden  (Bobard  the  keeper  having  presented  him  with 
a  very  fine  nosegay  in  the  morning)  and  being  there  come 
the  said  Bobard  spake  a  speech  in  the  German  tongue  to  him, 
which  he  liking*  and  his  garden,  he  gave  him  a  reward" 
(Wood,  "Life  and  Times,"  edit.  Clark). 

Not  all  visitors  were  so  polite,  for  Mark  Coleman,  "  a  melan- 
choly distracted  man,  sometime  a  singing-man  of  Ch.  Ch., 
walking  in  the  Garden  caught  fast  hold  of  J.  Bobart  senr.'s 
long  beard,  crying,  *  Help  !  Help  ! '  Upon  which  people 
coming  in  and  enquiring  of  the  outcry,  Coleman  made  reply 
that  Bobart  had  eaten  his  horse  and  his  tayle  hung  out  of 
his  mouth"  (Wood's  MS.,  E  32,  fol.  23). 

1670,  Dec.  20.     William  Henry,  Prince  of  Orange,  nephew  of  the  King. 

"Bobart,  the  gardiner  also  received  him  with  a  Dutch  compli- 
ment "  (Wood). 

1682,  May  31.     Ambassador  from  Morocco.     "  Dr.  Morison  harangued 

him." 

1683,  May.     Duke  of  York,    "his  dutchess  and  his  daughter  the  lady 

Ann."      "  Dr.    Morison   the   botanick    professor   speaking   an 

*  "In  the  published  account  of  the  Duke's  travels,  it  is  said  that  the 
purport  of  various  congratulatory  addresses  was  not  sufficiently  understood 
on  account  of  the  peculiarity  of  pronunciation"  (Macray).  Perhaps 
Bobart,  being  a  foreigner,  was  the  one  man  whom  he  could  understand 
— hence  the  liking  and  the  reward. 


EXTRACTS   FROM    THE   VISITORS'    BOOKS       181 

English   speech  was  often  out  and  made  them   laugh.     This 
person,  though   a   master  in  speaking  and  writing  the   Latin 
tongue,  yet  hath  no  command  of  English,  as  being  much  spoyled 
by  his  Scottish  tone"  (Wood,  loc.  cit.). 
1683  (circ.)-     Thomas  Baskerville  [p.  188]. 
1695  (circ.)-     Celia  Fiennes  [p.  11,  note]. 

,,         „         D.  Hermann  of  Leyden  [p.  12]. 
1710,  Aug.     Zacharias  Conrad  von  Uffenbach  [p.  u]. 

,,       ,,         D.  Biittner  [p.  12]. 
1714.     John  Ayliffe  [p.  12]. 
1736.     C.  Linnefp.  18]. 
r749-     John  Pointer  [p.  20]. 
1782,  Oct.  16.     John  Wesley. 
1784.     Sadler,  the  aeronaut  [p.  20,  note]. 
1824.     Prof.  Schultes  of  Landshut,  Bohemia  [p.  22]. 
1847.     Tiglath  Pileser[p.  26]. 

,,        Frank  Buckland  [p.  26]. 

,,       Sir  Charles  Lyell  [p.  26]. 

,,        Prince  Charles  L.  Bonaparte  [p.  26]. 

,,       Prof.  Milne  Edwards  [p.  26]. 

BOOKS   AND    PRINTS 
BIBLIOGRAPHY  OF  THE  BOTANIC  GARDEN  "GUIDE" 

1837.  The  article  on  the  Botanic  Garden  (pp.  1-16)  in 
Ingram's  "  Memorials  of  Oxford  "  supplied  the  greater 
part  of  the  Introduction  and  the  illustrations  to 
Dr.  Daubeny's  GUIDE. 

First  Edition: 

1850.  Oxford  Botanic  Garden ;  or  a  Popular  Guide  to  the 
Botanic  Garden  of  Oxford  [pp.  1-54],  with  plan  at  the 
beginning  and  one  page  of  "  Regulations,"  dated  May  i , 
1850,  at  the  end.  Oxford  :  Printed  by  I.  Shrimpton. 
In  this  edition  the  Plan  of  the  Garden  was  printed  on  blue 
paper.  The  Plan  of  the  Experimental  Garden  on  p.  23  was 
omitted  from  later  editions. 

I  have  not  been  able  to  find  a  complete  copy  of  this,  the  first 
edition  of  the  GUIDE,  in  Oxford,  but  a  presentation  copy  is  in 
the  library  of  the  Linnean  Society,  bound  with  the  original  pale 
green  paper  cover. 


182  BOOKS   AND    PRINTS 

1851.  Supplement.  New  Houses  [pp.  55-58],  with  a  wood-cut 
of  the  Victoria  Lily  and  Orchid  Houses. 

For  the  loan  of  a  copy  of  the  1850  GUIDE  with  this  Supple- 
ment inserted  before  the  "  Regulations,"  I  am  indebted  to 
Dr.  Daydon  Jackson,  Secretary  of  the  Linnean  Society. 

1853.  Address  to  the  Members  of  the  University.  Delivered 
on  May  20,  1853,  at  the  commencement  of  Act 
Term,  and  on  the  completion  of  the  arrangements 
for  receiving  the  Fielding  Herbarium  in  the  room 
set  apart  for  it  within  the  Botanic  Garden. 

First  issue  [pp.  1-15]  without  covers  (F.  Madan's  Coll.). 
A  later  issue  was  in  a  cover. 

With  an  Appendix  containing  a  list  of  the  countries 
from  whence  the  plants  were  obtained,  and  of  the 
principal  collections  of  the  same  [pp.  1-22]. 

Sold  only  At  the  Botanic  Garden.  Oxford  :  printed 
by  Messrs.  Parker,  Corn-market  Street  [N.D.]. 

Issued  in  a  shiny,  bright  green  paper  cover,  with  one  leaf 
bound  in  at  the  end:  "Notice.  The  Fielding  Herbarium 
being  now  arranged,'5  etc. 

Second  Edition: 

1853.  Oxford  Botanic  Garden ;  or  A  popular  Guide  to 
the  Botanic  Garden  of  Oxford.  Second  Edition 
[pp.  1-62].  To  which  is  appended  An  Address  to 
the  Members  of  the  University  delivered  on  May  20, 
1853.  .  .  .  With  an  Appendix  [pp.  1-22]. 

Sold  at  The  Botanic  Garden  only.  Printed  by 
Messrs.  Parker,  Oxford. 

The  Linnean  Society  copy  is  accompanied  by  a  note  from 
Dr.  Daubeny  dated  Nov.  4,  1853.  It  is  the  only  perfect 
copy  I  have  seen.  It  is  bound  in  a  shiny  green  cover,  and 
contains  the  Plan  of  the  Garden  on  blue  paper  at  the  beginning, 
and  a  revised  and  undated  leaf  of  "  Regulations  "  at  the  end. 

The  principal  changes  in  this  edition  include  the  omission 
of  the  Plan  of  the  Experimental  Garden,  the  inclusion  of  the 
1850  Supplement,  and  the  addition  of  the  1853  Address. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY   OF   THE   "GUIDE"  183 

1856.  Supplement  to  the  Botanic  Garden  Guide  [pp.  1-12]. 
1864.  Oxford  Botanic  Garden  ;  or  A  popular  Guide  to  the 
Botanic  Garden  of  Oxford.  Second  Edition 
[pp.  1-62].  To  which  is  appended  An  Address 
[pp.  1-22]  .  .  .  And  also  A  Supplement  containing  an 
account  of  the  Botanical  Museum  [pp.  23-34],  and 
of  the  other  principal  additions  made  to  the  collec- 
tions since  the  year  1853  [pp.  35-50]. 

Sold  at  the  Botanic  Garden  only.    Price  6d.     1864. 

This  new  title  is  printed  on  the  shiny  green  paper  cover,  but 

the  title-page  (p.  i)  remains  the  same  as  in  the  1853  edition. 

The  Plan  facing  the  title-page  is  printed  on  white  paper  and 

has  been  revised. 

The  1864  Supplement  also  occurs  separately. 

1866.  For  this,  the  last  edition  sold  in  Dr.  Daubeny's  lifetime,  the  1864 
edition  was  used  without  alteration,  except  that  a  printed  slip 
"  Corrected  to  1866 "  was  pasted  on  the  title-page,  a  leaf 
entitled  "  N.B.  1866"  was  inserted  at  the  beginning,  and  four 
pages  (pp.  51-54),  entitled  "  Arboretum  "  and  "  Names  of  the 
Trees  and  Shrubs  in  Christ  Church  Walk,  1864,"  were  added 
at  the  end. 

That  Dr.  Daubeny  intended  to  publish  a  new  edition  of  his  GUIDE,  is 
indicated  by  two  interleaved  copies  of  earlier  editions  in  the  Botanic  Garden 
Library,  containing  notes  added  by  him  in  1867,  the  last  year  of  his  life. 
One  is  labelled  "  Botanic  Garden  Houses." 

LIST  OF  WORKS  RELATING  TO  THE  BOTANIC  GARDEN 
Bridges  from  the  old  world  to  the  new. — CARLYLE. 

For  the  earliest  history,  consult  MSS.  Twyne,  vi.  161-173,  and  xxi.  838, 
among  the  Oxford  Univ.  Archives. 
1616,  July  26.     Lease   from    Magdalen  College    to    Humphrey   Ellis  for 

20  years. 
1621,  March  27.     Surrender  of  lease  by  Ellis  to  the  University  for  ^250. 

,,     April  II.     Announcement  by  Vice-Chancellor  of  payment  of  ^"250. 

,,     July  25.     Opening  Ceremony  and  Foundation. 

,,        ,,    28.     New  direct  lease  from  Magdalen  College  to  the  University. 

,,     Nov.  6.     Contract  for  buildings, 


184  BOOKS   AND    PRINTS 

1648.  Bobart,  Jacob.     Hortus  Medicus  Oxoniensis.     Catologus  Plantarum 

Horti    Medici    Oxoniensis,   Latino-anglicus   et   anglico-latinus 

[pp.  4  +  54],    An  English  Catalogue  of  the  Trees  and  Plants  in 

the  Physicke  Garden  of  the  Universitie  of  Oxford  [pp.  1-52], 

I2mo.     Oxon. 
1653.  Paulli,  Simon.     Viridaria  varia  regia  et  academica.     Copenhagen. 

[Reprints  Bobart's  Hortus  Medicus  Oxoniensis.] 
1658.  Stephens,  P.,  Browne,  W.  [and  Bobarts,    father  and  son].     Cata- 

logus  Horti  Botanici  Oxoniensis  [pp.  16  +  187].     The  Second 

Part  of  the  Catalogue  of  the  Trees  and  Plants  of  the  Physick 

Garden  in  the  University  of  Oxford  [pp.  6  +  193-214].     i6mo. 

Oxon.     [The  second  edition  of  Bobart's  first  Catalogue.] 
1662.  [Gayton,   Edmund.]      Upon  Mr.  Jacob  Bobart's  Yew-men  of  the 

Guards  to  the  Physick  Garden,  to  the  tune  of  the  "Counter 

Scuffle." 
,,      [Gayton,  Edmund.]    A  Ballad  on  theGyants  in  the  Physick  Garden 

in  Oxford,  who  have  been  breeding  feet  as  long  as  Garagantua 

was  Teeth. 
1664.  [Drope,    John.]      Upon   the    most    Hopefull    and   ever-flourishing 

Sprouts  of  Valour,  the  indefatigable  Centrys  of  the  Physick  - 

Garden. 
1668  (circ.).  Wood,  A.   History  and  Antiquities  of  the  University  of  Oxford. 

MS.  in  Bodleian,  Wood,  F  2,  fol.  98-9.     Gutch's  edit.  1786. 
1669.  Morison,  R.     Praeludia  Botanica. 
1672.         ,,          ,,      Plantarum  Umbelliferarum    Distributio    nova.      Fol. 

Oxon. 
1676.  Morison,  R.    MS.  Catalogue  of  Plants  in  the  Library  of  the  Botanic 

Garden. 
1680.  Morison,  R.     Plantarum    Historiae    Universalis    Oxoniensis,    pars 

secunda.     Fol.     Oxon. 

1683.  Baskerville,  Thomas.     See  p.  188. 

1684.  Plot,  R.,  and  Bobart,  J.     A  discourse  concerning  the  effects  of  the 

great  Frost,  on  Trees  and  other  Plants,  anno  1683.  Drawn 
from  the  answers  to  some  Queries  sent  into  divers  Countries 
by  Dr.  Rob.  Plot,  S.R.S.,  and  from  several  Observations  made 
at  Oxford  by  the  skilful  Botanist,  Mr.  Jacob  Bobart.  Philo- 
sophical Transactions ,  xiv.  pp.  766-789. 

,,  Cater,  William.  Horti  Botanici  querela.  Elegiacs  recited  "  indif- 
ferently "  at  the  Encaenia,  July  n,  "because  the  frost  last 
winter  kill'd  most  of  the  trees." 

1699.  Morison,    R.,    and    Bobart,   J.      Plantarum    Historiae    Universalis 
Oxoniensis,  pars  tertia.     Fol.     Oxon. 


LIST   OF    WORKS  185 

1713.     [Abel  Evans.]     Vertumnus.     [An  anonymous  poem  addressed  to 

Bobart.] 
1728,  Oct.  4.     Extract  from  Sherard's  Will  read  in  Convocation.     Reg. 

Conv.,  Bd  31,  fol.  262. 

1732,  Feb.  8.     Orders  relating  to  the  Garden.     Reg.  Conv.,  Be  32,  fol.  21. 
1834.  Daubeny,  C.     Copy  of  a  Report  presented  to  the  Visitors  of  the 
Oxford   Botanic   Garden   at  their   desire    by  the  Professor    of 
Botany.     Oxford,  March  14,  1834. 

,,     Daubeny,  C.  An  Inaugural  Lecture  on  the  Study  of  Botany  read  in  the 
Library  of  the  Botanic  Garden,  Oxford,  May  I,  MDCCCXXXIV. 
These  two  publications  appear  to  have  been  afterwards  issued 
together  in   a  brown-paper   cover   entitled   "  Professor  Daubeny's 
Inaugural  Lecture  on  the   Study  of  Botany,"   with  two  engraved 
plans  of  the  Garden — the   "  Hortus  Botanicus  Oxonii,"  showing 
the  existing  state,  and  the  "  Plan  of  the  Botanic  Garden,"  *  showing 
the  suggested  improvements  to  be  submitted  to  the  Garden  Com- 
mittee ;  and  also  a  "  Synopsis  of  a  Natural  System  of  Arrangement 
of  Plants"  printed  on  one  leaf,  which  had  probably  been  circulated 
among  the  audience  present  at  the  Inaugural  Lecture. 
1839.  Baxter,  W.   Remarks  on  Garden  Tallies.  Gardeners' 'Magazine ,  p.  542. 
,,     Baxter,  W.     Effect  of  the  Winter  of  1837-8  on  the  Trees  and  Shrubs 
in  the  Oxford  Botanic  Garden.     [On  January  20  of  that  winter, 
the  thermometer  sank  to  i°  Fahr.] 
1851,  Nov.   28.     Daubeny,   G.   C.  B.     Statement  respecting  the  Money 

spent  upon  the  Botanic  Garden. 
1856,  Feb.   20.     B.D.      The   Botanical   Gardens.     A  leaflet   to   protest 

against  the  is.  entrance-fee  to  the  green-houses. 

,,     Feb.  21.     Daubeny,  G.  C.  B.     A  Paper  on  the  Pecuniary  Main- 
tenance of  the  Botanic  Garden. 

,,     Feb.  21.  The  Professor  of  Botany  ?     Botanical  Gardens. 
,,     March  18.     Daubeny,   C.     [Letter]  To  the  Members  of   Convoca- 
tion.    Answer  to  B.D.,  and  balance  sheet  for  1855. 
1864.  Robinson,  W.     Notes  on  the  Oxford  Botanic  Garden.     Gardeners' 

Chronicle,  pp.  722,  747,  771. 

1870.   Lawson,  M.  A.     Oxford  Botanists.     Gardeners'  Chronicle,  p    1024. 

1875,  Nov.  25.    Anon.    The  Oxford  Botanic  Garden.    Nature,  xiii.  p.  61. 

,,     Acland,  H.  W.     A  Letter  to  Dr.  Hooker.     Second  Edition.     [The 

first   copies   issued   were   recalled   on    account    of   a   personal 

remark,  which  was  expunged  from  later  issues.] 

*  A  revised  edition  of  this  plan,  "with  the  projected  additions"  partly 
carried  out,  and  showing  alterations  to  beds  and  shrubberies,  was  printed 
circ.  1845.  I  am  indebted  to  Mr.  James  Parker  for  a  copy. 


1 86  BOOKS  AND    PRINTS 

1875.  Lawson,  M.  A.     [Leaflet.] 

1876.  ,,  ,,        Report   and    Letter    published   in   the    University 

Gazette  for  May  22. 
,,      Acland,  H.  W.     The  Botanical  Gardens  and  the  Administration  of 

Science  Apparatus  in  Oxford. 

1883.  Chapman,  E.     Report  on  the  Botanic  Garden  for  1883. 
,,      Hooker,  J.  D.,  and  Dyer,  W.  T.  T.     Memorandum  on  the  Oxford 

Chair  of  Botany. 
1886.  Druce,  G.  C.    The  Flora  of  Oxfordshire.     8vo.    Oxford  and  London. 

1888.  Balfour,  I.  B.     [Letter]  To  the  Curators   of  the    Botanic  Garden, 

Oxford. 

1889.  Curators  of  the  Botanic  Garden.   First  Annual  Report.  [These  Annual 

Reports  have  been  continued  until  the  present  time.  They  are 
printed  in  the  University  Gazette  and  in  Reports  of  University 
Institutions,  and  are  also  issued  as  separate  pamphlets.] 

1890.  Vines,  S.,  and  Baker,  W.  G.     Delectus  Seminum  Horti  Botanici 

Universitatis  Oxoniensis. 

1893.  Curators  of  the  Botanic  Garden.  Botanic  Garden.  Application  to 
Convocation  for  special  grant  to  enable  them  to  rebuild  the 
Garden-Houses. 

1900.  Baker,    W.    G.       Aquatic   Plants.      In    the    1900   Supplement   to 

George  Nicholson's  Dictionary  of  Gardening^  pp.  70-78. 
,,     Baker,  W.G.     Aquatic  Plants.     In  the  Book  of  Gardening  edited  by 
Drury,  pp.  863-926.     [With  illustrations  of  the  Oxford  Water- 
lily  Tank,  and  of  flowers  grown  in  the  Oxford  Garden.] 

1904.  Giinther,  R.  T.  A  History  of  the  Daubeny  Laboratory,  Magdalen 
College,  Oxford.  8vo.  London. 

1911.  Vines,  S.  H.  Syllabus  of  a  Lecture  on  the  Origin  of  Systematic 
Botany  :  Morison  and  Ray.  Delivered  on  Feb.  3,  1911,  at 
the  University  of  London.  Privately  printed.  Oxford. 

In  preparation.  Vines,  S.  H.,  and  Druce,  G.  C.  The  Herbarium  of 
Morison  and  Bobart.  Oxford. 

PRINTS 

1643.   Hollar.     Map. 

1675.  Loggan.  Hortus  Botanicus.  The  Physick  Garden  in  Oxon.  Plan, 
i6in.  x  19^  in.,  with  inset  views  of  the  East  Gate,  inside  and 
outside  views  of  the  Danby  Gate,  and  the  Conservatory  for  Ever- 
greens. The  "Giants  "  are  shown  in  this  view.  In  Daubeny's 
reduced  engraving  (p.  7)  the  beds  are  reduced  in  number. 

1707.  Beeverel,  J.  Jardin  de  Medecine  a  Oxford.  [Plan  after  Loggan.] 
Delices,  p.  534. 


PRINTS  187 

1719.  Oxford  Almanack.     See  p.  13,  note. 

1733.  Williams,  W.  Hortus  Botanicus.  Bird's-eye  view,  i6f  in.  x  i9|  in., 
with  insets,  reproduced  on  p.  15. 

1766.  Oxford  Almanack.  [View  of  Conservatories.]  S.  Wale  del.  ; 
Green  sc.  This  view  was  re-engraved  by  J.  Skelton  in  1820, 
vide  Oxonia  depicta,  and  again  by  Storer  in  1821,  see  below. 

I79o(circ.).  [View  of  Danby  Gate,  surcharged  with  a  large  J.]  i|  in. 
square.  Bookplate  of  the  Botanic  Garden  Library.  In  a  later 
edition,  inscribed  E.  BIBL.  BOTAN.  OXON.,  the  J  was  omitted. 

1792.  Oxford  Almanack  for  1911.  [Coloured  view  of  the  East  Wall  and 
Magdalen  Tower,  by  Ed.  Dayes.] 

1797.  Oxford  Almanack.  Magdalen  Tower  and  Bridge.  Shows  a  stone 
building  at  the  corner  of  the  East  Wall.  No  willow.  Top  of 
East  Green-house. 

1814.  Pugin,  A.  Botanic  Garden.  D.  Ho  well,  sculpt.  ;  published  by 
Ackerman,  Dec.  I.  Coloured  engraving,  7^  in.  x  5$  in.  A 
view  through  the  open  gate. 

1821.  Storer,  J.  and  H.  S.  Botanic  Garden,  4§  in.  x  2|  in.  [Green-houses 
from  S.W.]  In  R.  Lascelles'  University  and  City  of  Oxford. 

1829.  Whittock,  N.  [View  of  the  Danby  Gateway.]  Vignette  to  the 
lithographed  title-page  of  The  Microcosm  of  Oxford. 

1831.  Whessell,J.  View  from  the  Physic  Gardens.  Vignette  to  the  title- 
page  of  Oxford  Delineated,  published  by  J.  Whessell.  This 
view  of  Magdalen  Tower  from  the  Garden  shows  the  Gateway 
and  old  Yew  Hedge  in  the  foreground. 

1836.  Mackenzie,  F.,  and  Le  Keux,  J.  The  Botanic  Garden,  5§  in.  x  3!  in. 
In  Ingram's  Memorials.  View  of  Gateway,  Magdalen  Tower, 
Library,  the  Professor's  New  House,  and  Magdalen  Bridge, 
with  Dr.  Daubeny's  new  Aquarium  and  Fountain  in  the  fore- 
ground. 

1845  (circ.).  Knight.  Gate  of  the  Botanic  Gardens  at  Oxford.  3|in.  x  4!  in. 
In  Old  England. 

1885.   Water-lily  House.     Woodcut  in  Gardeners'  Chronicle,^.  84. 
,,      Fountain.  ,,  ,,  ,,          p.  540. 

,,       General  View.  ,,  ,,  ,,          p.  732. 

1900  (circ.).  Views  of  Botanic  Garden,  pp.  123  and  131  in  T.  Whittaker's 
Sights  and  Scenes  in  Oxford.  N.D. 

1901.  View  of  Lily  Tank  in  the  Oxford  Botanic  Garden.  In  G.  Nichol- 
son's Dictionary  of  Gardening,  Supplement,  p.  74,  fig.  71. 

1910  (?).  Haslehurst,  E.  Botanic  Gardens  and  Magdalen  Tower.  A 
3- colour  print  in  a  booklet  called  Oxford.  N.D. 


APPENDIX   A 

THOMAS   BASKERVILLE'S   ACCOUNT   OF   THE 
PHISICK   GARDEN,    CIRC.    1683 

From  the  "  Collectanea,  IV,"  of  the  Oxford  Historical  Society,  transcribed 
from  "MS.  Rawlinson"  D.  810   in  the  Bodleian  Library 

As  to  ye  Phisick  Garden  &  its  Rarityes  of  that  nature,  since  it  stands 
on  ground  lately  purchased  from  Magdalen  Colleclge,  it  may  now  justly 
challenge  a  remembrance,  &  that  you  may  haue  a  true  character  of  its 
work  &  beauty  take  here  an  account  oft  from  him  yl  now  keeps  it,  the 
skilfull  and  Ingenious  Gardener  himselfe,  my  friend  Mr  Jacob  Bobert. 

Amongst  ye  severall  famous  structures  &  curiosities  wherewith  ye 
flourishing  University  of  Oxford  is  enriched,  that  of  ye  Publick  Physick 
Garden  deserues  not  ye  last  place,  being  a  matter  of  great  use  &  ornament, 
prouving  serviceable  not  only  to  all  Physitians,  Apothecaryes,  and  those 
who  are  more  imediately  concerned  in  the  practise  of  Physick,  but  to 
persons  of  all  qualities  seruing  to  help  ye  diseased  and  for  ye  delight  & 
pleasure  of  those  of  perfect  health,  containing  therein  3000  seuerall  sorts 
of  plants  for  ye  honor  of  our  nation  and  Universitie  &  service  of  ye  Cornon- 
wealth.  This  noble  thing  was  ye  Benefaction  of  yu  Right  Honourable 
Henry,  Earle  of  Danby,  who  then  liued  at  his  house  at  Cornebury,  who, 
purchasing  a  most  convenient  plot  of  ground  of  5  acres  of  Magdalen 
Colledge  land  thereto  adjoyning,  being  aptly  watered  wth  ye  Riuer  Char- 
well  by  it  gliding,  and  built  thereon  a  most  stately  wall  of  hewen  stone 
14  foot  high  with  3  very  considerable  Gates  thereto,  one  whereof  was  to 
the  cost  of  at  least  500  pounds,  wch  worthy  work  was  all  finished  in  ye 
yeare  1632.  And  endowed  the  same  with  the  Parsonage  impropriate  of 
Kirkdale  in  the  County  of  York,  to  remain  for  perpetuitie. 

After  the  walls  &  gates  of  this  famous  garden  were  built,  old  Jacob 
Bobert  father  to  this  present  Jacob  may  be  said  to  be  ye  man  yl  first  gave 
life  &  beauty  to  this  famous  place,  who  by  his  care  &  industry  replenish'd 

188 


ACCOUNT   OF   THE   PHISICK   GARDEN 


189 


the  walls,  wth  all  manner  of  good  fruits  our  clime  would  ripen,  &  bedeck 
the  earth  wth  great  variety  of  trees  plants  &  exotick  flowers,  dayly 
augmented  by  the  Botanists,  who  bring  them  hither  from  ye  remote 
Quarters  of  ye  world,  but  to  proceed. 

This  Garden  Plot  is  not  exactly  square,  for  ye  walkes  East  &  West 
are  about  120  of  my  paces  or  strides  wch  are  more  than  a  yard,  But 
North  &  South  1  trod  out  but  106  &  112  yards  with  ye  length  of  ye 
North-Gate  wch  is  extended  wthout  ye  square  of  ye  wall.  Here  is  a  door 
way  lately  broke  through  the  middle  of  ye  South  wall,  but  the  gates 
spoken  of  by  Mr  Bobert  are  in  the  East  West  &  Northerne  sides,  that 


THE  SENTRIES 


in  the  North  wall  wch  admits  entrance  from  the  City  being  fairest  built, 
by  this  Old  Jacob  some  years  past  got  two  yew  trees  wch  being  formed 
by  his  skill  are  now  grown  up  to  be  Gigantick  bulkey  fellows,  one  holding 
a  Bill  th'  other  a  Club  on  his  shoulder  which  fancy  made  an  Ingenious 
person  strow  this  Copie  of  verses  on  them. 

Upon  the  most  hopefull  &  ever-flourishing  Sprouts  of  Valour, 
The  Indefatigable  Centrys  of  the  Physick-Garden. 

Although  no  brandish'd  Cherubins  are  here, 
Yet  sons  of  Adam  venture  not  too  near, 
Nor  pluck  forbidden  fruit,  if  with  intent 
To  visit  Paradise  be  innocent. 


190  APPENDIX   A 

Here's  your  (nil  ultra)  else;  in  each  of  these 
Is  both  a  Pillar  and  an  Hercules. 
If  you  do  not  dread  their  looks,  yet  may  you  fear 
The  many  strange  fatalities  they  bear. 
The  Embleme  of  mortality  the  Yew 
Does  likewise  now  ye  armed  Agent  shew  ; 
And  if  unwearie  Mortals  slight  their  guard 
They  doubly  make  the  Garden  a  Church-yard. 
In  this  coniunction  mischief's  never  grant, 
The  Saturnine' s  become  a  martial  Plant  : 
ffar  off,  in  heaven  it  selfe  are  those  bad  stars  ; 
What  here  at  hand,  when  Saturn  clubs  with  Mars  ? 
Th'  Hyperian  Dragon,  were  it  not  a  fable, 
Then  these  our  Porters  is  lefs  admirable. 
Their  blood  is  poyson  ;  pestilent  their  breath  ; 
And  very  shade  the  shadow  is  of  death. 
But  since  in  England  they  can  do  no  harm 
Internall,  they  for  outward  mischief  Arm  ; 
Desperate  poyson  in  most  fforeign  ground 
Instead  of  sicknefs  here  they  mean  to  wound. 
(As  lately  Rebels  serv'd  that  blefsed  Head, 
When  Poyson  might  not  do,  they  struck  him  dead). 
Who  dares  be  safe  ?  no  Turk  is  armed  so, 
When  every  member  of  them  is  a  Bow. 
Even  Arms  are  Armed  ;  Bows  charg'd  with  Mars  or  Bill, 
So  that  at  once  with  stroake  &  shot  they  kill. 
And  lop  each  limb  you  can  not  strike  them  dead  ; 
Each  limb  will  multiply  like  Hidra's  head. 
Some  vegetables  do  themselves  protest 
With  prickles,  stings,  or  stinks  the  game  effect. 
Our  garden  Genii,  more  generall, 
Do  not  defend  themselves  alone,  but  all. 
Old  heroes  hung  their  weapons,  so  as  these, 
ffor  signal  victories  on  signall  Trees  : 

19  But,  sure  of  Conquest,  these  presumptuous  Sophy es 

Do  antidate  :  are  Victors  both  and  Trophyes. 
If  quibbling  Cambridge,  when  they  next  Commense, 
*'  Shall  say,  here's  Terra?  fllii  without  sense, 
*'  And  uery  Block-heads  "  :  know  that  these  were  meant 
ffor  Military  not  a  learn' d  intent. 
Valour  and  wit  at  equall  Honour  fly, 
Yet  valour  often,  seldome  wit  dwels  high. 
As  wisemen  are  Cowards  ;  so  'tis  fit 
That  combatants  haue  neither  fear  nor  wit. 
Their  Education  tho  they  may  not  brand 
Bred  in  the  Gardens  Garden  of  the  Land. 
Manners  makes  men,  of  men,  means  Wickham's  Box 
Our  Yews  declare  they  may  be-  made  of  Stocks, 
By  culture  too  :  And  Trunks  afsume  of  late 
The  grand  proprieties  of  Human  state  : 
Couch' d  in  an  Oake  the  Soveraignty  ye  knew 
Soe  here  appropriate  valour  in  the  Yew  ; 


ACCOUNT   OF   THE   PHISICK   GARDEN  191 

Say,  they  are  speechlefs  too  :  the  men  of  Words 

They  murmur  though,  &  shake  their  crests  disturb'd 

By  fancy  winds  :  nor  would  their  rage  be  curb'd, 

Were't  not  in  vain  their  Honor  to  repair, 

When  'tis  to  fight  the  winds,  and  beat  the  Ayr  : 

Jove  whispers  peace  ;  or  else  we  well  might  wonder 

He  go  secure,  lets  rust  his  Dasdard  Thunder. 

These  Earth-born  Giants  take  a  distant  course 

By  plots  more  perilous  than  was  their  force. 

Each  man's  an  Ambuscado  ;  and  may  well 

Be  said  at  once  Perdue  and  Centinel. 

How  they  advance  tow"rds  Heaven  night  and  day 

And  strenghth  increeses  still  upon  the  way, 

Yet  moves  unseen  :  But  Joves  all-kenning  eye 

Did  from  these  wily  stratagems  espie 

Else  might  th'  All-conquerour  haue  been  surpris'd 

As  was  our  own  by  men  in  Boughs  disguis'd. 

So  that  Apollo  sent  a  league  to  treat 

And  to  Caress  them  with  a  gentle  heat ; 

With  numerous  presents  of  his  golden  Rayes  ; 

With  farther  promise  of  serener  Dayes. 

Else  would  their  force  crack  Heavens  Chariot  wheels, 

But  prostrate  Earth  too  hangs  about  their  heels  ; 

And  as  an  Ancient  loyall  Sabine  Wife 

Ventures  to  intercede,  and  part  the  strife, 

So  men,  whose  humbler  scope  is  heavens  Crown, 

With  darling  Earth  are  clog'd  and  fetter' d  down. 

Could  we  believe  but  what  old  people  do 

They  were  not  only  men  but  Christians  too, 

Who  fright  the  Div'l  himself;    had  God  but  set 

In  his  first  Colony  this  Amulet  ; 

No  work  for  Cherub  had  there  been  :  no  doubt 

The  fliend  had  been,  and  not  poor  man  cast  out, 

And  Proserpine  might  here  haue  fil'd  her  lap 

With  only  flowers  and  not  an  after-clap  : 

fTrom  sons  of  Adam  now  we  must  retrieve 

Our  warning  to  the  daughters  next  of  Eve. 

Gardens  of  Beauties,  many  in  pursuit 

Are  of  your  own  choice  flow'rs,  &  rarest  fruit : 

Weak  is  your  Sex  ;    you  know  the  Div'l  in  swine 

Was  nere  repuls'd  by  hedge  of  Eglantine. 

If  yet  the  Courtier  flox,  or  Ruffian  Bore 

That  Mound  haue  never  undermin'd  and  tore, 

Thus  fortifie  yorselves  ;    in  your  defence 

Set  Giant  Honour,  Giant  Conscience. 

So  shall  you  never  keep,  by  this  advice, 

Knaves  Kitchen  Gardens  but  ffools  Paradise. 

So  farewell  Heroes  ;    who  shall  sing  of  you, 
When  as  Heroick  is  Georgick  too  ? 


192  APPENDIX  A 

20  Here  I  may  take  leave  to  speake  a  word  or  two  of  old  Jacob  who 
now  is  fled  from  his  Earthly  Paradise.  As  to  Country  he  was  by  birth 
a  German  born  in  Brunswick  that  great  Rum-Brewhouse  of  Europe  :  In 
his  younger  dayes  as  I  remember  I  haue  heard  him  say  he  was  sometime 
a  Soldier  by  which  Imploy  and  travail  he  had  opportunitie  of  Augmenting 
his  knowledge,  for  to  his  native  Dutch  he  added  the  English  Language, 
and  he  did  understand  Latine  pretty  well.  As  to  fabrick  of  body  he  was 
by  nature  very  well  built,  (his  son  in  respect  of  him  but  a  shrimp)  tall 
straite  and  strong  with  square  shoulders  and  a  head  well  set  upon  them. 
In  his  latter  dayes  he  delighted  to  weare  a  long  Beard  and  once  against 
Whitsontide  had  a  fancy  to  tagg  it  with  silver,  which  drew  much  Company 
in  the  Phisick-Garden.  But  to  save  you  further  trouble  view  his  shadow 
in  this  Picture.  \_Loggarfs  engraving  of  him  is  here  omitted,'} 

Here  I  may  not  omit  the  Remembrance  of  a  worthy  person  defunct 
(though  not  of  my  acquaintance)  &  that  is  Dr  Morison  a  Scotchman  who 
was  Botanick  Lecturer  in  Oxford  till  unhappily  brought  to  his  end  by  a 
bruise  wch  a  Coach  gave  him  in  London  Street  Ano  1682  or  3.  Some 
who  haue  heard  him  say  he  was  uery  ingenious  &  pleasant  in  his  discourse 
on  that  subject,  But  whether  there  be  now  any  Botanick  Lecturer  in 
Oxford  I  can  not  tell,  but  Mr  Sherwood  of  S*  John's  an  acquaintance  of 
mine  a  Lincoln-shier  gent  and  a  kin  to  a  Lord  of  that  name  there,  is  a 
great  louer  of  simpling  who  wth  Mr  Bobert  show'd  me  an  Herball  set  out 
by  Dr  Morrison  wch  had  the  best  cuts  of  Plants  that  I  yet  haue  seen. 

Anno  1670.  Here  was  built  by  the  Income  of  the  money  giuen  by  the 
flounder  a  fair  Green-house  or  Conservatory  to  preserve  tender  plants  & 
trees  from  the  Injury  of  hard  winter. 


APPENDIX   B 

LIST  OF  106  PLANTS  TAKEN  FROM  THE  OX- 
FORD COLLECTION  BY  PROFESSOR  LAWSON 
AND  SENT  TO  KEW  IN  1882 


AGAVE 

APICRA 

HAWORTHIA  (cont.} 

applanata  (2) 

coarctata  (2) 

cuspidata 

atrovirens  picla 

fasciata 

,,         gradata  (2) 

besseriana 

hybrida 

cymbaefolia  (2) 

corderoyi 

imbricata 

cymbaeformis  (2) 

filifera  (2) 

reinwardtii  (2) 

granata  (2) 

glaucescens 

rigida  (2) 

laetevirens 

horrida 

scabra 

margarifera 

lactovirens  marginata 

spiralis 

mucronata  (2) 

lophanta 

spirella 

papillosa 

,,         univittata 

tortuosa 

parva  (3) 

roezliana 

sp.  not  named  (2) 

planifolia  (2) 

saundersiana 

radula  (2) 

seemanni 

"CEREUS"  (?  Sedum) 

retusa 

sobolifera 

ebracteata 

„     near  (3) 

taylorii 

scabra  (2) 

verschaffeltii 

DIOSTEMON 

semi-glabrata  (3) 

,,       peacockiana 

nooiceri 

semi-margaritifera 

virginica 

subulata 

vivipara 
xylacantha 

GASTERIA 

tessellata 
turgida  (3) 

xylonacantha 

bicolor 

viscosa 

coarctata  (2) 

sp.  not  named  (2) 

ALOE 

maculata  (2) 

. 

albo-cincta 
bowiei  (2) 

marmorata 
obliqua 

MESEMBRYANTHEMUM 

plicatilis  (3) 

anatomicum 

serrulata 

HAWORTHIA 

molle 

,,      sp.  Cooper 

aspera 

umbellata  variegata 

atrovirens  (2) 

PACHYPHYTUM 

sp.  not  named  (2) 

clariperla  (3) 

roseum 

13 

193 

APPENDIX  C 
THE   LEAFLET   WHICH   SAVED   THE   GARDEN 

That  the  Garden  is  still  on  its  original  site  is  partly,  if  not 
entirely,  due  to  the  circulation  of  the  following  skit. 

Dr.  Henry  Acland's  letter  dated  November  3,  1875,  and 
seriously  advocating  the  removal  of  the  Garden  to  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  Museum  in  the  University  Parks,  was 
published  on  November  30,  1875.  In  tne  following  month 
the  "  skit,"  signed  "  Nemo,"  was  circulated,  which  defeated  the 
plan. 

A  friend  writes :  "  I  remember  dining  at  Dr.  Rolleston's,  and 
he  said,  *  The  abominable  scheme  is  done  with :  whoever 
wrote  the  "skit"  has  crushed  it.  Once  pour  ridicule  upon 
a  plan,  and  it  is  no  use  bringing  it  forward.'  And  it  was 
dropped." 

To  the  President  of  the  University  Removal  Co.  (Limited) 

OXFORD, 
MY  DEAR  SIR,  Dec.,  1875. 

The  close  of  the  year  will  probably  bring  before  the  University 
your  opinion,  which  I  have  not  heard  officially  contradicted,  that  the 
Oxford  rainfall  is  excessive^  that  the  planetary  theory  is  not  efficient,  and 
that  a  cataclysm  is  impending. 

As  this  opinion  seems  to  me  to  give  an  incomplete  account  of  the 
reasons  for  the  great  movement  set  on  foot  for  completing  our  institutions 
in  the  Parks  by  moving  thereto  the  Radcliffe  Infirmary,  I  venture  to  hope 
you  will  peruse  the  following  statement,  and,  if  need  be,  reconsider  your 
conclusion  on  the  planetary  theory,  if  it  be  such  as  I  hear. 

194 


LEAFLET  WHICH   SAVED   THE   GARDEN        195 

Some  years  ago  a  Greek  poet  sang  d/crtg  deXtoio.  .  .  .  No  sooner  was 
this  reported  to  Oxford  by  the  Daily  Telegraph,  than  sounds  of  /3peKe/fe«:^£ 
/cod£  /cod£  resounded  from  Port  Meadow  to  the  Water-walks  of  Magdalen. 
A  small  but  earnest  band  of  men  assembled,  and  after  long  and  anxious 
deliberation  determined  "that  virtue  is  commendable."  From  such  small 
germs  sprang  the  great  scheme  which  I  now  press  upon  you. 

The  Radcliffe  Infirmary  must  be  removed.  It  seems  impossible,  now 
the  Bodleian  Library  and  Botanical  Gardens  have  found  a  home  in  the 
Parks,  that  the  Radcliffe  Infirmary  should  any  longer  remain  in  isolation, 
far  off  in  the  swamps  of  Jericho,  and  separated  moreover  from  the  Library 
of  the  same  name.  One  great  building  only  is  missing,  and  that  is  the 
Radcliffe  Infirmary.  The  Clinical  Professor  with  his  Laboratory  and 
Lecture  Rooms  are  there,  but  the  beds  and  their  inmates  remain  aloof. 
Such  a  separation  cannot  but  be  injurious  to  both. 

Once  place  the  Infirmary  in  the  Parks  in  its  true  connection  with  the 
Museum,  and  the  advantages  which  would  accrue  to  Science  and  the 
public  are  countless.  Let  me  enumerate  a  small  portion  of  them.  By 
connecting  the  Infirmary  with  the  New  Observatory,  the  phenomena  of 
lunacy  may  be  studied  in  relation  with  the  librations  of  our  Satellite.  Its 
connection  with  the  Physical  Laboratory  will  enable  the  Professor  to  in- 
vestigate the  Statics  of  overtime  patients,  the  temperature  of  meetings,  the 
gravity  of  suggestions,  and  the  moments  of  inertia  of  Governors  generally. 
The  Pathologist  may  study  Elephantiasis  Grsecorum  either  from  its  classical 
side,  or  with  the  aid  of  Elephas  lately  placed  in  the  court.  Some  patients 
would  offer  a  field  of  research  to  the  Professor  of  Entomology  ;  nor  need 
the  Professor  of  Anthropotomy  lack  objects  of  interest.  Again,  to  prevent 
the  dissemination  of  narrow  and  false  views  of  nature  and  treatment  by 
patients  on  their  discharge,  a  portion  of  the  adjacent  Bodleian  Library 
would  be  fitted  up  as  a  Convalescent  Ward,  and  patients  copiously 
supplied  with  MSS.  suitable  to  their  age  and  nationality. 

The  Quarterly  Courts  of  the  Infirmary  would  form  as  constant  a  nucleus 
for  intercourse  among  students  as  they  would  furnish  matter  for  study  to 
several  Professors  ;  for  example,  the  discussions  there  held  would  furnish 
ample  material  for  the  Professors  of  Logic,  of  Moral  Philosophy,  and  of 
Metaphysics,  while  the  finances  would  occupy  the  attention  of  the  Professor 
of  Political  Economy ;  for  which  reason,  if  for  no  other,  it  becomes  im- 
perative that  these  Professors  with  their  chairs  should  be  removed  to  the 
Museum,  as  in  no  other  way  can  their  subjects  as  a  whole  be  studied. 
It  may  be  objected  to  my  scheme  that  I  have  not  consulted  the  Professors 
concerned.  This  I  consider  of  no  moment  ;  their  objections,  if  any,  are 
temporary,  and  will  speedily  be  relinquished. 

The  aesthetic  and  historical  reasons  alleged  against  the  removal  seem  to 


196  APPENDIX  C 

me  equally  questionable.  If  the  Radcliffe  Infirmary  be  removed,  the  rail- 
ings, the  fountain,  nay  the  Porter's  Lodge,  will  be  there.  The  buildings 
and  offices  only  would  be  gone,  the  site — its  associations  and  history — 
would  remain.  Moreover,  the  site  does  not  belong  to  the  University,  but 
to  the  Radcliffe  Infirmary.  Remove  it  then,  and  the  chimney  of  the 
University  Press  will  still  remain  a  beautiful  spectacle,  and  the  site  an 
open  vista  for  all  Oxford. 

I  had  almost  forgotten  to  remind  you  that  the  Infirmary  is  unsatisfactory 
on  several  accounts.  Its  buildings  are  too  small,  and  fresh  wards  are 
needed.  Rebuild  it  on  its  present  site,  and  you  needlessly  separate  the 
House  from  the  Museum,  the  Professor  from  his  patients;  rebuild  it  in 
the  Parks,  and  we  have  a  homogeneous  whole,  for  which  the  Oxford  of 
the  future  will  bless  you. 

I  should  have  been  disposed  to  appeal  to  your  generosity  as  an  old 
friend,  not  to  oppose  the  promoters  of  such  a  scheme,  unless  you  did  not 
approve  of  it.  But  I  cannot  learn  that  you  have  really  considered  it. 
When  I  tell  you  that  misfortune  planted  the  Incurable  Hospital  in  Cowley 
and  that  a  small  band  of  us  have  laboured  humbly  ever  since  to  drag  it 
from  its  obscurity,  let  me  beg  and  entreat  of  you  to  consider  and  re- 
consider all  this,  and  help  us  to  complete  our  work  by  adding  the  Incurable 
Hospital  also  to  those  glorious  structures  in  the  Parks,  in  admiration  of 
which  the  Cher  well  itself  will  linger  as  it  passes.  I  must  add,  that  should 
it  be  found  that  in  years  to  come  the  population  went  further  north,  or 
the  Science  of  the  future  developed  a  need  which  could  be  more  worthily 
satisfied  by  the  presence  of  other  institutions,  both  Infirmary  and  Incurable 
Hospital  could  easily  be  removed  to  their  former  sites,  provided  they  were 
kept  vacant ;  but  with  the  example  of  the  Angel  site  before  us  there  can 
be  no  difficulty  on  that  point. 

I  am, 

Yours  very  truly, 

NEMO. 

"  Nemo  "  was  Mr.  Edward  Chapman  of  Magdalen  College. 


APPENDIX   D 
FOREST   GARDENS 

Non  omnes  arbusta  juvant,  humilesque  myricae  ; 

Si  canimus  sylvas,  sylvae  sint  consule  dignae. — VIRGIL,  Georgics. 

The  Oxford  country  used  to  be  very  well  wooded.  In  the 
earliest  days  the  Forest  of  Bagley  stretched  down  almost  to 
the  river  on  the  north  and  enveloped  Abingdon  on  the  south. 
When  sea-coal  was  scarce,  the  woods  were  put  to  the  hard 
task  of  finding  "  fuel  for  all  the  houses  in,  and  many  out  of, 
the  shire."  The  woods  of  Shotover  were  held  in  such  high 
esteem  in  the  University,  that  when  Charles  I.  gave  them  to 
a  person  of  note  who  was  likely  to  cut  them  down,  letters 
on  behalf  of  their  preservation  were  written,  one  urging  "  that 
Oxford  was  one  of  the  eyes  of  the  land,  and  Shotover  woods 
the  hair  of  the  eyelids,  the  loss  whereof  must  needs  prejudice 
the  sight  with  too  much  moisture  flowing  therein  "  (Fuller). 
One  of  the  disasters  of  the  Great  Rebellion  was  the  cutting 
down  of  the  woods. 

Parts,  however,  of  the  old  forests  survived,  and  extensive 
areas  have  been  afforested.  According  to  the  returns  pub- 
lished in  the  IC  Victoria  County  History,"  in  1905,  there  were  : 

Coppice 4,464  acres. 

Plantations  (under  10  years  old)       .       1,385     ,, 
Other  woods 18,528     ,, 

Total  woodland      .         .     24,377     „ 

So  that  the  woodlands  of  Oxfordshire  and  Berkshire  are  still 

197 


198  APPENDIX  D 

sufficiently  important  to  determine  that  a  School  of  Forestry 
should  come  to  Oxford  rather  than  go  to  any  other  University. 

Shortly  before  Michaelmas  Term,  1905,  negotiations  were 
concluded  between  the  Secretary  of  State  for  India  and  the 
University  for  the  transference  of  the  School  of  Indian  Forestry 
at  Cooper's  Hill  to  Oxford,  under  the  superintendence  of  Sir 
William  Schlich. 

In  November  the  Royal  English  Arboricultural  Society 
presented  to  Magdalen  College  a  large  number  of  young 
Conifers,  which  were  planted  in  a  Pinetum  in  Tubney  Wood. 

In  the  winter  of  1905-6  a  Nursery  was  laid  out  in  Bagley 
Wood,  with  the  leave  of  St.  John's  College. 

The  following  account  of  the  Bagley  Forest  Garden  is 
given  by  Sir  William  Schlich  :  "  Over  100,000  plants  of  various 
species,  brought  from  Cooper's  Hill,  were  planted  in  it,  and 
seed  of  a  considerable  number  of  species  sown.  In  the 
following  year  a  commencement  was  made  with  the  establish- 
ment of  sample  plots  of  the  more  important  timber  trees, 
and  up  to  date  14  acres  have  thus  been  planted  in  groups 
(each  generally  one  quarter  of  an  acre  in  extent)  of  the 
following  species  : 

"In  1907  : 

Cedrus  deodara  Deodar 

Picea  excelsa  Norway  Spruce 

,,      sitchensis  Sitka  Spruce 

Pinus  laricio,  var.  Corsicana  Corsican  Pine 

,,      strobus  Wey mouth  Pine 

Pseudotsuga  douglasii  Vancouver  or  Oregon  Douglas 

,,  glauca  Fir 

Abies  pectinata  Silver  Fir 

Larix  sibirica  Siberian  Larch 

Quercus  pedunculata  Pedunculate  Oak 

,,       sessiliflora  Sessile  Oak 

"In  addition  a  plot  of  naturally  regenerated  Oak  was 
established. 


FOREST  GARDENS  199 

"In  1908: 

Pedunculate  Oak,  pitted  Fraxinus  americana,  American 

,,              ,,     notched  Ash 

Sessile  Oak,  pitted  Acer    pseudo-platanus,    Syca- 

„         ,,     notched  more 

Quercus  rubra,  American  Red  Acer  planoides,  Norway  Maple 

Oak  Castanea  vesca,  Edible  Chest- 

Fraxinus      excelsior,     English  nut 

Ash  Ulmus  campestris,  English  Elm 

,,      montana,  Wych  Elm 

"  The  spaces  under  the  remaining  old  Oak-trees  were  filled 
up  with  plants  of  Beech  and  Cypress. 

" In  1909 : 

Thuja  plicata  American  Red  Cedar 

Tsuga  albertiana  Western  Hemlock 

Larix  leptolepis  Japanese  Larch 

,,     europaea  Common  or  Tyrolese  Larch 
Sycamore  and  Norway  Maple 

"  Also  a  series  of  mixtures  of  some  20  species  were  laid  out 
to  give  to  the  students  an  opportunity  of  watching  the 
comparative  height  growth  of  the  species. 

"  During  the  present  year  further  extensions  are  con- 
templated. 

"  Previous  to  the  advent  of  the  School  of  Forestry,  the 
Rev.  H.  J.  Bidder  of  St.  John's  College  had  started  the 
planting  of  a  considerable  number  of  Conifer  species,  and 
these  have  been  very  considerably  extended  during  the  last 
few  years. 

"  Experience  has  so  far  shown  that — 

"  i.  The  Siberian  Larch  is  not  suited  to  this  climate,  as  it 
generally  begins  to  sprout  in  January,  if  a  few  mild  days 
occur,  and  is  subsequently  crippled  by  frost. 

"2.  Sitka  Spruce  is  very  liable  to  be  attacked  by  the  Honey 
fungus,  Armillaria  mellea. 


200  APPENDIX   D 

"  3.  Ash  does  not  thrive  well,  .for  reasons  which  are  now 
under  investigation. 

"4.  Experiments  with  artificial  manure  in  the  Nursery  did 
not  lead  to  any  results,  except  that  they  produced  in  the 
following  year  a  vigorous  growth  of  grass. 

"5.  Douglas  Fir,  especially  the  quick-growing  Oregon  variety, 
is  easily  thrown  by  wind  when  young,  unless  most  thoroughly 
protected,  while  Sitka  Spruce  has  so  far  not  been  injured. 

"A  well-appointed  building*  was  erected  [in  Oxford],  partly  in 
1906-7  and  partly  in  1908-9,  by  the  generosity  of  St.  John's 
College,  one  wing  being  occupied  by  School  of  Rural  Economy, 
and  the  other  by  the  School  of  Forestry." 

*  For  the  poem  "  Struthio.  Lament  of  the  Forestry  Ostrich,"  on  the 
sculptured  crest  which  is  perched  on  the  outside  of  the  building,  see  the 
Oxford  Magazine  for  Nov.  26,  1908. 


APPENDIX  E 
NOTES  ON  THE  GARDENS  OF  THE  COLLEGES 

The  Colleges,  whose  grassy  plots 

Are  now  resorts  of  vicious  ease, 
Were  then  laid  out  in  little  lots, 

With  useful  beans  and  early  peas : 
Each  merely  ornamental  sod 

They  dug  with  spades  and  hoed  with  hoes  : 
The  wilderness  in  every  quad 

Was  made  to  blossom  as  the  rose. — GODLEY. 

Though  amply  sufficient  for  the  purposes  for  which  it  was 
originally  founded,  the  Oxford  Botanic  Garden  is  not  spacious 
enough  for  the  many  uses  to  which  it  is  at  present  being 
put.  The  size  of  many  plants  forbids  their  being  grown  to 
their  full  proportions  within  Lord  Danby's  walls,  while  a 
great  many  desirable  species,  trees  more  especially,  must  for 
ever  be  excluded :  it  is  not  able  to  supply  all  the  smaller  plants 
required  for  class  demonstration  or  for  research,  still  less  to 
serve  as  a  satisfactory  arboretum. 

In  this  respect  Colleges  with  gardens  might  give  great 
assistance  if  the  divided  labours  could  be  properly  organised ; 
not  that  we  would  be  thought  to  suggest  the  gardens  being 
governed  or  planted  out  by  one  central  authority — the  failure 
of  so  many  of  the  trees  in  the  University  Park  has  been  a 
lesson  in  that  respect — but,  what  would  seem  quite  feasible, 
that  lists  be  made  from  time  to  time  of  plants  of  which  it 
is  desirable  to  have  specimens  in  Oxford,  but  which  cannot 
be  seen  here  now.  Many  an  intending  planter  would  be  glad 
to  have  such  a  list  to  consult. 


202  COLLEGE   GARDENS 

The  Botanic  Garden  might  also,  unless  hampered  by  a 
gdosia  di  mesticre,  make  annual  distributions  of  plants  among 
College  gardens,  and  thus  endeavour  to  raise  the  quality  of 
the  plants  grown  in  the  latter. 

The  University  Gazette  annually  publishes  long  lists  extend- 
ing from  Argotti  to  Zagrabia,  and  from  Sheffield  to  Shipbur, 
of  institutions  and  of  people  who  contribute  to,  and  therefore 
presumably  also  receive  plants  from,  the  Botanic  Garden. 
But  from  these  lists  the  names  of  Oxford  Colleges  are  in- 
variably absent,  and  there  is  no  reason  that  this  should  be  so. 
Many  Colleges  would  willingly  supplement  the  exhibits  at 
the  Botanic  Garden  by  plants  of  their  own  growing,  and  thus 
render  services  to  horticulture  or  to  arboriculture,  meanwhile 
enhancing  the  beauty  and  interest  of  their  own  grounds. 
College  Bursars  and  Garden  Masters,  although  there  have 
been  and  are  splendid  exceptions,  have  not  on  the  whole 
proved  themselves  skilled  in  the  care  of  trees,  and  in  con- 
sequence we  have  few  really  large  specimens  of  trees  in 
Oxford  ;  but  where  they  do  occur,  none  can  deny  that  there 
is  no  fitter  association  than  that  of  venerable  buildings  and 
noble  trees,  both  endued  with  the  dignity  of  age  and  the 
memories  of  the  past. 

But  a  College  garden  must  always  keep  its  individuality ; 
its  beauty  must  be  the  outward  sign  of  the  fostering  care 
of  those  to  whom,  for  the  time,  it  belongs ;  it  must  show,  as 
Goethe  has  expressed  it,  "  Dass  nicht  ein  wissenschaftlicher 
Gartner,  sondern  ein  fiihlendes  Herz  den  Plan  gezeichnet." 

The  idea  of  co-operation  is  not  new.  It  was  put  into 
practical  execution  fifty  years  ago,  when  W.  H.  Baxter  planted 
several  trees  in  Christ  Church  Walk,  in  situations  indicated 
in  detail  in  the  1866  edition  of  Dr.  Daubeny's  GUIDE  ;  but 
most  have  perished,  and  the  survivors  bear  the  marks  of 
having  passed  through  a  prolonged  period  of  neglect,  a  period 
which,  judging  from  the  abundant  signs  of  antiseptic  treatment 
of  scars  and  wounds  of  the  trees,  has  passed  away. 


CHRIST  CHURCH   MEADOWS  203 

In  the  following  notes  on  College  Gardens  the  measurements 
art  of  trunk- girths  taken  at  a  height  of  4  ft.  above  the  ground. 
Trees  which  are  the  largest  of  their  kind  in  Oxford,  known  to  the 
compiler •,  are  indicated  by  the  use  ^clarendon  type. 

CHRIST  CHURCH.  The  names  of  the  principal  trees  in  the 
Walk  round  Christ  Church  Meadows  are  given  in  order,  start- 
ing from  the  Rose  Lane  entrance  and  proceeding  round  by 
the  Barges  to  the  gate  in  Fish  Street  (St.  Aldate's). 

Rose  Lane  Gate  to  Deep  Martin. 

The  young  Limes  in  the  Avenue  have  attained  to  a  girth 
of  about  3  ft.  6  in.  The  large  Poplar,  P.  alba,  in  the  meadow 
has  a  girth  of  16  ft.  3  in. ;  but  its  still  larger  companion,  which 
was  blown  down  across  the  Cherwell  last  winter,  measured 
over  6ft.  in  diameter. 

Just  north  of  the  Broad  Walk  are :  Elm,  14  ft.  10  in. ; 
Beech,  8  ft.  3  in. ;  Ash,  9  ft.  5  in.  The  last  large  Elm  at 
the  end  of  the  Broad  Walk  *  girths  13  ft.  3  in.  In  the  clump 
to  the  south  is  Fraxinus  monophylla  ( =•  heterophylla\  men- 
tioned by  Walker  in  1833,  by  Daubeny  in  1864,  and  recently 
measured  by  Mr.  Druce  as  65  ft.  in  height  and  4  ft.  7  in.  in 
girth  (Elwes). 

Just  beyond  the  plantation  and  beside  a  sluice  is  an  aged 
Negundo  fraxinifolia,  5  ft.  3  in.,  in  a  dying  condition — 
obviously  the  result  of  neglect,  having  become  overgrown 
by  large  Willows.  A  little  further  on  are  a  small-leaved  Maple, 
Acer  monspessulanum,  5  ft.  6  in.,  and  a  Pyrus  intermedia,  of 
5  ft.  3  in.  Populus  candicans,  P.  dilatata,  and  (?)  canadensis 
used  to  grow  here.  By  the  ferry  is  a  Zelkova  of  8  ft.  9  in. 

Between  Deep  Martin  and  the  Island  many  fine  Alders  will 
be  noticed  on  both  sides  of  the  Cherwell ;  one,  with  four  limbs 

*  Near  this  end  of  the  Walk,  Daubeny,  in  1864,  noted  Fraxinus 
heterophylla  and  Alnus  glutinosa  laciniata ;  also  quite  young  trees  of 
Ailanthus,  Acer  pseudo-platanus,  fol.  purp.,  Aesculus  carneum,  and  the 
Glastonbury  Thorn  of  Baxter's  planting. 


204  COLLEGE   GARDENS 

rising  from  a  single  bole,  measures  6  ft.  across  at  the  ground. 
The  Rhododendrons  planted  by  Baxter  have  perished  long 
since ;  but  a  Norway  Maple,  Acer  platanoides,  5  ft.  3  in.,  is 
probably  the  one  known  to  him  as  a  young  tree.  I  am  not 
certain  whether  Crataegus  cocdnea  is  still  there  or  not. 

Near  the  hut  of  the  O.U.H.S.-man  are  a  Weeping  Elm, 
Ulmus  montana  pendula,  6  ft.  i  in.,  and  a  large  Plane,  n  ft., 
and  further  on,  an  Alder  of  7  ft. 

Between  the  Island  and  the  Dean's  If  am  we  noted  a  Birch, 
6  ft.  3  in.,  an  Ash,  6  ft.,  and  a  magnificent  Zelkova,  Planera 
richardi,*  measuring  12  ft.  8  in.  round  the  deeply  furrowed 
trunk— the  most  noteworthy  tree  in  the  Meadows,  and  growing 
quite  as  vigorously  as  those  we  have  seen,  60  ft.  in  height,  in 
their  native  .  Georgia,  south  of  the  Caucasus.  Further  on 
are  several  fine  Planes,  both  Platanus  occidentalis,  10  ft.  10  in. 
to  7  ft.  8  in.,  and  two  P.  orientalis,  by  the  waters  edge,  of 
ii  ft.  8  in.  ;  and  by  the  bridge  which  leads  over  the  Cherwell 
to  the  Barges  is  a  Birch,  4  ft.  7  in.  in  girth. 

A  Poplar  Willow,  Salix  fragilis  var.  decipiens,  Hoff.,  was 
estimated  by  Baxter  in  1830  to  be  fifty  years  old,  50  ft.  high, 
and  near  the  ground  6  ft.  10  in.  in  girth  (Druce's  "  Flora  of 
Oxford  "). 

In  the  plot  of  ground  known  as  the  Dearfs  Ham  between 
the  bridge  and  the  outlet  of  the  Trill  Mill  Stream,  W.  H.  Baxter, 
in  1862-3,  planted  Crataegus  douglasii,  Pyrus  pinnatifida, 
present  girth  4  ft.  4  in.,  Acer  saccharinum,  Weigela  rosea,  and 
several  Conifers  : 

Sequoia  gigantea  (3),  Thuja  gigantea, 

Pinus  excelsa  (3),  ,,      lobbiana, 

Cupressus  lawsoniana,  Picea  nordmanniana, 

Pinus  laricio,  Pinus  cembra  ; 

but  only   one   Sequoia  gigantea,  5  ft.,  a  Pinus,   3   ft.  9  in., 
P.  excelsa,   i  ft.  7  in.,  and   Thuja  gigantea,  2  ft.  3  in.,  are 

*  Mr.  Elwes,  for  the  purposes  of  his  big  book  on  Trees  now  in  course 
of  publication,  has  transplanted  (in  a  literary  sense)  this  tree  to  the 
University  Parks, 


CMklSt   CHtJRCtt    MEADOWS  20$ 

there  now.  A  dead  Sequoia  has  a  girth  of  3  ft.  3  in.  Near 
it  stands  an  interesting  Thorn,  Crataegus  sp.  with  large  leaves, 
which  is  in  danger  of  being  replaced  by  the  abundant  growth 
from  below  the  graft.  It  needs  pruning. 

At  the  east  end  of  the  Ham  is  a  Weeping  Elm,  2  ft.  9  in., 
and  in  the  middle  are  three  Poplars  of  close  on  10  ft.  girth, 
and  a  Cut-leaved  Alder,  4  ft.  2  in.  The  Ulmus  glabra  we 
have  not  identified.  Many  of  the  trees  in  the  meadow 
are  not  enclosed  and  have  been  badly  barked  by  horses. 
Near  the  fence  are  a  Hornbeam,  5  ft.  10  in.,  and  a  Willow, 
9  ft.  10  in. 

Near  the  outlet  of  the  Trill  Mill  Stream  (=  Pactolus,  for 
reasons  explained  in  Buckland's  "  Curiosities  of  Natural 
History")  are  several  Alders  (one  measuring  6  ft.  8  in.)  and 
Oaks  (one,  a  fine  Turkey  Oak,  Quercus  cerris>  measuring 
8  ft.  7  in.).  Daubeny  also  recorded  Fraxinus  lentiscifolia 
near  by. 

The  Almond  which  Baxter  planted  at  the  end  of  the  Broad 
Walk  has  not  survived  ;  but  near  by  are  a  recently  planted 
Plane  and  an  Ailanthus. 

The  Elms  of  the  Broad  Walk  were  planted  after  the 
Restoration,  and,  in  1683,  they  were  noted  by  Baskerville  to 
be  "  pretty  well  grown,"  but  now,  having  reached  the  limit  of 
their  life,  are  falling  like  ninepins  before  south-westerly  gales.* 

*  The  sequela  have  been  quoted  to  me  by  Mr.  J.  J.  Lister,  as  follows  : 

AFTER  A  STORM 
To-day  God  bloweth  with  His  wind ; 

He  wrestles  with  the  elm  trees  tall, 
And  with  a  roar  and  with  a  crash 

The  Giants  fall. 
To-morrow  Mr.  Focus  comes, 

He  has  been  early  to  the  scene, 
And  photographs  the  prostrate  trunks 

With  his — machine  ! 
And  now,  not  many  days  elapsed, 
I  pass  his  window  in  the  town, 
Lo  !    "  Souvenirs  of  Friday's  Storm  " 

At  half-a-crown. 
There  are  points  of  resemblance  between  our  two  ancient  Universities  ! 


206  COLLEGE  GARDENS 

The  Walk  was  made  in  1717,  and  was  at  first  known  as  the 
White  Walk,  on  account  of  the  colour  of  the  stone  rubbish 
used  to  raise  it.  Hence  "  Wide  Walk,"  whence  "  Broad  Walk." 

The  largest  of  the  two  ivy-covered  stumps  at  the  end  of 
the  New  Walk  measures  about  4  ft.  8  in.  through.  Gaps 
in  the  Avenue  are  being  filled  with  the  quick-growing 
Huntingdon  Elms,  U.  montana  vegeta,  but  it  is  not  certain 
that  they  will  prove  as  satisfactory  in  the  long  run  as  the 
ordinary  variety. 

THE  CHRIST  CHURCH  GARDENS.*  The  doyen  of  all  the  trees 
is  the  Plane  in  the  Garden  of  the  Lady  Margaret  Professor  of 
Divinity  at  Christ  Church,  which  is  supposed  to  have  been 
planted  by  Dr.  Pococke  when  Professor  of  Arabic  in  1636. 
It  is  truly  a  magnificent  tree.  Its  girth,  18  ft.  10  in.  in  1887 
(Gardeners'  Chronicle),  seems  to  have  increased  to  19  ft.  3  in. 
in  1911.  The  trunk  soon  divides  into  two  enormous  limbs, 
with  girths  of  13  ft.  9  in.  and  10  ft.  2  in.  respectively;  the 
branches  cover  an  area  of  about  30  yds.  in  diameter.  The 
trunk-girths  of  other  trees  in  the  garden  are  :  Walnut,  5  ft.  4  in.; 
Mulberry,  3  ft.  5  in ;  Box,  2  ft.  2  in.  The  nearest  Yew,  in  the 
corner  of  the  Cathedral  burying-ground,  has  a  girth  of  6  ft.  1 1  in., 
which  is  of  course  small  as  compared  with  the  old  yew  in 
Iffley  Churchyard. 

In  Canon  Driver's  Garden  the  most  noteworthy  tree  is  a 
wreck  of  a  fine  Catalpa,  girth  7  ft.,  with  a  spread  of  branches 
of  13  yds.  Only  one  branch  is  now  living.  Among  the  other 
trees,  a  wall  Pear  measures  i  ft.  6  in.  across  the  longer 
diameter  of  its  oval  stem  ;  a  Double  Cherry  has  a  trunk-girth 
of  3  ft.  3  in.,  and  a  straight-stemmed  Robinia,  a  diameter  of 
i  ft.  6  in.  More  famous  than  all  is  the  large  Fig-tree,  the 
numerous  suckers  of  which  have  covered  a  length  of  wall  of 
25  yds.  The  tree  is  of  exceptional  interest,  because  it  was 
almost  certainly  brought  from  the  East  by  Edward  Pococke, 

*  I  am  greatly  indebted  to  the  owners  of  these  gardens  for  permis- 
sion to  measure  their  trees. 


CHRIST  CHURCH   GARDENS  207 

who  had  been  chaplain  to  the  Levant  Company  at  Aleppo  in 
1630-6,  when  he  became  our  Professor  of  Arabic.  The  con- 
dition of  the  tree  in  1806  is  shown  in  a  print  by  J.  Storer, 
with  the  title — 

Arbor  Pocockiana,  imagine  accuratissima  aere  expressa. 
Ficus  Arbor,  ex  Syria  olim  regione  a  Celeberrimo  EDVARDO 
POCOCKIO,  circiter  centum  et  septuaginta  abhinc  annis,  prima 
quidem  sui  generis,   in  Britanniam  advecta,  hodieque  in  horto 
Professor  is  Ling,  Heb.  apud  Oxonienses,  virens  etfructuosa. 

Junii  i2mo,  A.D.  1806. 
Altitude  Arboris  21  pedes  ;  ambitus  trunci 
in  parte  superiori,  3  pedes  6  unciae. 

In  the  Deanery  Garden  grew  the  large  Jamaica  Walnut 
described  by  Pointer  as  a  tall  tree  in  1749.  The  Common 
Room  table  was  made  from  it.  About  a  hundred  years  ago  it 
was  replaced  by  a  Horse-chestnut  which  has  grown  to  be  a 
perfect  specimen  tree,  with  a  trunk-girth  of  12  ft.  6  in.  and 
a  spread  of  branches  of  about  17  yds.  in  diameter.  The 
Virginian  Creeper  against  the  Library,  when  in  autumn  it 
glows  red  over  the  ivy,  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  colour- 
effects  in  Oxford. 

In  the  Archdeacon's  Garden  may  be  seen  the  holes  which 
Buckland  built  to  test  the  truth  of  the  stories  of  the  longevity 
of  frogs  imprisoned  in  cavities  of  rocks. 

PEMBROKE  COLLEGE.  The  Mulberry  in  the  corner  of  the 
Fellows'  Garden  has  a  trunk-girth  of  4  ft.  10  in.  It  may 
conceivably  be  the  same  tree  as  the  one  described  by  Loudon 
in  1838  as  being  25  ft.  high,  with  a  trunk-girth  of  2  ft.  2  in. 
One  of  the  two  original  Mulberries,  called  Shenstone's,  planted 
before  1624,  lived  until  1833.  Two  tables  in  the  Common 
Room  were  made  of  its  wood,  and  also  a  carved  snuff-box  as 
a  "  Memento  mori."  The  Limes  were  planted  in  1864. 

MERTON  GARDEN  used  to  be  much  admired  for  the  natural 
growth  of  the  trees  as  compared  with  the  stiff  and  formal 


2o§  COLLEGE  GARDENS 

vegetable  statues  of  other  gardens.  An  early  appreciation 
is  that  of  Bishop  John  Earle  in  his  "  Hortus  Mertonensis  " 
of  1624. 

Von  Uffenbach,  in  1710,  wrote  that  it  was  considered  the 
finest  in  Oxford,  although  it  consisted  of  "  a  grove  or  some 
low  dark  walks  which,  as  they  have  no  proper  air,  are  not 
pleasant.  At  the  side  is  a  raised  path  and  a  poor  pleasure 
house."  The  latter  was  built  in  1706,  the  year  before  the 
terrace-walk  was  made  on  the  old  Town  Wall.* 

At  the  present  day  it  is  an  ideal  garden  of  light  and  shade 
and  of  beautiful  views.  The  oldest  living  tree  is  undoubtedly 
the  "  starling-beloved  "  Mulberry,  which  is  believed  to  date  from 
the  time  of  James  I.t  The  trunk  measures  7  ft.  8  in.  at  a 
height  of  2 1  ft.  from  the  ground,  and  is  therefore  not  much 
smaller  than  the  old  tree  at  Balliol.  The  Merton  tree  is 
the  finer  of  the  two. 

It  is  not  improbable  that  some  of  the  Mulberries  of  this 
date  were  grown  from  the  packets  of  seed  distributed  by 
Royal  Edict  of  James  I.,  1605,  for  the  encouragement  of  the 
silk  industry  in  England.  Unfortunately  the  seed  circulated 
was  that  of  M.  nigra,  less  suitable  for  silkworms  than  M.  alba. 

It  is  essentially  a  garden  of  Limes,  Yews,  and  Sycamores. 
The  finest  Sycamore,  girthing  10  ft.,  forms  the  subject  of  an 
illustration  to  Mr.  Henderson's  book  on  the  College.  Another 
girths  8  ft.  4  in.,  and  the  best  of  a  clump  of  five,  7  ft.  4  in. ; 
but  we  do  not  believe  that  any  of  these  is  as  old  as  1680,  a 
date  at  which  there  were  stated  to  have  been  Sycamores  in 
the  garden. 

The  Lime  Avenue  was  in  existence  in  1760,  when  there  were 
eight  trees  on  the  south  side  and  seven  on  the  north.  These 
were  reduced  to  six  a  side.  The  largest,  at  the  western  end, 
girths  9  ft.  6  in.,  and  another  8  ft.  6  in. 

Of  the  trees  planted  in   1744  along  the  north  wall  none 

*  Boase's  "  Oxford." 

f  The  dates  are  taken  from  Henderson's  "  History"  of  the  College. 


MERTON   COLLEGE  209 

survive,  unless  the  old  Horse-chestnut  be  of  that  date.  Among 
the  other  trees,  two  Horse-chestnuts  measure  12  ft.  and 
1 1  ft.  6  in.  respectively  ;  an  Evergreen  Oak,  5  ft.  4  in. ;  Pinus 
excelsa,  3  ft.  7  in. ;  Cypress,  3  ft.  6  in. ;  the  largest  Yew  in 
the  north-east  corner,  4  ft.  2  in.,  but  a  larger  bole,  lying  near, 
measured  2  ft.  3  in.  in  diameter. 

UNIVERSITY  COLLEGE.  The  original  Fellows'  Garden  was 
on  the  site  of  part  of  the  Master's  Garden  until  about  1809, 
when  Deep  Hall  was  pulled  down,  and  the  present  Fellows' 
Garden  was  laid  out  on  the  site. 

In  the  sheltered  garden  overshadowing  the  Shelley  Memorial 
grows  a  Tulip  Tree,  second  only  in  point  of  size  to  the  tree  in 
the  garden  of  the  Warden  of  Wadham.  The  trunk,  9  ft.  2  in. 
at  the  level  of  the  grass,  divides  into  two  limbs ;  the  larger 
of  which  girths  6  ft.  2  in.  and  supports  the  greater  part  of  the 
tree,  and  is  a  conspicuous  object  as  seen  from  the  High  Street, 
especially  in  October,  when  the  leaves  form  a  bright  yellow 
background  to  the  dome  of  the  Memorial. 

A  Mulberry  near  has  a  girth  of  5  ft. ;  a  Robin ia  near  the 
Chapel  measures  a  trifle  under  6  ft.,  and  in  the  Master's 
Garden  are  a  large  Hickory,  7  ft.  9  in.,  a  Mulberry,  7  ft.  6  in., 
and  a  fine  Pear,  5  ft.  10  in. 

A  grove  of  Walnut-trees  is  believed  to  have  stood  on  the 
site  of  the  Tutor's  House  in  Grove  Place.  It  was  cut  down 
at  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  century. 

QUEEN'S  COLLEGE.  A  White  Fig-tree  is  said  to  have  been 
grown  from  a  seed  of  the  celebrated  botanist  and  traveller, 
Dr.  Shaw,  who  collected  plants  in  Barbary  and  the  Levant, 
circ.  1720  (G.  C.  D.). 

MAGDALEN  COLLEGE. 

There  were  elmes  great  and  strong. — CHAUCER. 

Magdalen  will  be  remembered  for  an  Oak,  an  Elm,  and 
an  Ivy.  The  two  former  died  of  ripe  old  age,  the  monarchs 
of  their  race ;  the  latter,  we  regret  to  say,  was  felled  in 


210  COLLEGE   GARDENS 

the  prime  of  life,  on  the  false  assumption  that  it  was 
harming  the  masonry  of  the  Great  Tower.  The  roots  of 
the  Ivy  penetrated  the  vault  of  an  adjoining  wine-cellar,  and, 
after  branching  about  in  the  sawdust  in  which  the  bottles  lay, 
made  for  a  cork  through  which  some  moisture  was  oozing, 
entered  the  bottle,  drank  up  all  the  port,  and  then  filled 
the  bottle  entirely  with  a  matted  tangle  of  roots  all  growing 
in  search  of  more  of  the  ambrosial  liquor,  but  unable  to 
get  through  the  glass  ! 

The  Roman  poet  understood  ivy  better  than  we  do,  when 
he  wrote  : 

Tu  tamen  e  sacris  hederae  cultoribus  unum 

Numine  debueras  sustinuisse  tuo.— OVID,  "  Tristia,"  V.  iii.  15.* 

Cur  hedera  cincta  est  ?  hedera  est  gratissima  Baccho. 

OVID,  "  Fasti,"  iii.  767. 

Repeated  attempts  were  made  to  cut  the  Ivy  down.  In 
1892  the  then  Bursar  proposed  it,  but  was  outvoted.  In 
February,  1904,  the  House  Bursar  again  asked  the  leave  of 
the  College  to  cut  it,  but  the  Ivy  was  saved  by  9  votes  to  7. 
At  last,  in  November,  1908,  the  Waynflete  Professors  of 
Physiology  and  Botany  persuaded  the  College  to  have  it  re- 
moved, and  won  their  case  by  15  votes  to  n. 

The  Ivy  was  stripped  from  the  Great  Tower  on  what  I 
have  always  held  to  be  a  false  accusation.  The  true  one 
has  been  stated.  Ivy  does  no  harm  to  a  building  so  long 
as  the  walls  remain  dry.  It  is  when  a  feeling  of  moisture 
encourages  the  plant  to  believe  that  there  is  more  drink 
behind,  that  damage  is  done  to  masonry. 

Ivy  roots  do  not  penetrate  into  well-built,  dry  walls.  The 
foliage,  on  the  other  hand,  affords  efficient  protection  against 
the  wet  of  a  driving  rain,  and,  more  important  still,  against 

*  For  this  reference  I  am  indebted  to  Mr.  Godley,  who  understands 
the  greater  Classical  poets  even  better  than  they  understood  the  ivy. 


MAGDALEN  COLLEGE  211 

the  sulphuric  acid-laden  raindrops,*  the  product  of  town  life 
and  town  industries,  which  are  such  an  important  factor  in 
the  corrosion  and  disintegration  of  our  Oxford  calcareous 
building-stone.  Anything  that  will  keep  wet  and  frost  from 
such  walls  will  lengthen  their  life.  But  when  ivy  is  forcibly 
stripped  from  a  wall,  however  carefully  done,  the  surface  of 
the  stone  gets  stripped  too,  and  masonry  joints  get  opened, 
as  many  places  in  the  walls  of  Magdalen  show.  Such  a  wall 
denuded  of  its  natural  covering,  and  with  large  portions  of 
its  surface  stripped,  is  then  far  more  vulnerable  to  the 
attacks  of  atmospheric  and  chemical  agencies,  and  will  soon 
require  restoration. 

A  remarkable  instance  of  the  lengths  to  which  ivy  roots 
will  go  in  the  ground  in  their  search  for  water  was  brought 
to  the  notice  of  the  present  Bursar  a  few  years  ago.  When 
some  excavations  were  being  made  in  the  floor  of  the  College 
Chapel  for  the  purpose  of  laying  hot-water  pipes,  the  workmen 
found  ivy  roots  under  the  pavement  reaching  as  far  as  the 
fourth  stall  beyond  the  Vice-President's  seat.  They  had  come 
from  the  Ivy  on  the  West  Wall  of  the  Chapel,  and  had  grown 
under  the  walls  and  floor  of  the  antechapel  and  under  the 
organ-screen,  or  for  a  distance  of  about  20  yards  in  all. 

When  we  watch  the  deer  peacefully  drowsing  on  a  summer 
afternoon  under  the  shade  of  the  great  elms  of  the  Grove, 
it  is  difficult  to  carry  imagination  back  to  the  times  when 
this  was  the  busy  manufacturing  quarter  of  Oxford,  the  abode 
of  seventy  fullers  and  weavers,  and  resounding  with  the  click- 
clack  of  twenty-three  looms.  The  raw  material  was  brought 
in  barges  up  the  Cherwell,  and  no  doubt  the  finished  cloth 
was  also  taken  away  by  water. 

Yet  even  now  after  prolonged  drought  the  grass  burns 
brown  over  the  foundations  of  the  old  houses,  the  ground 
plans  of  which  I  have  thus  been  able  to  survey,  and  have 

*  It  has  been  suggested  that  the  vapours  liberated  at  the  Gas-works 
are  an  important  factor  in  the  perishing  of  Oxford  stonework. 


212  COLLEGE   GARDENS 

yearned   to   unearth.      Three   hundred    years    perhaps   have 
passed  since  they  last  saw  the  light  of  day. 

The  grounds  behind  the  College  were  laid  out  partly  "  in 
Gardaines  [both  of  the  bachelors  and  of  the  cooks,  1496], 
Orchardes,  Pastures,  and  Walkes,"  and  partly  with  a  view  to 
the  game  of  bowls,  which  formed  the  popular  amusement  of 
the  seventeenth  and  eighteenth  centuries.  Upon  the  green, 
Cromwell  and  Fairfax  bowled,  and  Addison  wrote  Latin  verse. 
The  following  items,  mostly  extracted  by  Mr.  Macray  from 
the  College  Accounts,  tell  their  own  story  of  the  interest  taken 
in  the  improvement  of  the  grounds,  especially  during  the 
seventeenth  century  and  after  : 

£   *•    d. 

1466-72.  Clausura  Gardini  Collegii. 
1513.  The  hedges  round  "  The  Walks"  repaired. 
1531.  A  tower  is  mentioned  "in  virgulto,"  i.e.  in  a  shrubbery 

or  grove. 

1636.  Bowling  green  newly  turfed. 
1647.  Wiggins  circumfodienti  sphaeristerium       .         .         .         .0160 

1649.  Purgantibus  aquarium  in  arbusto o  14     o 

„      Purgantibus  prafum  post  inundationem     f         .         .   •      •     4  19     ° 

„      Pro  sabulo  [ad]  reparand a  ambulacra 060 

,,      Aliis  in  prato  lacunantibus         ...         •    •..•.    f         .400 
„      Bartlet,  lacunanti  in  pomario  Dni  Praesidis       .         .         .080 

1660.  Pro  200  aceribus  majoribus  in  arbusto  inserendis       .         .296 
„      Pro  ulmis  serendis  ad  portas  Collegii         .         .         •         .0186 

1661.  lacobo  Bobart,  hortulano,  per  billam         .         .         .         .     2   17     o 
„      Pro  arboribus  emptis  et  serendis  in  ambulacro  et  arbusto  .     312     o 

1664.  Pro  fascibus  spinosis  ad  arbores  recent,  in  arbusto  pro- 

tegend.       .         .         .         .        ,         .        .         .         .0100 

1666.  Fowler   arbores   in    arbusto   et    ambulacris   plantanti   et 

munienti     .         .        ...         .         .         »  .118 

„      Taylor,  sedile  in  arbusto  coloranti     .         .        ..  ..068 

1667.  125  trees  were  planted  in  the  Grove  at  a  cost  of  .         •     3     °     2 

1668.  For  90  trees  planted  in  the  Grove  and  meadow  .         .     I   15     3 

1672.  Serentibus  88  arbores  in  arbusto  et  prato  .         .         .         .     6  10  10 

1673.  [Making]  ambulacrum  medium,  de  novo   .         .         .         . 

1674.  Reparantibus   fossas   et   ambulachra,    item   serentibus  et 

munientibus  arbores 18     8     5 

1678.  Pro  ulmis  serendis  in  arbusto  et  ambulacro  aquatico  .         .     3  10    O 


MAGDALEN   COLLEGE  213 

£   *•    *. 
1678.  'Famulo  Ric.  Stubbs,  serenti,  munienti,  et  riganti  arbores 

in  arbusto  et  pro  opere  in  sphaeristerio        .         .         .416 
1680.  Pluther,  fabro  lignario,  munienti  arbores  in  fronte  Collegii 

satas 6150 

„      Eidem,  pro  sedibus  in  arbusto  .         .         .         .         .     2  17     o 

„      Bobart,  etc.,  arbores  serentibus,  munientibus,  rigantibus, 

etc.,  in  arbusto,  prato  et  ambulacris  .         .         .         •   5°     5     ° 

1683.  Stroud  et  sociis  reficientibus  ambulachrum  in  arbusto  et 

prato  et  plantantibus  arbores     .         .         .         .         -437 
„      Keates  et  sociis  instaurantibus   ambulachrum  et  arbores 

plantantibus      .         ....         .         .         .       (?)ioo     o     o 

1684.  Keate  et  sociis  versus  reparationem  ambulachri  in  prato, 

insolut.  superior!  anno  (remanente^ioo)  .         .         .81100 

1685.  Greening,  sata   plantanti  in  ambulachro  aliaque  negotia 

obeunti     .         .         .         .•         .•         .         .         .         .  43   13   u 

1686.  Plantantibus  in  arbusto    .       .  .•         .       . .-         .         .          .   20  19     9 

1700.  Laborantibus  in  instaurando  ambulachro  .         .          .   37     8   II 

1701.  Ordered   that   labourers   be    employed   in   watering   and 

beating  the  new  bank  in  the  water-walks. 

1702.  Ordered  that  the  walnut  trees*  be  cut  out  of  the  mase 

in  grove. 

1 778.  Mag.  Rouse  pro  arboribus        .         .•   '.  '    .•  .-         .748 

1810.  Wooden  fence  before  the  President's  Lodgings  replaced 

by  a  wire  fence. 
1820.  Plantations  of  shrubs  or  trees  were  ordered  to  be  made  in 

the  Walks  where  necessary. 
1824.  President's  Garden  (west  of  the  New  Buildings)  removed  and 

a  new  garden  made  for  him  "  near  the  Gravel  Walk." 
1826.   Sunk   fence   made    between    the    Grove   and    the    New 

Buildings  Quadrangle. 
1832.   Morgan's  belt  planted  in  the  Angel  Meadow. 

*  An  earlier  cutting  of  a  walnut-tree  is  recorded  in  a  lampoon  on  the 
President  by  John  Dobson,  published  Aug.  1663,  and  quoted  in 
"Bloxam's  Register,"  Choristers,  p.  75  : 

The  tree  which  walnuts  forth  did  shoot, 

Is  voted  down,  both  branch  and  root ; 

And  where  bowls  ran,  there  turnips  grow ; 

But  from  the  beginning  it  was  not  so. 

The  tree  stood  at  the  upper  end  of  the  Grove,  and  was  cut  down  by  the 
Bursar  without  the  knowledge  of  the  President.  It  is  not  true  that  the 
bowling-green  was  turned  into  a  turnip-garden. 


214 


COLLEGE    GARDENS 


The  oldest  tree  was  the  famous  "  Magdalen  Oak,"  which  fell 
in  1789  in  the  middle  of  the  night  of  June  29,  "  accompanied 
by  a  violent,  rushing  noise  and  a  shock  felt  throughout  the 
College."  The  number  of  annual  rings  as  counted  by  R.  Paget 
indicated  that  it  was  planted  at  the  beginning  of  the  eleventh 
century.  In  the  fifteenth,  William  of  Waynflete  ordered  the 


THE  MAGDALEN  OAK,  1675 

northern  boundary  of  his  College  to  be  marked  "  right  to  it."  * 
Two  centuries  later,  measurements  showed  that  "  its  boughs 
shoot  from  the  boal  fifteen  or  sixteen  yards,  which  supposing 
they  did  spread  of  equal  length  from  the  trunk,  like  the  rays 

*  Mr.  Wilson  informs  me  that  he  has  never  been  able  to  find  any 
early  authority  for  this  story,  and  that  he  believes  it  to  be  a  local  myth, 
for  there  is  certainly  no  mention  of  the  tree  in  the  description  of  the 
boundaries  of  the  situs  collegii.  f '- 


MAGDALEN    COLLEGE  215 

of  a  circle ;  the  content  of  ground  on  which  it  would  drop, 
would  be  no  less  than  768  square  yards,  whereof  allowing  as 
before,  three  square  yards  of  ground  for  a  horse  to  stand  on 
(three  yards  long,  and  one  yard  broad,  seeming  a  complete 
proportion),  there  might  256  horses  stand  under  that  Tree]  or 
allowing  as  before  2  square  feet  for  a  man,  3456  men"  (Plot's 
"  Oxfordshire  "). 

It  lived  for  eighty-nine  years  in  the  next  century,  but 
"  On  Monday  last,  without  any  violence  from  the  wind, 
the  old  oak  .  .  .  fell  fortunately  into  the  meadow.  .  .  .  The 
root  was  entirely  gone  to  powder,  so  that  it  dropped  by  the 
weight  of  an  arm,  .  .  .  The  people  divert  themselves  in 
crowding  in  numbers  in  the  inside  of  the  trunk  "  (Letter  from 
Dan.  Prince  in  Nichols'  "  Literary  Anecdotes,"  iii.  699.  See 
(Walker's)  "  Oxoniana,"  ii.  155-7  ;  Macray's  "  Register"). 

The  dimensions  were:  height,  71  ft.  8  in. ;  girth,  21  ft.  9  in. ; 
solid  content  754  ft.  The  shell  had  for  a  long  time  been 
kept  from  falling  by  two  or  three  roots  "scarcely  so  large 
as  a  two-inch  cable." 

A  section  of  the  wood  used  to  be  among  the  specimens 
in  the  Botanical  Museum,  and  a  carved  state  chair  inscribed 
"  Quercus  Magdalenensis  corruit  Festo  S.  Petri,  1789,"  is 
in  the  President's  Lodgings,  and  a  snuff-box  cut  from  its 
wood  has  lately  been  presented  to  the  Common  Room. 
Malchair  published  views  of  the  tree,  both  standing  and  as 
it  lay  after  its  fall  (Cox's  "  Recollections  of  Oxford  "). 

A  young  Oak  to  take  its  place  was  planted  on  April  8,  1807, 
by  Robert  Penson,  Gardener,  "on  the  left  as  you  enter  the 
walk  "  (Walker's  "  Flora  of  Oxford  "). 

As  the  oasis  is  to  the  wanderers  in  the  desert,  so  is  precise 
information  to  the  chronicler  of  trees.  The  planting  of  the 
Elms  in  the  Grand  Walk  (i.e.  those  between  St.  Swithun's 
Building  and  the  street)  is  circumstantially  described  by 
Wood  ("Life  and  Times,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  479)' 

"  1680.  At  the  beginning  of  the  month  of  February  the  elmes 


216  COLLEGE    GARDENS 

between  Magd.  Coll.  and  the  Greyhound  were  planted  by  the 
fellowes  of  that  College  purposely  for  a  shady  walke.  They 
were  planted  anno  1657,  but  caused  to  be  plucked  up  by 
[Abraham]  Forman  and  [Edward]  Drope,  because  planted  in 
fanatick  times.  Set  by  Mr.  Ch.  Hawles  burser." 

Hearne  completed  the  story  by  an  entry  in  his  Diary  that — 
"  He  planted  the  elms  in  the  gravel  walk  by  Magdalen 
College,"  he  being  a  crazy  Fellow  of  the  College  called 
Hooper.  Dr.  Bloxam  has  also  noted  an  entry  in  the  Liber 
computi  for  1660  :  "Sol.  pro  ulmis  serendis  ad portas  Collegii, 
£o  iSs.  6d." 

Mr.  Wilson,  who  has  carefully  considered  the  problem, 
suggests  that  the  trees  planted  by  the  "  fanaticks  "  may  have 
been  removed  in  1660  by  Forman  and  Drope,  and  have  been 
replaced  by  new  trees,  which  either  did  not  thrive  or  did  not 
extend  far  enough  along  the  walk,  thus  making  a  later  planting 
(1680)  necessary. 

Hooper,  having  ceased  to  reside  in  College,  for  his  infirmity, 
had  gone  to  live  in  the  Gravel  Walk,  and  so  took  more 
interest  in  the  approach  to  the  College  than  those  who 
lived  within  its  walls.  Hearne  records  that  he  "applied  him- 
self to  gardening  with  wonderful  success,  digging  himself  with 
a  man  that  he  constantly  hired.  He  would  carry  his  spade 
upon  his  shoulders,  and  work  hard  every  working  day.  He 
would  likewise  prune,  engraft,  and  do  other  things  of  that 
kind  himself.  He  raised  several  nurseries  and  planted  many 
orchards  ;  but  he  did  all  for  nothing,  for  he  would  never  take 
anything  of  anybody  soever.  It  was  his  constant  practice  to 
give  away  trees,  etc. ;  but  then  he  took  care  it  should  only  be 
to  the  poor  and  such  as  were  in  want,  not  to  others.  He 
was  buried  in  Magdalen  College  Chapel." 

The  "  unmutilated  luxuriance  "  of  the  Elms  along  the  Gravel 
Walks  in  the  thirties  helped  to  make  the  entry  to  Oxford 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  among  cities,  but  in  1844  one 
Elm  had  to  be  cut  down,  being  decayed,  in  1853  another 


MAGDALEN   COLLEGE  217 

fell  before  a  January  hurricane,  causing  grave  damage  to 
Pugin's  new  gateway,  and  all  were  lopped.  A  few  years 
later,  at  the  building  of  St.  Swithun's  the  whole  row  was 
in  imminent  danger.  The  workmen  had  already  begun  to 
sink  the  foundation  trenches  so  near  that  the  roots  would 
have  been  cut;  fortunately,  the  Bursar  of  the  time  had  a 
soul  above  architects,  peremptorily  ordered  the  building-line 
several  feet  further  back,  and  the  trees  were  saved  for  a 
generation.  Last  winter  the  furthermost  Elm  by  the  School 
was  cut  down.  Had  it  fallen,  it  would  have  felled  a  lamp-post 
and  perhaps  a  citizen  ;  the  College,  however,  has  been  assured 
that  it  will  be  replaced  by  another  tree.  Three  Elms  are 
still  standing:  from  east  to  west  their  girths  are  12  ft.  9  in., 
ii  ft.  7^  in.,  and  9  ft.  10  in. 

The  old  English  Elms  in  the  Grove  date  from  the  Restora- 
tion period,  probably  from  one  of  the  plantings  specified  in 
the  accounts.  Of  several  that  were  felled  in  1890  one  was 
perfectly  sound.  A  section  showing  220  rings  has  been 
mounted  as  a  table-top,  and  is  in  the  possession  of  the  author 
— thus  agreeing  remarkably  well  with  the  dates  in  the  accounts 
of  these  old  trees.  A  chair  presented  to  the  Senior  Common 
Room  by  Mr.  Chapman  was  cut  out  of  the  wood  of  the  same 
tree,  and  the  thick  table-tops  in  the  College  Kitchen  are  from 
a  tree  of  similar  age.  The  first  Elms  planted  in  the  Grove 
may  have  been  planted  about  the  time  of  the  foundation 
of  the  College,  1467,  for  in  1677  Plot  stated  that — 

"There  is  a  great  old  Elm  growing  near  the  North-east 
corner  of  the  Bowling  Green  in  Magdalene  College  Grove, 
disbarked  quite  round,  at  most  places  2  foot,  at  some  at  least 
a  yard,  or  4  foot  from  the  ground ;  which  yet  for  these 
many  years  past  has  flourish'd  as  well  as  any  Tree  in  the 
Grove." 

Like  the  greater  number  of  our  Elms  this  was  in  all 
probability  Ulmus  campestris.  But  the  giant  of  the  race  was 
the  great  tree  blown  down  in  a  snowstorm  at  mid-day  on 


218  COLLEGE    GARDENS 

Wednesday,  April  5,  1911,  now  believed  to  have  been  the 
largest  timber  tree  in  all  Britain.  It  was  a  Wych  or  Broad- 
leaved  Elm,  U.  montana^  characterised  by  the  spreading  habit 
of  its  main  branches,  by  the  absence  of  the  tall  straight 
bole  so  characteristic  of  the  Common  Elm.  The  leaves, 
too,  are  different,  being  larger  in  the  Wych  Elm. 

As  to  its  measurements,  we  are  not  quite  confident  that 
all  the  published  details  (Wilson's  "  Magdalen  College,"  p.  280) 
are  correctly  assigned  to  this  tree.  We  have  seen  evidence 
that  the  early  measures  were  those  of  another  tree  (A) 
probably  of  the  same  age,  which  fell  down  in  1861  or  soon 
after.  These  measures  were  made  by  or  for  Dr.  Daubeny, 
and  have  been  attributed  to  our  Great  Elm  (B). 

ELM    A.*  GIRTH  GIRTH 

At  5  ft.  from  ground          At  2  ft.  from  ground 
1831.  21  ft.  o  in.  27  ft.  4  in. 

1861.  23  ft.  o  in.  27  ft.  9  in. 

Estimated  contents,  1,092  cubic  ft.,  without  small  branches. 

ELM  B.*  GIRTH 

At  5  ft.  from  ground 

1866.  23  ft.  9  in. 

1866  or  1867.  25  ft.  6  in. 

1899.  26  ft.  5  in.       Height,  130  ft. 

1910.  28  ft.  3  in.         „    143  ft. 

In  February  of  1911  the  College  was  informed  that  Mr. 
Elwes  of  Colesbourne  had  examined  the  Elm  with  an  expert 
(Mr.  Havelock),  and  that  its  cubic  contents  were  roughly 
estimated  at  2,000  cubic  ft.  by  quarter-girth  measure,  without 
any  bark  allowances;  a  size  only  surpassed,  according  to  Mr. 
Elwes'  opinion,  by  one  other  English  tree — the  Oak  at  Bevis 
Castle. 

*  Authorities  :  1831,  Dr.  Daubeny,  Botanical  Notes,  MS.  in  Magdalen 
Library,  and  Walker's  "  Flora  of  Oxford";  1861,  T.  Hopkins;  1866, 
T.  Hopkins  ;  1886,  O.  W.  Holmes,  "  Hundred  Days  in  Europe,"  1887, 
p.  121  ;  1899,  R.  T.  G.  ;  1911,  T.  Whale,  who  found  the  girth  at  the  base 
to  be  37  ft.  6  in.,  and  at  the  fork  (20  ft.  high)  to  be  31  ft. 


I 


H.  W.  T.  phot. 


THE   MAGDALEN   COLLEGE  WVCH    ELM 


MAGDALEN    COLLEGE 


219 


MEASUREMENTS 
Butt     .  .  .  .       20  ft.   X   6|  ft.   =  860  C.  ft. 

Limb  i  .  .  .     30  ft.  x  30  in.  =  187 

2  .  .  .     30  ft.  x  20  in.  =    83 

3  .  .  .     20  ft.  x  48  in.  =  320 

4  .  .  .     40  ft.  x  20  in.  =  1 1 1 

5  .  .  .     30  ft.  x  18  in.  =    40 

6  .  .  .     25  ft.  x  20  in.  =  156 

7  .  .  .25  ft.  x  24  in.  =  loo 
Top,  measured  down  to  6  in.  (roughly)  =  100 

1.957    ,, 

A  large  Elm,  having  a  girth  of  22  ft.,  is  mentioned  by  John 
Wesley  (Journal  for  1782)  as  growing  "in  Magdalen  College 
Walk."  It  is  not  impossible  that  he  might  have  been  referring 
to  either  of  the  above-mentioned  trees  or  to  a  tree  coeval 
with  them. 

The  fallen  tree  is  so  rotten  in  the  interior  that  it  is  im- 
possible to  count  annual  rings,  but  Sir  William  Schlich  is  of 
opinion  that  it  was  at  least  300  years  old.  If  so,  it  might 
have  been  one  of  the  very  few  trees  spared  by  Cromwell's 
soldiers  for  the  purpose  of  hanging  Royalists  from. 

The  largest  surviving  Wych  Elm  in  the  Grove  has  a  girth 
of  2  2  ft.  i  in.  at  4  ft.  from  the  base. 

A  Mulberry  and  an  Elm  were  planted  in  the  Grove  by 
Prince  Christian  Victor  on  November  1 7,  1898,  about  two  years 
before  his  death  in  the  Boer  War.  Both  trees  are  doing  well, 
their  girths  being  now  i  ft.  3  in.  and  i  ft.  6  in.  respectively. 

In  front  of  the  President's  Lodgings  stood  a  venerable 
Acacia,  "divagating  in  three  mighty  stems,  of  late  years 
carefully  propped."  Once,  when  Dr.  Routh  was  at  Tilehurst, 
word  was  sent  that  a  heavy  gale  had  blown  the  tree  down. 
"Then  let  it  be  put  up  again,"  said  the  President.  It  was 
pulled  up  by  ropes,  laid  over  the  roof  of  the  Lodgings,  and 
lived  for  many  years,  and,  as  Mr.  Wilson  informs  me,  was,  when 
he  first  saw  it,  still  capable  of  producing  a  good  crop  of  leaves 


220  COLLEGE   GARDENS 

and  a  certain  amount  of  flower.  The  tree  shown  in  drawings 
of  the  west  front  of  the  College  between  the  two  towers 
seems  to  have  been  a  Birch.  On  the  other  side  of  the 
Lodgings,  near  the  Library,  are  a  Plane  and  a  Birch,  planted 
in  1 80 1  by  Henry  Philpotts,  afterwards  Bishop  of  Exeter. 
The  former  girths  15  ft.  i  in. ;  the  latter,  5  ft.  3  in.  A 
Chinese  Crab  Apple,  Pyrus  spectabilis*  by  the  New  Buildings 
measures  4  ft.  4  in. 

Near  the  kitchen,  by  an  untidy  rockery,  is  a  tree  which  I 
have  always  believed  to  be  Cerasus  padus,  the  Bird  Cherry, 
but  it  may  be  an  allied  species.  Trunk-girth,  3  ft.  10  in. 

Before  the  end  of  the  seventeenth  century  Celia  Fiennes 
mentions  "a  very  fine  gravel  walk,  two  or  3  may  walke  abreast, 
&  Rows  of  trees  on  either  side,  &  this  is  round  a  water 
wch  makes  it  very  pleasant" — so  pleasant,  that  to  keep  it  from 
being  flooded  it  was  raised  about  1701,  and  was  so  much 
approved  that  Wood  wrote  the  following  eulogy  on  the  College  : 

"  Whose  Grove  &  Gardens,  enclosed  with  an  embattled 
wall  by  the  Founder,  are  emulous  with  the  gardens  of  Hippo- 
litus  Cardinal  d'Este,  so  much  famoused  and  commended  by 
Franciscus  Scholtus  in  his  Itinerary  of  Italy :  Go  into  the 
Water-walks,  and  at  some  times  of  the  year  you  will  find 
them  as  delectable  as  the  banks  of  Eurotas,  which  were 
shaded  with  bay  trees,  and  where  Apollo  himself  was  wont 
to  walk  &  sing  his  lays.  And  of  the  Rivers  here,  that 
pleasantly  and  with  a  murmuring  noise  wind  and  turn,  may 
in  a  manner  be  spoken,  that  which  the  people  of  Angoulesme 
in  France  were  wont  to  say  of  their  river  Touvre,  that  '  it  is 
covered  over  and  chequered  with  swans,  paved  &  floured 
with  troutes,  and  hemmed  &  bordered  with  crevisses.'  Such 
pleasant  meanders  also  shadowed  with  the  trees  were  there, 

*  Loudon  has  placed  it  on  record  that  a  P.  spectabilis  grew  in  the 
Botanic  Garden  to  a  height  of  25  ft.  in  thirty  years  :  the  diameter  of  trunk 
was  10  in.  and  of  head  20  ft.  It  would  have  been  planted  about  1806, 
and  our  tree  must  be  of  about  the  same  age. 


MAGDALEN    COLLEGE  lli 

before  the  civil  distempers  broke  forth,  that  students  could 
not  but  with  great  delight  accost  the  Muses." 

The  part  afterwards  associated  with  the  name  of  Addison 
is  the  straight  walk  along  the  north  side  of  the  Meadow. 
There  the  eminent  historian,  John  Richard  Green,  as  a  boy, 
"thought  less  of  Addison  than  of  wasps'  nests  and  craw- 
fishing." 

The  principal  trees  in  the  "green  natural  cloister  of  our 
Academe  "  are  Elm,  Beech,  Horse-chestnut,  Hornbeam,  and 
Oak.  The  largest  Oak,  near  the  end  of  the  New  Buildings, 
girths  9  ft.  3  in.  A  tall  Lombardy  Poplar  growing  on  the 
steep  side  of  the  bank  at  the  western  end  of  Addison's  Walk 
exhibits  a  fine  example  of  a  buttressed  stem.  The  trunk  is 
+  -shaped,  and  measures  4  ft.  across,  and  is  admirably  adapted 
to  withstand  the  strains  put  upon  it. 

From  the  landscape  gardener's  point  of  view,  the  beauty  of 
Addison's  Walk  was  greatly  impaired  in  1906,  when  the 
position  of  the  ditch  was  moved  and  a  bank  of  earth  was 
thrown  against  the  original  steep  south  bank  of  the  Walk. 
The  effect  of  a  narrow  plantation  on  the  side  of  a  steep 
bank  was  better  than  that  of  a  wider  plantation  on  a  more 
level  surface. 

The  black  swans  were  presented  by  the  Vintners'  Company 
in  July,  1904. 

When  the  new  walk  from  Addison's  Walk  to  King's  Mill, 
with  two  bridges  across  the  Cherwell,  was  commenced  about 
1867,  in  accordance  with  the  plans  of  Mr.  T.  H.  T.  Hopkins, 
some  interesting  trees  were  planted  along  what  is  now  known 
as  the  "  Fellows'  Walk." 

The  present  dimensions  of  the  largest  of  the  trees  may 
be  of  interest  a  century  hence.  We  give  them  in  order  from 
the  Walks  to  the  King's  Mill  Gate  : 

Maple,  6  ft.  10  in.  Red  Horse-chestnut,  4  ft.  6  in. 

Lombardy  Poplar,  7  ft.  6  in.  Variegated  Sycamore,  4  ft.  6  in. 

Plane,  5  ft.  4  in.  Lime,  4  ft. 


222  COLLEGE    GARDENS 

Ash,  4  ft.  6  in.  Wellingtonia,  6  ft.  8  in. 

Plane,  4  ft.  8  in.  Lombardy  Poplar,  6  ft. 

Oak.  2  ft.  i  in.  Lawson's  Cypress,  3  ft.  8  in. 

Cut-leaved  Beech,  i  ft.  3  in.  in  Wellingtonia,  8  ft.  6  in. 

diameter.  Finsapo,  5  ft.  6  in. 
Oak,  I  ft.  II  in.* 

More  planting  of  trees  and  shrubs  in  the  Grove  and  Walks 
took  place  in  1871,  so  that  possibly  some  of  the  trees  in  the 
list  date  from  that  year.  The  younger  trees  standing  out  in 
the  Meadow  were  planted  in  1898  by  Mr.  C.  R.  Carter,  who 
was  then  Home  Bursar,  and  to  whom  we  owe  the  first  intro- 
duction of  many  bulbs  by  the  side  of  the  Walks. 

Over  a  hundred  species  of  native  plants  have  been  recorded 
as  growing  in  the  Magdalen  Water  Walks.  The  first  record 
of  any  wild  plant  is  that  of  "  le  dokks,"  which  were  got  out 
of  the  Meadow  in  1532.  The  Fritillary  is  now  preserved 
in  the  Meadow. 

I  know  what  white,  what  purple  fritillaries 

The  grassy  harvest  of  the  river  fields 

Above  by  Eynsham,  down  by  Sandford,  yields. 

Certain  wall-plants  have  a  less  secure  tenure.  Arabis  turrita 
from  the  S.  of  Europe  used  to  flourish  on  the  Long  Wall  of 
the  Grove  with  the  Oxford  Ragwort,  but  has  been  destroyed 
by  the  repointing  of  the  masonry.  Aster  paniculatus  from 
N.  America,  Poa  nemoralis,  and  the  Hawkweeds,  Hieracium 
pellucidum  and  H.  sciaphilum,  are  interesting  plants. 

Two  rare  mosses,  Cinclidotus  brebissoni  and  Eurhynchium 
speciosum,  have  been  recorded  by  Mr.  Napier  (1910)  from 
Addison's  Walk. 

The  positions  of  the  trees  of  Magdalen  are  indicated  in 
E.  H.  New's  print  (1906-9),  but  the  drawing  of  the  trees  is 
very  poor. 

The    elaborate   carpet-bedding   at   NEW   COLLEGE   in    the 

*  This  Oak  was  grown  from  an  acorn  from  Tubney  Wood,  planted  by 
J.  E.  Henderson,  Bursar.  It  was  about  2  ft.  high  in  1877-8  (H.  A.  W.). 


NEW    COLLEGE  223 

seventeenth  century  has  already  been  noticed.  The  floral 
coats  of  arms  and  the  mountain  with  walks  are  clearly  shown 
in  Loggan's  print  of  1675,  an^  the  general  impression  of 
twenty  years  later  is  thus  given  by  Celia  Fiennes  : 

Ye  Garden  was  new  makeing,  there  is  a  large  bason  of  water.  In  the 
Middle  there  is  little  walkes  and  mazes,  and  round  mounts  for  the  schollars 
to  divert  themselves  .  .  .  and  here  they  may  Live  very  Neatly  and  well 
if  Sober,  and  have  all  their  Curiosityes  they  take  much  delight  in, 
greens  of  all  sorts,  Myrtle,  oringe  and  Lemons  and  Lorrestine  growing  in 
potts  of  Earth,  and  so  moved  about  from  place  to  place  and  into  the  aire 
sometymes.  There  are  severall  New  Lodgings  added  and  beautifyed  here, 
the  Gardens  also  wth  gravell  and  Grass  walkes,  some  shady  and  a  great 
Mount  in  the  Middle  wch  is  ascended  by  Degrees  in  a  round  of  Green 
paths  deffended  by  greens  cut  Low,  and  on  ye  top  is  a  summer  house. 
Beyond  these  Gardens  is  a  bowling-green,  and  round  it  a  Close  shady 
walke,  walled  round  and  a  Cutt  hedge  to  the  bowling-green. 

The  garden  owes  much  to  the  old  Town  Wall,  but  much, 
too,  to  its  noble  trees.  The  two  large  Elms  girth  15  ft.  4  in. 
and  13  ft.  3  in.  respectively;  the  Tulip  Tree  has  a  trunk- 
girth  of  5  ft.  6  in. ;  the  largest  Horse-chestnut,  12  ft.  7  in. ;  and 
the  Copper  Beech,  8  ft.  i  in. 

When  New  College  was  visited  by  "  H.  E."  in  the  summer 
of  1887,  the  fine  Limes  had  not  yet  burst  into  blossom,  and, 
thinking  of  the  bees  which  would  visit  them,  he  remarked 
to  the  gardener,  "  What  a  buzzing  they  will  make  presently." 
"  Ay,"  replied  the  latter,  "  they  buzz  almost  as  beautiful  as 
the  organ  in  the  chapel."  At  4  ft.  from  the  ground  the  girths 
of  the  eight  Limes  are  13  ft.  4  in.,  u  ft.  6  in.,  8  ft.  6  in., 
n  ft.  8  in.,  10  ft.  7  in.,  8  ft.  6  in.,  10  ft.  i  in.,  and  n  ft.  3  in. 

The  largest  Birch  in  the  garden  girths  5  ft.  10  in.,  and  a 
Mountain  Ash,  4  ft.  2  in.  I  have  not  been  able  to  ascer- 
tain the  exact  age  of  any  of  the  older  trees  ;  but  my  friend 
Mr.  Joseph,  to  whom  I  am  obliged  for  the  measurements, 
writes  that  the  late  Warden  remembered  the  planting  of  the 
Catalpa,  when  he  had  not  long  been  a  Fellow,  i.e.  1830,  which 
now  has  a  girth  of  just  over  8  ft.  So  strictly  observed  (by 


224  COLLEGE  GARDENS 

the  authorities)  was  the  rule  against  picking  the  flowers,  that 
it  is  said  that  even  the  Warden  (Dr.  Sewell)  himself  was  not 
aware  of  how  soon  they  fell  when  plucked  and  put  in  water, 
until  he  tried  the  experiment  with  some  which  he  had  forcibly 
taken  from  an  American  visitor. 

He  had  the  branch  taken  away  from  the  tripper,  and  said 
to  one  of  the  present  Fellows  (A.  F.  W.)  that  it  had  enabled 
him  to  discover,  what  he  had  long  wanted  to  know— the 
behaviour  of  the  flowers  when  placed  in  water.  For  all  those 
years— for  the  incident  occurred  about  1898 — he  had  sub- 
ordinated his  curiosity  to  his  respect  for  the  tree  !  There 
were  younger  members  of  the  College  who  could  have  told 
him  that  the  flowers  would  not  live  in  water. 

A  Cedar,  so  Professor  Turner  informs  me,  was  planted  in 
memory  of  Bryan  Alt,  who  left  a  sum  of  ^10  in  his  will  for 
the  garden. 

Many  of  the  trees  have  been  admirably  planted  to  illustrate 
the  exceeding  great  value  of  trees  as  screens  at  the  back  of 
ugly  buildings,  which,  like  so  many  others  in  Oxford,  are  the 
works  of  modern  architects,  who  closely  resemble  those  de- 
scribed by  Pugin : 

Some  raise  a  front  up  to  the  church 

Like  old  Westminster  Abbey ; 
.     And  then  they  think  the  Lord  to  cheat, 
And  build  the  back  part  shabby. 

The  identity  of  one  of  the  trees  was  for  long  a  matter  of 
controversy  in  College,  and  the  following  type  of  dialogue 
was  not  an  uncommon  one  in  the  Common  Room  : 

"The  Spanish  Elder"  (spoken  with  assurance)  "is  not  looking  very 
well  to-day." 

"  No,  the  American  Oak  "  (spoken  with  polite  but  frigid  emphasis) 
"has  been  going  off  of  late." 

"  I  have  noticed  that  the  Spanish  Elder,"  etc. 

The  tree  did  not  long  survive  the  misunderstanding,  and  its 
real  name  is  still  a  mystery  to  us. 


NEW   COLLEGE  225 

"  These  gardens  of  New  College  are  indescribably  beautiful— 
not  gardens  in  the  American  sense,  but  lawns  of  the  richest 
green  and  soft  velvet — grass  shadowed  by  ancient  trees  that 
have  lived  a  quiet  life  here  for  centuries,  and  have  been 
nursed  and  tended  with  such  care,  and  so  sheltered  from 
rude  winds,  that  certainly  they  have  been  the  happiest  of  all 
trees  "  (Hawthorne's  "  English  Note-book  "). 

ALL  SOULS  COLLEGE  can  boast  the  tallest  Rowan  in  Oxford, 
a  slender  sapling  as  tall  as  the  Codrington  Library  building. 
The  Sycamore,  7  ft.  girth,  overhangs,  and  is  a  great  ornament 
to  the  High  Street. 

BRASENOSE  COLLEGE.  Hearne  tells  us  that  the  quadrangle 
"was  once  a  garden,  which  was  a  delightful  and  pleasant 
shade  in  summer-time,  but  was  cut  down  by  direction  of  the 
Principal  and  some  others,  purely  to  turn  it  into  a  grass  plot 
and  erect  some  silly  statue  there  "  [Cain  and  Abel]. 

"  There  was  a  garden,  too,  attached  to  our  College,  but 
nothing  was  ever  sown  in  it,  save  wild  oats  and  exhausted 
'  weeds ' ;  and  I  can  only  remember  a  single  window  which 
was  beautified  with  flowering  plants,  and  this  '  because ' 
(as  I  was  assured  on  inquiry,  though  I  was  quite  unable  to 
understand  the  inference)  '  the  occupier  was  going  over  to 
Rome '  "  (S.  Reynolds  Hole,  "  A  Book  about  the  Garden  "). 
S.  R.  H.  was  at  Brasenose  between  1840  and  1844. 

But  although  Brasenose  College  now  owns  no  trees  within 
its  walls,  it  is  the  proprietor  of  one  of  the  finest  small  private 
gardens  in  Oxford,  at  Grandpont.  A  list  of  dimensions  of  the 
older  trees  is  given  on  p.  248. 

EXETER  COLLEGE  has  the  joy  and  the  responsibility  of 
having  one  side  of  the  Bodleian  Library  in  the  garden. 

On  the  other  hand,  porers  over  Bodleian  manuscripts  can 
rest  their  tired  eyes  on  the  restful  green  beneath  them.  Sir 
Christopher  Wren's  massive  but  beautiful  buttresses  all  covered 
with  ivy,  and  the  fine  Robinia  (n  ft.  6  in.)  on  the  lawn, 
compose  a  group  of  unique  charm  among  garden  views. 

15 


226  COLLEGE   GARDENS 

The  site  of  part  of  the  garden  was  covered  in  the  fourteenth 
century  with  small  halls  which  became  the  property  of  the 
College.  A  portion  of  the  garden  did  not  at  first  belong 
to  the  College,  but  was  hired  from  Balliol.  In  one  of  the 
leases,  for  forty-one  years  from  Lady  Day,  1581,  it  was  stated 
that  "  Exeter  shall  not  make  any  bowling  allee  or  tennisse 
court  which  may  be  noisome  to  students,  or  any  hogsty  or 
dunghill  or  any  other  filthy  savour  "  (Boase).  The  garden 
had  been  "made  square"  with  a  wall  in  1573.  The  winding 
path  has  been  said  to  have  been  planned  by  Hogarth  to 
illustrate  his  line  of  beauty.  The  Rector  informs  me  that  the 
exact  date  of  the  terrace  is  unknown,  but  that  he  believes 
it  to  have  been  thrown  up  early  in  the/  eighteenth  century, 
when  the  RadclifTe  was  erected.  A  quit  rent  is  still  paid  to 
All  Souls  College,  and  so  it  is  probable  that  some  of  the 
ground  last  enclosed  belonged  to  that  College. 

At  the  further  corner,  on  the  terrace,  is  Heber's  Horse- 
chestnut  (n  ft),  so  called  because  it  shaded  Reginald  Heber's 
rooms  in  Brasenose  (circ.  1800-3).  It  stands  high  above 
the  road,  and,  when  not  cut  back,  reaches  almost  across 
Brasenose  Lane.  There  is  a  saying  that  when  the  branches 
of  the  tree  touch  the  buildings  of  Brasenose,  Exeter  will  bump 
B.N.C.  on  the  river:  and  this  actually  occurred  in  1895. 
Near  it  are  two  old  Pear-trees  (5  ft.  6  in.  and  4  ft.  2  in.). 
In  the  border  along  the  road  are  a  Cut-leaved  Alder 
(6  ft.  3  in.)  and  a  newly  planted  collection  of  shrubs, 
none  apparently  of  much  interest,  as  yet. 

One  of  the  Fig-trees  against  the  College  building  is 
associated  with  the  name  of  Kennicott,  Radcliffe  Librarian, 
1767-83,  and  a  Fellow  of  Exeter  until  1771,  but  none  of 
the  branches  trained  on  the  wall  date  from  his  time.  The 
older  branches  were  all  killed  down  to  the  root  by  the  severe 
winter  of  1860.  There  is  a  tradition  that  the  first  Fig  here 
was  introduced  by  Maundrell,  Fellow  of  the  College,  who 
had  been  chaplain  at  Aleppo  in  1695,  and  thus,  like  Pococke 


EXETER   COLLEGE  227 

of  Christ  Church,  and  Sir  T.  Roe  of  Magdalen,  was  one  of 
the  links  between  Oxford  and  the  East  during  the  seventeenth 
century. 

Two  young  Birches  near  the  Rector's  House  measure 
2  ft.  2  in.  and  i  ft.  7  in.  respectively. 

LINCOLN  COLLEGE  is  celebrated  for  its  Vine,  the  story  of 
which  is  told  by  Mr.  Warde  Fowler  as  follows  : 

"  In  the  inner  quadrangle  of  Lincoln  College  the  visitor  may 
notice  two  Vines  climbing  the  old  grey  walls.  They  usually 
produce  a  few  bunches  of  grapes,  some  of  which  are  brought 
into  Common  Room  on  the  College  '  chapter-day,'  or  half- 
yearly  meeting  of  Fellows,  on  November  6.  These  Vines  are 
not  now  in  their  original  place,  nor  is  it  likely  that  they  are 
direct  descendants  of  the  original  stock  ;  but  there  is  little 
doubt  that  one  Vine  at  least  has  been  trained  on  the  College 
walls  since  the  year  1474. 

"In  that  year  the  second  Founder,  Thomas  Rotherham, 
Bishop  of  Lincoln  and  Visitor,  paid  a  visit  to  the  College 
founded  in  1429  by  another  Bishop  of  Lincoln,  Richard 
Fleming.  He  found  it  in  a  miserable  and  decaying  condition, 
owing  to  insufficient  endowment  and  other  misfortunes  ;  only 
a  part  of  the  present  front  quad  had  been  built.  The  Rector 
of  that  day  made  a  successful  appeal  to  the  Visitor,  a  man 
of  wealth  and  importance  even  then,  and  afterwards  Arch- 
bishop York,  of  which  appeal  the  Vines  remain  as  a  happy 
memorial.  He  preached  before  him  from  Psalm  Ixxx.,  14,  15. 
'  Behold,  and  visit  this  vine,  and  complete  it  which  Thy  right 
hand  hath  founded  '  (translated  from  the  Latin  which  he  used). 
The  Bishop  was  moved,  and  became  the  second  Founder 
of  the  College ;  and  to  commemorate  his  generosity  and  the 
preacher's  text,  a  Vine  was  planted  in  the  quadrangle,  which 
was  soon  to  be  completed.  When  the  new  Chapel  was  built  in 
1628,  the  Vine  was  apparently  transplanted  to  the  inner 
quadrangle,  where  its  representatives  are  still  to  be  seen,  as 
described  above." 


228  COLLEGE   GARDENS 

Opposite  the  College  Lodge  grows  a  Plane  with  a  trunk 
which  measures  about  3  ft.  6  in.  to  4  ft.  in  diameter. 

TRINITY  COLLEGE  GARDENS  are  laid  out  in  a  somewhat 
formal  style  suited  to  the  architecture.  They  are  famous  for 
the  avenue  of  Lime-trees,  made  early  in  the  eighteenth 
century,  which  have  been  cut  so  as  to  meet  one  another 
and  form  a  leafy  trellised  vault  over  a  shady  walk.  The 
periodical  cutting  back  of  the  branches  encourages  tuft-like 
new  growths  of  twigs,  which  have  been  compared  to  the  bosses 
on  ribs  of  a  gothic  ceiling.  The  trunks  are  the  pillars,  and 
the  sun's  rays,  slanting  through  the  foliage,  make  on  the 
ground  the  effect  of  light  through  stained-glass  windows.  The 
largest  trees  in  the  avenue  only  girth  about  4  ft.  3  in.,  and  it 
is  not  easy  to  believe  that  the  tables  for  a  Commemoration 
breakfast  were  spread  under  them  in  1787. 

Parallel  is  a  line  of  Yews,  largest  about  5  ft.,  but  larger 
still  are  the  pair  near  the  Iron  Gates,  one  with  a  straight 
trunk,  5  ft.  10  in.  round  and  over  10  ft.  in  height,  the  other 
springing  from  a  bole  3  ft.  6  in.  across.  Two  Yews  inarched 
may  be  seen  near  the  St.  John's  boundary,  not  far  from  the 
Robinia  (6  ft.). 

But  most  noteworthy  of  all  is  the  magnificent  Wistaria, 
planted  about  1863,  which  extends  through  a  dense  growth 
of  Ampelopsis  along  the  greater  part  of  two  sides  of  the 
quadrangle,  for  a  length  of  150  ft.  It  may  therefore  claim  to 
have  leaves  further  from  the  root  than  is  the  case  with  any 
other  plant  in  Oxford,  and  it  would  probably  have  gone 
further  had  it  not  been  for  the  Ampelopsis, 

ubi  aera  vincere  summum 
Arboris  baud  ullae  jactu  potuere  sagittae. 

VIRGIL,  "  Georgics." 

In  the  old  orchard  of  the  Cottages  in  the  front  quadrangle 
are  two  Pears  of  4  ft.  girth,  and  Apple-trees  of  3  ft.  n  in. 
and  3  ft.  10  in.  The  Catalpa,  which  has  started  branching 


TRINITY   COLLEGE  229 

near  the  ground,  girths  4  ft.  Mr.  Raper  informs  me  that  it 
was  planted  about  1889  and  was  originally  a  Golden  Catalpa 
(with  larger  leaves,  grafted  on  to  an  ordinary  stock),  but  was 
broken  one  night  by  undergraduates  below  the  graft.  It 
has  grown  rapidly.  The  young  Birches  near  the  Lodge  now 
measure  about  i  ft.  9  in. 

BALLIOL  COLLEGE  contains  the  wreck  of  the  largest  Mulberry- 
tree  in  a  College  garden.  The  short  hollow  trunk  has  a 
girth  of  7  ft.  10  in.,  but  is  not  strong  enough  to  support  the 
branches  without  the  assistance  of  props.  A  younger  tree, 
planted  by  Mr.  Woollcombe,  girths  3  ft.  n  in. ;  and  will  in  time 
take  the  place  of  the  large  one.  Near  by,  the  Ailanthus 
measures  4  ft.  6  in.  round  the  trunk.  The  third  Mulberry  was 
planted  in  1875,  an(^  tne  Lime  in  the.  following  year.  The 
latter  tree  has  done  well,  its  present  girth  being  3  ft.  6  in. 
Near  the  Hall  is  a  Weeping  Cerasus  virginica.  The  big  Plane 
measures  1 1  ft.  in  girth. 

The  present  Bursar,  Mr.  Edward  Hilliard,  has  much  in- 
creased the  interest  of  the  collection  by  adding  the  following 
trees,  several  of  which  are  not  to  be  easily  found  elsewhere  in 
Oxford : 

In  1906.     4  Wistarias  on  the  Old  Library. 
In  Dec.  1908.     9  free-flowering  sorts  of  espalier  Apples,  and 
Catalpa  bignonoides,  Cerasus  serrulata, 

„  „  aurea,     Amelanchier  ovata> 

Crataegus  prunifolia^  Euonymus  latifolius, 

C.  macrantha,  Viburnum  plicatum  (dead)- 

These  trees  were  chosen  because  they  flower  in  or  about  the 
last  week  in  May. 

In  1909.     Birch  in  the  Back  Quadrangle. 

In  1910.     2    Hornbeams    in    the    Back    Quadrangle,    and 

Cotoneaster  frigida . 
In  1911.   Ceanothus  veitchianus. 

Magnolia  soulangeana,  by  the  steps  of  the  Hall. 
Davidia  involucrata,  a  plant  not  well-known  in  Oxford. 


230  COLLEGE   GARDENS 

There  is  a  good  Ceanothus  veitchianus  in  the  Fellows' 
Garden  and  a  red-leaved  Vine  has  been  most  appropriately  and 
invitingly  trained  round  the  entrance  to  the  Common  Room. 

ST.  JOHN'S  COLLEGE.  A  good  example  of  what  may  be 
accomplished  within  the  limits  of  a  College  garden  may  be 
seen  at  St.  John's  College.  The  garden  was  laid  out  by 
"Capability"  Brown*  and  Repton,  but  the  present  Bursar 
has  taken  full  advantage  both  of  his  official  position  and  of 
the  possibilities  of  the  soil  and  aspect,  to  cultivate  many  beauti- 
ful and  interesting  Herbaceous  plants  which  are  an  ornament 
to  the  garden  and  a  delight  to  visitors,  and  have  greatly 
enhanced  the  high  reputation  of  St.  John's  Garden.  It  is 
not  every  College  Bursar  who  is  so  enthusiastic  a  horticulturist  t 
as  Mr.  Bidder. 

The  gardens  have  been  steadily  improved  "  under  the  sober 
direction  of  discriminating  taste  "  (Ingram). 

I  woll  nat  long  hold  you  in  fable 

Of  all  this  garden  delectable 

I  mote  my  tongue  stinten  nede, 

For  I  ne  may  withoulen  drede 

Naught  tellen  you  the  beautie  all, 

Ne  halfe  the  bountie  therewithal.— CHAUCER. 

A  "  Catalogue  of  Herbaceous  Plants  cultivated  in  the 
Gardens  of  St.  John's  College,  Oxford,"  has  been  printed. 
It  was  revised  in  1890  and  enumerates  about  350  species. 

*  This  remarkable  personage,  born  1716,  after  ten  years  in  the  service 
of  Lord  Cobham  at  Stowe,  settled  in  1749  as  consulting  landscape 
gardener.  George  II.  appointed  him  Head  Gardener  at  Hampton  Court. 
He  was  High  Sheriff  for  Hunts  and  Cambridgeshire  1770,  and  died  1783. 
His  work  was  not  "  cheap,"  cf.  Cowper,  "  The  Task,"  bk.  iii. 

f  Nor  even  every  Bursar  of  St.  John's  !  See  a  manuscript  book  of 
poems  in  the  British  Museum,  MS.  37684  : 

On  ye  Burser  of  St.  John's  Oxon  cults  down  a  fine  Row  of  Trees. 
Indulgent  Nature  to  each  -Kind  bestows 
A  secret  Instinct  to  discern  their  Foes 
The  Goose,  a  silly  bird,  avoids  yc  Fox 
Lambs  fly  from  Wolves,  &  Saylors  steer  from   Rocks 
A  Thief  ye  Gallows  as  his  Fate  foresees, 
And  bears  a  like  Antipathy  to  Trees.— (?)  W.  TAYLOR. 


ST.   JOHN'S   COLLEGE  231 

This,  however,  has  long  been  obsolete,  and  the  number  of 
species  on  the  rockery  alone  would  approach  1,000. 

The  oldest  trees  in  the  garden  are  the  Elms,  the  largest  of 
which,  now  a  mere  stump,  measures  15  ft.  round  the  trunk; 
another  near  the  Common  Room  has  a  girth  of  12  ft.  10  in. 
and  is  about  20  ft.  in  height,  having  -been  polled  in  1909. 
And  it  is  appropriate  that  there  should  be  Elms  at  St.  John's, 
for  the  College  was  founded  near  a  triple  Elm.  Salmon,  in  1 748, 
noted  that  the  walks  were  planted  with  Dutch  Elms  (stunted 
pollards),  and  that  the  walls  were  covered  with  evergreens. 

The  timber  of  next  largest  growth  is  that  of  the  Horse- 
chestnuts,  several  of  about  the  same  age,  measuring  from 
10  ft.  to  9  ft.  4  in.  in  circumference.  The  best  Lime  has  a 
fine  trunk  of  9  ft.  8  in. ;  the  two  Evergreen  Oaks,  6  ft.  7  in. 
and  5  ft.  10  in. ;  Yew,  5  ft.  7  in.  ;  Cedar,  7  ft.  9  in. ;  Scotch 
Fir,  3  ft.  9  in. ;  Laburnum,  4  ft. ;  and  a  remarkably  tall 
Thorn  has  a  trunk  of  24  ft.  in  height  and  4  ft.  3  in.  in  girth. 
Close  to  it  under  the  south  wall  are  a  Dimorphanthus 
mandshuricus,  a  species  of  Aralia,  stem  girth  i  ft.  7  in.,  and 
some  large  Juniper  bushes,  7  ft.  to  8  ft.  high.  Another  Juniper 
nearer  the  rockery  forms  a  fine  bush  12  ft.  across,  its  stem- 
girth  being  i  ft.  4  in.  Near  it  is  a  clumpy  Thuja  pygmaea^ 
a  bush  5  ft.  through. 

Growing  against  the  College  are  the  curious  climbing  Poly- 
gonum  baldschuanum^  and  a  Wistaria,  trunk  i  ft.  7^  in. ;  and 
against  the  wall  facing  south,  a  Fig,  one  stem  of  which  girths 
i  ft.  4^  in. 

In  the  "  Dolphin  "  Garden  are  old  Pear-trees,  5  ft.  2  in.,  and 
3  ft.  ii  in.,  a  Mulberry  of  6  ft.  7  in.,  and  a  Fig  of  i  ft.  10  in. 

T.  F.  Dibdin,  circ.  1795,  records  that  with  Johnson  and 
Boswell  he  "  used  to  sit  hour  after  hour,  and  day  after  day,  in 
our  groves  or  gardens — a  very  paradise  of  their  kind," — a 
paradise  depicted  upon  Professor  Oman's  fan,  a  photograph  of 
which  was  published  as  frontispiece  to  the  "  Studies  in  Oxford 
History,"  vol.  xli.  of  the  Oxford  Historical  Society. 


232  COLLEGE   GARDENS 

WORCESTER  COLLEGE.  The  gardens  on  the  south  side  of  the 
College  buildings  as  far  as  the  river  at  Hythe  Bridge,  and 
extending  north-west  along  the  river,  were  purchased  in  1741. 
In  1788  the  land  now  occupied  by  the  canal  and  towing-path 
from  the  north  end  of  the  College  field  to  Hythe  Bridge  was 
sold  to  the  Canal  Company. 

The  pond  was  made  apparently  shortly  before  1817,  and 
was  stocked  with  nineteen  shillingsworth  of  fish  on  Nov.  7, 
1817,  and  also  with  "tench  for  lake,"  April  16,  1818,  and 
Dec.  4,  1818,  at  2s.  and  55. 

From  1817101822,  a  lot  of  planting,  lay  ing  of  turf,  and  making 
of  walks  was  done,  and  an  item  in  the  accounts,  "  carriage  of 
beeches,"  may  have  included  the  big  Copper  Beech  and  also 
the  Beech  in  the  Fellows'  Garden  ;  and  thus,  as  Mr.  F.  S. 
Lys,  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  this  information,  has 
suggested,  we  have  a  probable  clue  to  the  age  of  the  trees. 

The  old  Apple-tree,  45  ft.  in  height  and  5  ft.  7  in.  in  girth, 
is,  so  far  as  we  know,  the  largest  in  Oxford.  The  Tulip 
Tree  near  by,  girthing  4  ft.  9  in.,  was  planted  by  G.  Bell  when 
Bursar  about  1860  (F.  J.  L.). 

The  finest  trees  are  undoubtedly  the  Ailanthus ;  the  male 
tree  has  a  fine  tapering  trunk  9  ft.  in  girth,  and  the  female 
is  somewhat  smaller.  Suckers  from  the  former,  as  in  the 
Botanic  Garden,  have  come  up  at  a  distance  of  30  yds.  A 
third  Ailanthus,  which  stood  near  the  Copper  Beech  on  the 
"  Stage,"  where  many  an  open-air  play  has  been  performed, 
has  just  been  felled.  We  counted  84  annual  rings,  and  noted 
that  the  growth  of  the  tree  received  a  check  forty  years  ago. 
Other  noteworthy  trees  are  the  Horse-chestnuts,  girth  n  ft., 
and  a  Plane  12  ft.  in  girth.  The  largest  Box  has  a  diameter 
of  8  in.  for  a  short  length.  A  Walnut  in  the  south-west 
corner  of  the  ^garden  measures  TO  ft.  round. 

Winding  walks  lead  along  the  margin  of  the  informal  lawn 
to  the  lake,  upon  the  margin  of  which  grows  a  fine  Horse- 
chestnut  whose  large  branches  stretch  out  over  the  water.  Near 


WORCESTER    COLLEGE  233 

the  gate  is  an  Alder,  the  short  trunk  of  which  has  a  girth 
of  10  ft.,  but  it  soon  divides  into  three  very  tall  and  straight 
limbs.  Not  far  from  the  water  are  a  Walnut,  an  Ilex  (far 
more  picturesque  with  its  stunted  trunk  and  seven  limbs 
than  a  forester's  tree),  and  a  Weeping  Ash. 

Two  large  Willows,  one  of  15  ft.  girth,  grow  upon  the  canal 
bank,  by  the  side  of  the  walk  leading  to  the  north  end  of  the 
cricket  field,  where  the  present  Bursar  is  planting  a  variety  of 
interesting  trees  along  what  promises  to  be  a  picturesque 
extension  of  the  walk,  as  well  as  a  much-needed  screen.  A 
Poplar  on  the  east  side  girths  14  ft.  4  in. 

In  the  Fellows'  Garden,  which  is  believed  to  have  been  laid 
out  in  1813,  there  are  the  fine  Beech  (8  ft.  9  in.)  already 
mentioned,  a  Robinia  (9  ft.  i  in.)  which  seems  to  be  nearing 
the  limit  of  its  life,  and  a  Mulberry  of  6  ft.  6  in.,  with  an 
epiphytic  gooseberry  living  upon  it. 

In  the  Provost's  Garden  there  are  a  fine  Ash  (3  ft.  7  in.), 
and  a  Hornbeam  of  5  ft.  10  in. 

WADHAM  COLLEGE  GARDEN  was  originally  laid  out  in  the 
grotesque  taste  of  the  seventeenth  century,  with  clipped 
parterres  and  an  artificial  mount,  shown  in  Loggan's 
engraving,  which  lasted  at  least  as  late  as  1733.  The 
garden  was  brought  into  its  present  "  romantic "  form 
at  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  century  under  the  direction  of 
Shipley,  who  was  employed  by  Warden  Wills. 

The  sole  surviving  Cedar  of  Lebanon  brings  back  painful 
memories  of  the  loss  of  its  companion  on  April  25,  1908, 
when  an  unexpected  fall  of  clinging  snow  brought  it  down.* 

*  As  the  Warden  contemplated  the  fallen  tree,  there  fell  from  his  lips 
the  Sophoclean  reflection — 

cr/jUKpa  TraXaia  (rc6/*ar'  evvdfei  po7r>7, 

while  the  Subwarden  relieved  his  feelings  in  an  epigram  : 
Non  hiemi  vires  te,  maxima,  rumpere  veris 

Formosam  tacitae  surripuere  nives, 

It  had  been  the  scene  of  a  story  well  known  in  Wadham,  about  a  Scholar 
of  the  College  who  was  once  found  sitting  in  the  tree  in  scanty  raiment. 
He;  long  afterwards,  became  an  eminent  Bishop. 


234  COLLEGE   GARDENS 

The  pair  figure  in  all  picturesque  views  of  the  garden  side  of 
the  College.  In  the  fallen  tree  no  rings  were  counted,  and 
its  girth  at  the  ground  was  9  ft.  6  in.  (F.  A.  D.).  The  trunk- 
girth  of  the  survivor  is  8  ft.  6  in.  A  young  tree  of  2  ft.  9  in. 
girth  stands  near. 

The  finest  tree  at  the  present  time  is  undoubtedly  the 
Purple  Beech,  n  ft.  6  in.  in  girth,  and  with  a  spread  of 
branches  of  something  like  13  yds.  radius.  Close  by  are 
an  Evergreen  Oak,  now  8  ft.  6  in.  in  girth,  and  an  aged 
Robinia. 

Other  trees  are  an  Ailanthus,  a  fine  Magnolia  acuminata 
(3  ft.),  a  Red  Wood,  Sequoia  sempervirens  *  (4  ft.  4  in.),  and 
Broussonettia  papyri/era,  all  among  the  finest  of  their  kind  in 
Oxford.  By  the  entrance  to  the  garden  is  a  weeping  Robinia 
hispida  inermis  grafted  on  a  stock  of  i  ft.  3  in.  girth.  In  the 
middle  are  some  old  Limes,  and  in  the  eastern  border  a 
Ginkgo.  North  of  the  Chapel  is  a  Gleditschia  (3  ft.),  while 
to  the  south  a  Laburnum  forms  a  fine  clump  springing  from 
a  bole,  the  largest  of  its  kind  in  Oxford.  The  later  flowering 
Scottish  Laburnum  may  also  be  seen  here. 

The  Cockspur  Thorn,  Crataegus  crus  galli  from  N.  America, 
covers  with  its  pale  green  shining  leaves  a  space  of  lawn 
14  ft.  or  15  ft.  across. 

On  the  south  side  of  the  College  in  the  back  quadrangle 
stand  a  Sycamore  (7  ft.  2  in.)  and  a  grafted  pendulous  Lime, 
Tilia petiolaris  (6  ft),  which  is  always  some  weeks  later  than 
the  Common  Lime. 

The  relative  position  and  present  size  of  the  trees  are  fairly 
well  indicated  in  New's  engraving  of  the  College,  but  the 
artist's  style  does  not  sufficiently  discriminate  even  between 
the  most  diverse  types  of  foliage. 

The  Warden's  private  garden  contains  by  far  the  best 
collection  of  trees  outside  the  Botanic  Garden. 

*  According  to  Sir  William  Schlich  this  tree  is  not  more  than  sixty 
years  old,  probably  less. 


WADHAM    COLLEGE 


235 


By  the  liberality  and  foresight  of  Warden  Wills  the  ground 
now  covered  by  the  Warden's  garden  was  secured  for  the 
benefit  of  the  College  and  of  Oxford  as  an  "  open  space  "  in 
1795.*  It  was  laid  out  by  him,  and  probably  to  some  extent 
by  his  successor,  Warden  Tournay.  The  present  Warden,  who 
has  kindly  permitted  the  publication  of  the  following  notes  on 
his  trees,  informs  me  that  there  is  a  tradition  that  Warden  Wills 
received  many  rare  plants  collected  and  brought  to  England 
by  his  brother,  Admiral  Wills,  from  his  voyages.  The  older 
trees,  planted  at  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  century  and  at 
the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  by  Wardens  Wills  and  Tournay, 
include  the  Tulip  Tree,  the  Judas  Tree,  and  the  Medlar. 


Trees  near  the  Hotise 

Tulip  Tree   ..        .        .        < 
Turkey  Oak,  Quercus  cerris  . 

Californian  Red  Wood  : 

Sequoia  sempervirens    . 

Evergreen  Oak  : 

Largest  of  4  limbs 
Diameter  of  bole,  nearly 

Judas  Tree  : 

Largest  of  7  limbs 
Araucaria  imbricata 
Evergreen  Oak     .  '      .'        .* 

Hollies         .         .         . 
Cherry  Laurel 

North  Walk 

Lucombe  Oak 
Quercus  lucombeana    . 


GIRTH 
ft.    in. 

10      8 

5    2 


3  7 

5  5 

3  o 

3  ° 

4  7 
4  9 
•2  5 

.2  2 

i  6 


8    9 


North  Walk  (font.) 

Elms  .  .-  .  .  .K 
Medlar  .  .'  ,  , 
Scotch  Firs 

West  Walk 
Ailanthus  (  $ ) 

On  the  Lawn 

Pinus  excelsa 

Weeping  Ash 

Evergreen  Oak : 

2  Limbs  (together) 
Near  the  ground    . 

Apple .... 

Abies  nordmanniana    . 

Birch    .... 

Pinus  excelsa 

Libocedrus  decurrens  . 

Garrya  (bush  10  ft.  high) 


GIRTH 
ft.  in. 
12  6 
II  8 

3  ii 
{5  8 
l«  3 

8     3 


6    9 

3  8 

9    o 
8    o 

4  o 

2  5 

5  3 

6  2 

3  o 
o  ii 


*  The  date  of  the  assignment  to  the  College  of  a  lease  held  by  Wills 
under  Merton  College  of  about  4  acres  of  land  lying  between  the  site  of 
Austin  Friars  and  the  New  Parks.  The  fee-simple  was  purchased  by 
Wadham  College  in  1834. 


COLLEGE   GARDENS 


On  the  Lawn  (cont^) 

Purple  Beech      .         .  " 
Ailanthus  (  ?  )     . 
Silver  Fir    . 
Apple 
Pear    . 
Scotch  Fir  . 
Sequoia  gigantea 
Robinia 


GIRTH 

On  the  raised  Bank 

ft.    in. 

.  10    8 

Holly          .         .    : 

.     8    8 

Thorn 

„ 

.     i     6 

Lucombe  Oak     . 

•     4     i* 

Walnut 

•     5     i 

Lawson's  Cypress 

-     5    6 

Spruce 

'. 

5,  7    8 

Oak    .         . 

.     4  10 

Scotch  Firs          .  "~ 

GIRTH 
ft.    in. 


3     8, 


Upon  the  old  grey  walls  grow  the  Cheddar  Pink  and  the 
yellow  Oxford  Ragwort,  Senecio  squalidus.  It  will  no  longer 
be  the  Oxford  we  know  and  love,  when  neither  Cheddar  Pinks 

Nor  wa'flowers  of  a  yellow  dye 

Glour  dowy  o'er  her  ruins  high  (R.  FERGUSSON)  ; 

but  so  long  as  Oxford  weather  and  Oolite  stone  endure, 
Nature,  if  only  let  alone,  may  be  trusted  to  provide  sanctuaries 
for  her  floral  gems. 


WORCESTER  / 
COLLEGE  " 
GARDEN 


APPENDIX    F 
THE   PARKS,    OR   UNIVERSITY    PARK 

To  a  park  three  things  are  necessary:  I.  A  grant  from  the  King. 
2.  Enclosure  by  pale,  wall,  or  hedge.  3.  Beasts  of  park,  such  as  buck, 
doe,  etc.  And  where  all  the  deer  are  destroyed  it  shall  no  more  be 
accounted  a  park.  — CRUISE,  Digest  in  N.E.D. 

A  park  in  N.  Britain  is  a  ground  enclosed  for  pasture  or  tillage. 

A  park  is  the  space  occupied  by  the  artillery,  etc.  in  an  encampment. 

N.E.D. 

Long  before  the  Parks  became  the  property  of  the  University 
we  find  references  to  the  public  walks  on  which  members  of 
the  University  and  others  used  to  take  exercise.  The  venerable 
President  of  Magdalen,  Dr.  Routh,  is  said  to  have  compared 
the  air  with  that  of  the  Highlands  of  Scotland,  and  to  have 
talked  with  a  person  who  had  seen  Charles  II.  with  his  dogs 
there  (F.  H.  H.).  About  1853,  negotiations  for  the  purchase 
of  some  or  of  all  the  land  were  opened  between  the  University 
and  Merton  College,  which  resulted  in  the  purchase  of  the 
following  parcels  : 

In  1854       .         .         .       4  acres*  for    3,600 

„     „         .        .        .12     „  ,,     9,000 

„  1856    ...   22   „  „   9,300 

,,  1859    ...   50   „  „  15,000 

„  1865      .        .        .     _3     ,,  (odd)t      „    557 

9^    ,»  £37.457 

*  For  the  University  Museum. 

f  Including  Mesopotamia  (2  a.  I  r.  20  p.). 

237 


238  APPENDIX   F 

On  November  18,  1858,  an  acre  of  land  situate  to  the  north 
of  the  New  Museum  was  generously  given  up  by  the  lessee, 
Mr.  Stevens  of  Holywell ;  and  the  Museum  Delegacy  (the 
Curators  of  the  Parks  not  having  then  come  into  existence) 
were  empowered  to  plant  it  [Letter  of  "  E.  B.  P."  to  the 
Oxford  Magazine,  published  just  fifty  years  after  the  date 
of  the  surrender  of  the  lease  by  Mr.  Stevens]. 

According  to  the  "  First  Report  of  the  Park  Delegates," 
dated  June  3,  1863,  tne  original  scheme  for  the  laying  out  of 
the  ground  seems  to  have  been  largely  due  to  Mr.  J.  Bateman, 
F.R.S.,  of  Magdalen  College.  Among  other  things  he  sug- 
gested that  twenty-six  acres  should  be  planted  with  Coniferous 
trees  so  as  to  form  a  Winter  Garden,  and  that  the  other 
trees  should  be  chosen  so  as  to  produce  their  most  striking 
effect  in  spring  and  autumn.  Dr.  Daubeny  was  a  member 
of  the  Delegacy. 

The  laying  out  of  the  land  was  still  being  discussed  in 
January,  1864,  and  in  the  following  year  ^500  for  purchasing 
and  planting  trees  and  shrubs  was  voted  by  the  University.* 
The  oldest  plantations  in  the  middle  of  the  Parks  date  from 
1870,  Awhile  those  round  the  Cricket  Pavilion  and  the  Observa- 
tory are  some  ten  years  younger.  The  earlier  planting  was 
carried  out  under  the  supervision  of  Mr.  Hopkins,  Fellow 
of  Magdalen,  but  afterwards  Mr.  W.  H.  Baxter,  previously 
at  the  Botanic  Garden,  was  entrusted  with  the  work,  until 
his  death  in  1890.  Baxter  planted  the  collection  of 
Thorns  along  the  North  and  West  Walks,  and  drew  up  a 
list  of  trees  and  shrubs  in  the  Parks,  with  a  view  to  the 
replacement  of  such  as  had  perished  since  the  original 
planting  was  done.t 

*  An  operation  preliminary  to  the  planting  of  trees  was  the  expulsion 
of  undesirable  characters,  and  was  thus  described  by  Riddell  in  his 
Proctorial  Oration — "  Agros  expurgavi  qui  Parks  dicuntur." 

f  The  mortality  indicated  by  Baxter's  MS.  lists  of  1888  is  so  appalling 
that  we  shrink  from  considering  it  in  detail. 


PARKS  239 

Entering  the  University  Park  *  at  the  North-West  Lodge,  the 
path  leads  through  a  shrubbery,  and  on  the  right  there  may 
be  noticed  an  example  of  Cotoneaster  montana,  one  of  the 
larger  species  of  this  genus  which  bears  fine  clusters  of  red 
berries  in  autumn.  Turning  to  the  left,  and  following  the 
path  that  runs  parallel  to  the  back  of  Norham  Gardens, 
considerable  numbers  of  Conifers  are  to  be  seen,  although 
nothing  of  special  interest.  The  Weymouth  Pines  are  very 
much  affected  by  a  woolly  Aphis  which  lives  upon  the  bark 
and  brings  the  tree  into  an  unhealthy  condition.  There 
are  some  good  groups  of  Mountain  Pine,  a  species  which 
is  met  with  towards  the  upper  limits  of  tree-growth  in 
the  mountains  of  Central  and  South-Eastern  Europe.  Of 
this  species,  there  are  a  large  number  of  varieties,  some  of 
which  remain  quite  dwarf,  while  others  attain  to  tree-like 
proportions. 

On  either  side  of  the  path  are  a  number  of  interesting 
plants.  On  the  right  is  the  compact-growing  Ulmus  montana 
nana,  and  on  the  left,  Pyrus  riviolaris  from  N.  America,  and 
a  pendulous  Mountain  Ash.  Further  on  are  a  number  of 
Oaks :  on  the  right,  an  "  Italian  Oak,"  as  the  late  President  of 
Trinity  always  called  it,  branching  near  the  ground,  one  limb 
girthing  3  ft.  3  in. ;  on  the  left,  ftuercus  fastigiata,  Q.  Ilex 
var.,  and  standing  back,  the  large-leaved  CL  coccinea  (4  ft.  3  in.), 
a  specimen  of  that  semi-evergreen  Oak  known  as  the  Lucombe 
Oak,  which  originated  as  a  hybrid  in  a  nursery  in  Exeter, 
and  lastly,  the  Cork  Oak,  ft.  suber  (3  ft.  9  in.),  between  two 
large  Box  bushes.  On  the  right  is  a  Sea  Buckthorn  ? .  A 
good  variety  of  the  pendulous  Beech  is  also  to  be  seen  there, 
and  a  well-grown  example  of  the  Turkish  Hazel,  of  which, 

*  We  are  greatly  indebted  to  Professor  Somerville,  the  Secretary  to 
the  Curators  of  the  University  Park,  for  the  greater  part  of  pages  239-242 
on  the  trees  of  the  Park.  A  few  notes  have  been  added  from  informa- 
tion supplied  by  Mr.  Mount.  For  the  measurements,  the  compiler  is 
responsible. 


240  APPENDIX    F 

however,  there  is  a  much  better  specimen  in  the  Botanic 
Garden.  Near  by  is  Acer  tartarica.  The  ground  between 
this  path  and  Norham  Gardens  appears  to  be  well  suited  to 
the  growth  of  trees,  as  is  evidenced  by  the  fine  tall  speci- 
mens of  Elms  and  Lombardy  Poplars,  the  latter  no  doubt 
having  been  planted  as  nurses,  whose  removal  had  been 
neglected  as  the  better  trees  grew  up.  Several  varieties  of 
Elms  may  be  seen  here,  including  the  fine  Camperdown 
Weeping  Elm,  girthing  2  ft.  7  in.,  Ulmus  glabra  pendula^  and 
others.  At  the  point  where  the  path  diverges  to  the  left 
to  the  exit  at  the  foot  of  Norham  Gardens,  there  is  a  fine 
specimen  of  Planera  Richardi,  otherwise  known  as  Zelkova 
crenata,  which  at  breast-height  girths  6  ft.  6  in.  There  is, 
however,  a  larger  specimen  of  this  tree  on  the  south-east  side 
of  Christ  Church  Meadows.  Near  the  same  spot,  fringing  a 
glade,  are  specimens  of  pendulous  Limes  (Tilia  petiolaris 
pendula,  5  ft.  6  in.,  T.  heterophylla,  T.  aurea).  Growing  beside 
the  river  are  some  good  trees  of  the  Cut-leaved  Alder  (Alnus 
laciniata\  while  a  little  further  on,  in  a  small,  enclosed  group, 
near  the  point  where  the  river-path  diverges  from  the  stream, 
are  some  healthy  trees,  about  twenty  or  thirty  years  old,  of  the 
deciduous  conifer,  Taxodium  distichum^  which  is  characterised 
by  shedding  its  young  shoots  annually  with  the  leaves  attached. 
The  underwood  of  this  clump  consists  of  Dogwood,  whose 
fine  red  twigs  glow  warmly  on  a  bright  winter  day.  A  fifteen- 
year-old  Cornus  florida  rubra  is  growing  at  the  north  end  of 
the  clump.  Going  westwards,  towards  the  Superintendent's 
Lodge,  there  is  a  large  Populus  abele  acerifolia,  9  ft., 
in  the  border-  and  a  healthy  young  specimen  of  Abies 
grandis,  2  ft.  in  girth,  will  be  seen  close  to  the  end  of 
the  shrubbery.  This  is  a  species  which  has  received 
much  attention  lately  from  British  planters,  because  it  is 
found  to  be  more  resistant  to  the  attack  of  an  Aphis  which 
is  peculiar  to  Silver  Firs,  and  most  destructive  to  most 
species. 


PARKS  241 

Close  to  the  South-East  Lodge  are  three  old  Elms  *  of  the 
English  variety,  and  growing  alongside  are  younger  representa- 
tives of  the  more  upright-growing  form  that  is  known  as 
the  Cornish  Elm.  The  trunk  of  one  of  the  old  Elms  was 
seared  from  top  to  bottom  by  lightning  (circ.  1903) ;  pieces  of 
the  bark  were  blown  50  yds.  away  by  the  force  of  the 
explosion,  and  persons  near  by  suffered  severely  from  shock. 
From  the  lodge,  westwards,  there  runs  the  Lime  avenue, 
consisting  for  the  most  part  of  ordinary  Lime-trees,  circ.  3  ft., 
but  the  sixth  tree  in  the  row,  counting  from  the  lower  end, 
is  a  Silver  Lime,  Tilia  argentea,  4  ft.  9  in.,  a  native  of 
S.E.  Europe.  On  the  left-hand  side,  and  just  within  the 

*  I  am  indebted  to  Dr.  Dixey  of  Wadham  for  the  following  story  about 
these  Elms  : 

The  old  Elms  near  the  Lodge  at  the  end  of  the  South  Parks  Road  were 
once  more  numerous  than  they  are  now.  The  furthermost  tree  in  the  row 
was  the  subject  of  a  story  about  Ben  Symons,  Warden  of  Wadham  [1831-71], 
who,  being  upon  one  occasion  the  only  Curator  of  the  Parks  in  residence 
in  the  Vacation,  had  it  cut  down,  sold  the  timber,  and  (as  was  Hbellously 
asserted)  pocketed  the  proceeds. 

When  his  colleagues  who  had  reassembled  for  term,  discovered  what  had 
been  done,  and  had  nursed  their  righteous  indignation  up  to  the  point 
of  bearding  the  Warden  himself,  they  wrote,  asking  for  an  interview.  On 
entering  his  presence,  they  were  received  with  a  short  but  forcible 
address  to  the  effect  that  while  they  had  been  enjoying  their  holiday, 
gallivanting  about  the  country,  he,  the  Warden,  had  been  assiduously 
minding  the  duties  of  their  Curatorship  in  Oxford.  When  the  first  spokes- 
man had  opened  at  length  upon  the  enormity  which  had  been  perpetrated 
(to  which  the  Warden  only  replied,  "Yeth,  yeth,  yeth  "),  No.  2  spoke, 
requesting  an  explanation  of  what  he  meant  by  it,  only  to  receive  the 
same  answer,  "  Yeth,  yeth,  yeth.  Has  any  other  gentleman  anything 
elth  to  thay  ? "  whereupon,  No.  3,  and  then,  after  the  same  answer  from 
the  Warden,  the  others  poured  forth  their  grievance. 

Then,  when  no  further  response  come  to  his  "Yeth,  yeth,  yeth.  Has 
any  other  gentleman  anything  elth  to  thay?"  the  only  answer  he  gave 
was,  "Well,  gentlemen,  you  may  talk,  and  you  may  talk,  and  you  may 
talk,  but  you  cannot  put  back  that  tree  ! "  and  he  bowed  them  out  of  the 
room. 

16 


242  APPENDIX   F 

entrance,  is  a  fine  Table  Yew,  28  ft.  across,  and  further, 
over  a  yellow-berried  Yew,  is  a  Spanish  Chestnut,  5  ft.  6  in. 
in  girth,  and  probably  the  largest  in  Oxford,  for  it  does  not 
do  well  in  our  lime-sodden  soils.  Further  on,  and  just  as 
one  would  emerge  from  the  Park  at  the  exit  at  the  west  end 
of  South  Parks  Road,  is  a  well-grown  specimen  of  Chamaecy- 
paris  nootkaensis,  2  ft.  3  in.,  otherwise  known  as  Thujopsis 
borealis,  one  of  the  most  decorative  of  the  British  Columbian 
Conifers,  and  one  which  has  proved  thoroughly  hardy  in  this 
country.  In  British  Columbia  it  attains  to  a  large  size  and 
is  not  an  unimportant  timber  tree. 

Retracing  our  steps  from  the  gate,  we  skirt  the  back  of 
the  Physiological  Laboratory,  and  along  this  path  are  to  be 
seen  specimens  of  Araucaria  imbricata,  2  ft.,  the  so-called 
Monkey-puzzle  Conifer  of  Chili,  good  specimens  of  Cedrus 
atlantica,  4  ft.  3  in.,  and  two  Cedrus  deodara,  2  ft.  6  in.  (one 
is  C.  deodara,  var.  robustd),  the  former  being  a  native  of 
Mount  Atlas  in  N.  Africa,  while  the  latter  is  an  important 
tree  in  the  Himalayas.  A  Spanish  Chestnut  in  the  same 
clump  girths  4  ft.  Alongside  the  path  also  there  are  speci- 
mens of  Pinus  cembra,  one  of  our  native  European  trees, 
met  with,  along  with  the  Mountain  Pine,  in  high  altitudes  in 
Switzerland,  the  Tyrol,  and  the  Ural  Mountains,  spreading 
eastwards  through  Siberia.  On  the  side  of  this  plantation, 
towards  the  lawn-tennis  ground,  is  a  specimen  of  the  tree 
called  in  N.  America  the  "Tamarack,"  Larix  microcarpa, 
2  ft.  7  in.,  a  Larch  which  is  distributed  all  over  Eastern 
Canada  and  far  south  in  the  Eastern  United  States.  It 
is  characterised  by  having  very  much  smaller  cones  than 
the  European  Larch,  nor  does  the  bole  ever  attain  to  such 
large  dimensions.  Near  the  inner  border  of  the  shrubbery 
is  a  young  Cut-leaved  Beech.  The  isolated  clump  to  the  west 
of  the  Observatory  is  known  as  Daubeny's  Clump,  because 
he  planted  the  two  Sycamores,  now  girthing  3  ft.  6  in.,  which 
are  growing  in  the  middle  of  a  group  of  Horse-chestnuts. 


PARKS  243 

Passing  the  exit  gate  opposite  Keble  Road,  we  observe 
on  the  right  a  double  Horse-chestnut,  7  ft.,  and  a  Cladrastis, 
and  on  the  left  a  large  variety  of  Thorns,  which  are  now 
being  somewhat  interfered  with  in  growth  by  the  more  robust- 
growing  Lime-trees  situated  alongside.  On  the  right-hand 
side  of  this  path  there  are  Cytisus  quercifolia^  Tilia  alba^ 
6  ft.  2  in.,  and  two  specimens  of  the  American  Paper  Birch, 
Betula  papyrifera,  i  ft.  9  in.,  a  N.  American  species,  whose 
bark,  of  a  very  silvery  character,  can  be  used  for  writing- 
tablets,  and  which  in  N.  America  has  been  employed  by 
the  Indians  in  the  making  of  canoes.  There  is  also  growing 
along  this  path  a  specimen  of  Sophora  japonica,  4  ft.  1 1  in., 
a  leguminous  tree  indigenous  in  Japan,  which  in  this  country 
grows  well.  The  fine  example  in  the  Botanic  Garden  has 
already  been  mentioned  on  p.  39. 

MESOPOTAMIA 

The  older  trees  in  Mesopotamia  are  for  the  most  part 
pollarded  Willows,  which,  not  having  been  cut  for  a  great 
number  of  years,  have  grown  great  crowns  of  boughs  stretching 
out  in  winter  like  the  arms  of  some  gigantic  cuttle-fish  which 

Winnow  with  giant  arms  the  slumbering  green  ; 
but  in  summer  they  form  an  avenue  of  Willow-trees  of 
rare  character  and  beauty.  The  University  owes  this  fine 
feature  largely  to  the  taste  and  persistence  of  Mr.  Raper  of 
Trinity,  who  on  one  occasion,  the  Curators  of  the  Parks  being 
equally  divided  for  and  against  pollarding,  saved  the  boughs 
by  inducing  the  then  Vice-Chancellor  to  examine  the  Willows 
himself  before  giving  his  casting  vote.  The  Vice-Chancellor 
saw  that  the  "  branches  of  the  Willows  had  for  the  most  part 
a  separate  tap-root  running  down  deep  where  there  is  plenty 
of  moisture,  which  a  Willow  loves,  and  so  holding  the  tree 
up  " — and  voted  against  the  pollarding.  Few  people  in  Oxford 
have  thought  more  about  this  question  than  Mr.  Raper,  and 
therefore  it  is  worth  while  to  put  his  opinion  on  record, 


244  APPENDIX   F 

"  that  the  cutting  of  large  branches  of  the  Willows  weakens 
a  proportionate  amount  of  root,  and  renders  the  tree  more 
liable  to  fall  (witness  the  number  of  pollarded  trees  that 
have  fallen  on  the  Merton  side  of  the  lower  Cherwell). 
There  is  an  exact  correlation  between  branch  and  root : 
injury  to  branch  means  corresponding  injury  to  root.  .  .  . 
This  is  a  most  beautiful  avenue  in  the  summer  ;  and  it  would 
be  entirely  spoiled  for  thirty  or  forty  years  by  being  pollarded 
now.  Therefore  I  think  it  better  that  the  present  generation 
should  have  the  advantage  of  the  Willows  for  as  long  as  they 
last,  and  then  plant  new  ones,  which  would  be  far  better  than 
to  pollard  the  old  ones  now,  with  a  prospect  of  desolation  for  a 
long  time.  They  have  been  threatened  since,  but  still  survive." 
The  heads  of  some  of  these  old  pollards  measure  6  ft. 
across.  On  many  of  them  has  accumulated  a  quantity  of 
vegetable  (mould,  in  which  the  seeds  of  Thorns,  Brambles, 
and  a  variety  of  other  plants  have  germinated,  and  the  young 
plants  have  driven  their  roots  into  the  rotten  heart- wood  of 
the  Willows.  A  list  of  such  epiphytes  is  given  on  p.  253. 
In  like  situations  it  might  be  possible  to  grow  Rhododendrons 
and  other  similar  plants  which  will  not  flourish  in  the  Oxford 
soil.  Two  large  Poplars  (10  ft.)  grow  on  either  side  of  the 
Middle  Lasher. 

LIST   OF    SUPERINTENDENTS    OF    THE    UNIVERSITY    PARK 

W.  H.  Baxter         ...         .  ?  1887-1890 

J.  Ellam         .        ...        .         .         .     1890-1892 

H.  Mount      ...        .         „...''.     1892- 

REFERENCES   TO   ARTICLES    IN    THE    "OXFORD    MAGAZINE"    ON    THE 

PARKS 

1906,  Dec.    5.     Poynton,   A.    B.,    University    Parks.     [Letter   respecting 

children  and  their  games.] 

1908,  June  4.     W.  W.  F.     Bird-Life  in  the  Parks  :  Past  and  Present. 
„      June  ii.     Balfour,  H.       „          „  „         [A  letter.] 

Oct.  22.  E.  B.  P.  The  Museum  and  the  Parks.  A  Neglected 
Chapter.  [Followed  by  seven  controversial  letters  by  F.  H.  H., 
C.  L.  S.,  and  E.  B.  P.] 


APPENDIX    G 
OTHER   NOTEWORTHY   TREES 

In  the  seventeenth  century  "  in  most  other  parts  of  the  city  it  was 
gardens,  gardens  all  the  way,  with  grey  old  houses  and  walls  between. 
No  slate  and  bricks  disfigured  the  approaches  ;  Bullingdon  Heath  stretched 
unbroken,  but  for  a  few  cottages,  up  to  Magdalen  Bridge.  The  old  walls 
were  still  intact. — FLETCHER,  History  of  England. 

Better  the  madness  of  a  Shenstone  planting  trees  than  that  of  others, 
Hercules-like,  tearing  them  up  by  the  roots. — GILFILLAN,  Life  of  Shenstone. 

RADCLIFFE   OBSERVATORY 

The  Radcliffe  Observer,  Mr.  A.  A.  Rambaut,  with  his 
customary  courtesy,  has  supplied  me  with  the  following  list 
of  trees  and  their  measurements,  and  notes  that  the  heights 
may  be  accepted  to  within  ±  10  ft. 

One  of  the  oldest  trees  is  the  Mulberry,  girth  7  ft.,  which 
is  shown  in  Hornsby's  plan  of  the  Garden  in  1772. 


APPROX.  HEIGHT 

GIRTH  AT  4  FT 

Beeches  : 

ft. 

ft. 

in. 

I.     Opposite  Hall  Door          .         .      <  . 

So 

8 

4 

2'1 

3.  j-  In  a  clump  near  the  Infirmary 

4-J 

50-60 

|2 

I    8 

8 
5 
7 

Elms  : 

i.     Behind  Stable           •         • 

65 

12 

2 

75-8o 

IO 

o 

3'         »          »'               •        •        •        • 

ID 

100 

12 

4 

4.     Behind  Infirmary  Chapel 

60 

II 

I 

5*  1  Topped  by   Stone  in    1887   because  \ 
'  j      they   interfered   with   observations/ 

— 

j" 
1    H 

I  is 

II 

I 
3 

Cedars  : 

3° 

8 

2.                .            .            .            f            .  .         .            .  ' 

20-25 

7 

9 

Spanish  Chestnuts  : 

i.         .  -    .       .  •    '.  "    ."      .  •'•«'• 

— 

6 

ii 



c 

IO 

245 

0 

246  NOTEWORTHY  TREES 

THE  HIGH  STREET 

Between  St.  Mary's  and  Magdalen  Bridge  were  formerly  many 
small  picturesque  gabled  houses  and  almost  every  one  had 
its  little  garden.  But  owing  to  the  extension  of  the  College 
and  University  buildings,  and  to  the  growth  of  the  sordid 
spirit  of  commercialism,  the  amenities  of  the  High  as  a  resi- 
dential street  and  the  number  of  trees  growing  there  have 
both  diminished.  A  beautiful  tree  is  of  less  commercial  value 
to  a  shopkeeper  than  a  shanty  in  a  back-yard.  Time  was, 
when  an  impressionist  described  Oxford  as  rising  "  from  groves 
which  hide  all  buildings  but  such  as  are  consecrated  to  some 
wise  and  holy  purpose  "  ;  but  the  continued  depopulation  of 
the  centre  of  the  city  and  the  spreading  of  the  "ugly, 
irrelevant  suburbs,"  by  St.  John's  and  other  Colleges  has, 
in  a  very  few  years,  changed  the  city  for  the  worse. 

An  instance  of  this  kind  of  perversion  occurred  only  a  few 
years  ago,  when  the  charming  and  unique  old-world  garden 
of  the  Principal  of  St.  Edmund's  Hall,  reaching  along  the 
backs  of  the  High  Street  houses,  between  grey  stone  walls  to 
where  the  old  city  wall  *  peeped  out  between  wreaths  of  ivy, 
was  sacrificed,  together  with  the  gardens  of  several  houses 
adjoining,  to  the  erection  of  a  great  schola  orgiorum,  horrid 
to  look  upon  from  without,  and  dubious  from  within.  An 
even  more  remarkable  sign  of  the  times  is  that  it  is  held  in 
some  quarters  that  those  should  be  held  in  highest  honour 

*  This  large  piece  of  the  fine  old  city  wall  was  pulled  down  by  a 
College  that,  only  a  few  years  previously,  had  by  its  agents  wantonly  de- 
molished another  and  longer  piece  at  the  back  of  some  unnecessary  and 
badly-planned  houses  in  King  Street.  Such  a  deplorable  act  of  vandalism 
has  been  excused  by  Mr.  C.  R.  L.  Fletcher  in  1907  as  follows  :  "Even 
while  I  write,  I  learn  that  the  Bursar  of  one  of  the  leading  colleges  has 
ordered  the  destruction  of  a  piece  of  the  old  city  wall  ;  when  remonstrated 
with,  he  replied  :  i.  that  it  was  a  very  old  wall ;  ii.  that  it  was  very  much 
in  the  way  ;  Hi.  that  there  was  plenty  of  it  left."  I  am  indebted  to  G.  E.  B. 
for  the  reference  to  this  note  to  Fletcher's  "  History  of  England,"  vol.  ii. 
P-  378. 


HIGH   STREET  247 

who  most  embody  the  modern  spirit  of  rapacity,  and  who,  by 
doing  the  greatest  violence  to  the  beauties  of  nature  and 
of  antiquity,  contrive  to  extort  the  highest  rent  from  their 
square  inches  of  land. 

In  the  High  Street  there  still  remains  one  tree,  the 
Sycamore  between  Nos.  32  and  33,  to  remind  us  of  the  old 
days  and  to  help  in  the  "  dramatic  effectiveness  "  with  which 
some  of  the  fine  buildings  are  successively  brought  into  view 
as  one  follows  the  curve  of  the  street.*  The  present  girth  of 
the  tree  is  close  on  7  ft. 

A  tree  opposite  was  cut  down  to  make  room  for  a  dome- 
like excrescence,  which  some,  trusting  the  architect,  believed 
would  be  invisible  from  the  High  Street. 

The  Elms  along  the  old  Gravel  Walk  by  Magdalen  College 
are  gradually  becoming  fewer  in  number  and  are  not  being 
replaced.  On  the  south  side  a  large  Robinia  was  removed 
from  No.  61  only  a  few  years  ago.  With  it  went  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  decorative  effects  in  Oxford,  for  the  branches 
of  the  tree  stretched  out  under  an  electric  lamp  in  the  street, 
and  at  night  the  interlacing  shadows  of  the  elegant  pinnate 
leaves  of  the  Robinia  produced  an  exquisite  pattern,  which  I 
have  seen  approached  only  in  Japanese  decorative  art. 

One  of  the  largest  Pear-trees  in  Oxford  is  growing  in  the 
garden  of  the  Old  Bank.  Its  present  girth  is  5  ft.  9  in. 

SPIRE  OF  ST.  MARY'S  CHURCH 

An  Elder,  Sambucus  niger,  used  to  grow  above  the  north  turret 
(Druce,  1886).  Perhaps  the  plant  now  living  in  the  churchyard  may  be 
a  near  relation.  A  cormorant  was  killed  from  the  steeple  in  1675 
(R.  Plot). 

HOLYWELL 

Behind  Holywell  Cottage  two  fine  trees  stand  on  the  north  side  of  Love 
Lane  (now  Jowett  Walk).  One,  a  Robinia,  second  only  to  the  large 
tree  at  Exeter  College,  measures  10  ft.  4  in.  The  other,  an  old  Mulberry, 
girths  6  ft.  8  in.  at  about  2  ft.  from  the  ground. 

*  Cf.  T.  G.  Jackson,  "The  High  Street,"  "Magazine  of  Art,"  Aug., 

1880, 


248  NOTEWORTHY  TREES 

ST.  GILES' 

At  the  Judge's  Lodgings,  No.  18,  the  largest  Horse-chestnut  measures 
8  ft.  8  in.,  and  the  Robinia  on  the  lawn  9  ft.  4  in.  at  the  ground,  but  only 
6  ft.  10  in.  round  the  surviving  limb,  measured  just  above  the  point  of 
bifurcation. 

A  grafted  Purple  Beech  at  No.  20  girths  5  ft,  6  in.  just  below  the  graft. 

A  fine  old  Mulberry,  7  ft.  2  in.  in  girth,  is  living  in  the  garden  of 
No.  37  (J-  B.). 

MAGDALEN  COLLEGE  SCHOOL 

Tilia  petiolaris  pendula,  8  ft.  3  in.          Weeping  Beech,  5  ft.  3  in. 

at  the  graft.  Robinia,  9  ft. 

Weeping  Willow,  7  ft.  4  in.  ,,        5  ft.  2  in. 

ST.  HILDA'S 
The  largest  Lilac  in  Oxford  used  to  grow  in  the  garden  (Mrs.  Barclay). 

GRANDPONT  HOUSE 

2  Robinias,  8  ft. ,  7  ft.  7  in.  Holly,  2  ft. 

3  Apple-trees,  4  ft.  7  in.,  4  ft.  4  in.,  Judas   Tree,    2   ft.  in  girth  and 
4  ft.  3  in.  20  ft.  in  height.    A  limb  which 

Arbor  Vitae,  2  ft.  4  in.  was  cut   off  a   few  years  ago 

Birch,  5  ft.  measured  I  ft.  2  in.  in  diameter. 

Evergreen  Oak,  8  ft.  8  in.  at  the  Mulberry,  5  ft.  4  in. 

ground.  Turkey  Oak,  6  ft.  2  in. 

Evergreen  Oak,  split  open,  mea- 
sured 2  ft.  7  in.  in  diameter. 

UPPER  RIVER 

The  stump  of  a  large  Poplar  on  the  towing-path  not  far  from  the  rail- 
way station  has  a  girth  of  13  ft.  2  in. 

IFFLEY  CHURCH 

The  bole  of  the  old  Yew  measures  about  6  ft.  by  4^  ft.  through.  There 
is  a  view  of  it  in  Mackenzie's  engraving  of  the  Church  from  the  south-west. 
The  other  large  trees  near,  are  a  Cedar  and  a  Tulip  Tree  in  the  Vicarage 
Garden. 

HEADINGTON  HILL 

Jo.  Pullen's  Elm  :  "  On  Friday  last  (Oct.  29)  were  planted  four  yew 
trees  upon  the  top  of  Heddington  Hill,  round  the  elm  tree  which  is 
commonly  called  Jo.  Pullen's  tree.  They  are  given  by  Mr.  Tilman  Bobart, 
brother  of  the  lat  Mr.  Jacob  Bobart  "  ("  Reliquiae  Hearnianae,"  1725). 


HEADINGTON    HILL 


249 


The  Rev.  Josias  Pullen  was  Vice-Principal  of  Magdalen  Hall,  and  died 
1714.  His  tree  is  depicted  in  Ingram 's  "Memorials,"  "St.  Clement's," 
p.  16.  The  footpath  leading  up  the  front  of  Headington  Hill  *  was  made 
by  general  subscription  in  1740.  "  It  used  to  be  said  of  the  Rev.  Jo. 
Pullen,  when  he  planted  the  elm-tree,  that  he  had  made  a  way  [away] 
with  the  public  money.  It  was  under  the  shelter  of  this  same  tree,  ulmi 
sub  tegmine  grati,  that  Canon  Holmes,  when  going  shooting  in  Stanton 
Woods,  would  put  off  the  canonicals  in  which  he  had  walked  out  of  Christ 


Jo.  PULLEN'S  TREE 

(From  Ingram' s  "  Memorials  of  Oxford  ") 

Church  and  up  Headington  Hill,  and,  with  his  shooting  clothes  now  fully 
revealed,  take  gun,  hat,  and  dog  from  a  servant  in  waiting  and  trudge  on 
to  the  forest "  (Cox). 

The  Elm  was  presented  informally  by  Mr.  Whorwood  of  Headington 
House  to  the  University.  In  1856  its  condition  was  described  as  mutilated. 

*  The  pretty  winding  path  up  the  back  of  the  hill  is  said  to  have  been 
planned  by  Dr.  Tour  nay,  Warden  of  Wadham  (1806-31),  when  he  held 
the  office  of  "  Curator  of  the  Public  Walks"  (Cox). 


250  NOTEWORTHY   TREES 


HEADINGTON  HILL  HALL 

Several  of  the  fine  trees  above  the  terrace  were  planted  by  Baxter  about 
1859  or  1860.  A  list,  printed  by  him,  is  said  to  have  been  prepared,  but 
I  have  not  been  able  to  see  a  copy. 


OXFORD  STREETS 

The  following  list  of  roads  along  which  trees  have  been  planted  during 
the  last  few  years,  with  the  approximate  dates  of  the  planting,  has  been 
drawn  up  by  Mr.  W.  H.  White,  the  City  Engineer,  who  takes  so  deep 
an  interest  in  all  that  affects  the  beauty  and  welfare  of  our  city. 

Bevington  Road.  Trees  planted  about  1875 

Mansfield  Road.  ,,  ,,  ,,  1890 

Jowett  Walk.  ,,  ,,  „  1890 

Banbury  Road.  ,,  ,,  ,,  1893 

St.  Margaret's  Road.  ,,  ,,  ,,  1893 

Woodstock  Road.  ,,  ,,  ,,  1895 

Botley  Road.  ,,  „  „  1896 

Iffley  Road.  ,,  ,,  „  1896 

Polstead  Road.  ,,  ,,  ,,  1897 

Rawlinson  Road.  ,,  ,,  ,,  1899 

Abingdon  Road.  ,,  ,,  ,,  1900 

In  many  cases  later  plantings  have  been  made  because  some  of  the  trees 
first  planted  did  not  flourish,  and  others  were  killed  by  coal-gas  leaking 
into  the  soil  from  the  gas-mains. 

The  Planes  in  St.  Giles',  for  instance,  have  been  planted  at  different 
periods  during  the  last  forty  years. 


APPENDIX   H 

WILD   GARDENS 

THE  RUSKIN  RESERVE  AT  COTHILL 

In  1902,  by  the  generosity  of  Mr.  Henry  Willett,  the 
Ashmolean  Natural  History  Society  of  Oxfordshire  became  the 
possessors  of  about  i|  acres  of  marsh,  water,  and  woodland, 
to  be  kept  untouched  as  a  reserve  for  the  wild  animals,  birds, 
and  plants  which  are  being  slowly  "  civilised  "  out  of  existence. 
Another  couple  of  acres  were  added  in  1904,  to  be  used  for 
the  same  purpose.  It  is  a  charmingly  secluded  spot,  and 
its  botanical  treasures  have  been  described  by  Mr.  Druce  in 
the  Society's  Report  for  1902. 

JOHNSON'S  PIECE  ON  SHOTOVER  HILL 

On  November  6,  1908,  a  meeting,  representative  of  some 
140  subscribers,  held  in  All  Souls  College,  passed  the  follow- 
ing resolution :  "  That  the  plot  of  land  of  some  thirty 
acres  in  extent  lying  immediately  to  the  south-west  of  Shot- 
over  Plain  be  handed  Over  to  the  Chancellor,  Masters,  and 
Scholars  of  the  University  of  Oxford,  on  condition  that,  while 
retaining  the  ownership  of  the  same,  the  University  shall 
devote  the  use  thereof  to  the  public,  with  the  exception  of 
one  day  in  each  year,  and  shall  entrust  the  charge  of  the 
plot  to  the  Curators  of  the  Parks." 

A  plan  was  published  in  the  Oxford  Magazine  for 
November  12,  1908, 

251 


252 


APPENDIX   H 


It  is  with  great  pleasure  that  we  record  the  existence  of 
these  two  properties,  to  be  preserved,  the  first  as  a  wild  garden 
in  which  indigenous  plants  and  animals  may  find  a  temporary 
refuge  from  their  arch-enemy,  man ;  the  second  for  the  use 
of  the  public.  To  us  in  Oxford  they  are  invaluable  object- 
lessons  at  a  time  when  every  form  of  pressure  is  being  put 
upon  all  land-owning  Colleges  and  landlords  to  cover  their 
estates  with  bricks  and  mortar. 


APPENDIX   I 

THE   GARDENS    OF   THE   WINDS   AND   THE 
BIRDS    IN    MESOPOTAMIA 

For  the  benefit  of  those  who  do  not  know  Oxford,  it  may 
be  stated  that  the  "  between  the  rivers  "  is  between  the  King's 
Mill  Stream  and  the  main  channel  of  the  River  Cherwell. 

As  an  undergraduate  I  was  much  struck  by  the  number, 
size,  and  variety  of  the  plants  which  grew  on  the  pollarded 
Willows  of  the  Parks  and  Mesopotamia,  from  seeds  conveyed 
thither  by  wind  or  by  birds,  and,  thinking  that  it  might  be  of 
interest  to  ascertain  to  what  extent  these  "  epiphytes  "  persisted 
upon  the  same  Willow  from  year  to  year,  to  what  age  they 
might  live,  and  by  what  circumstances  their  life  in  so  precarious 
a  position  might  be  affected,  I  commenced  a  record  ;  but  have, 
alas,  not  kept  it  up  as  assiduously  as  I  should. 

The  plants  noted  were  those  living  upon  the  Willows 
growing  along  the  King's  Mill  Stream  on  the  east  side  of 
the  Mesopotamia  walk.  They  are  numbered  consecutively 
from  the  Mill  to  the  Rollers  below  Parson's  Pleasure. 

Plants  with  names  printed  in  black  type  have  survived  for  20  years. 
„  ,,  „  italics  „  „     10     ,, 

,,  ,,  ,,  ordinary   type   were  only  observed  on 

one  occasion  in  the  4  selected  years. 
o  signifies  no  epiphytic  flora  ;  f,  dead  Willow. 

PLANTS  NOTED  IN  THE  YEARS 


1911 

1.  O  O  O  O 

2.  o  Dandelion  .  .  o 

3.  o  Comfrey  ..  f 

4.  Thorn 

Chickweed 

5.  Ivy,  Elder,  Thorn,  Currant  .  .  f 

253 


254  APPENDIX    I 

£°0°wfi888                  ,890  ,900  „„ 

6.  o                          o  f  f 

7.  Grass,  Thorn        ..  ..  f 

8.  Currant  _.  *  .  ' 
Gap  with  3  young  trees. 

9-         o                          o  o                   Nightshade 

10.  o                Stinging  Nettle  . .  o 

11.  Thorn,  Dandelion,  Comfrey,  Currant  ..  f 

Chickweed,  Nightshade  ..    '  f 

12.  Dandelion,  Gooseberry,  Raspberry  .; 

Thorn  seedling,  Willow  Herb     . ,  Rose 

13.  o                          o  f  t 

14.  Grass,  Willow  Herb,  Dock,  Raspberry  . .  o 

Nightshade  . .  o 

15.  o                          o  Thorn              Dead  Thorn 

16.  Dandelion,  Ivy,  Nightshade 

Grass,  Willow  Herb  . .  o 

17.  Rose,  Willow  Herb,  Raspberry,  Thorn,  Chickweed 

Hawkweed,  Lamium         Grass 

18.  Willow  Herb,  Chickweed,  Thorn  . .  o 

Comfrey  o  o 

19.  Grass                       . .  . .  o 

20.  Grass,  Chickweed  . .  o 

Nightshade  . .                 Hawkweed 

21.  o  ..  Thorn,  Dandelion,  Raspberry    .. 

22.  Chickweed,  Celandine,  Hedge  Parsley  . .  o 

23.  Thorn,  Chickweed,  Ivy,  Willow  Herb  . .  o 

24.  Grass                      ..  Thorn 

25.  Rose 

Chickweed,  Elder  o  o 

26.  Elder                      ..  ..  o 

27.  Ivy,  Willow  Herb  . .                  Tree  (?  sp.) 
Bridge  to  Trinity  Cricket  Field. 

28.  Grass                    ..  o  f 

29.  o  Thorn 

30.  Thorn,  Chickweed,  Comfrey 

Dandelion,  Rose,  Beech 

31.  Chickweed,  Rose,  Thorn  ..  .. 

Blackberry  . .  Nearly  f 

32.  Hawkweed,  Grass,  Raspberry,  Thorn 

Blackberry 


WIND    AND    BIRD    GARDENS  255 


.j  °  1888               1890 

1900 

1911 

33-        o                       o 

0 

0 

34.        o                        o 

0 

0 

35.     Grass,  Chickweed 

? 

o 

Lasher. 

36.     Grass 

.. 

0 

37.     Thorn 

Chickweed 

0 

38.         o                          o 

o 

o 

39.     Dandelion,  Chickweed 

.. 

t 

Seat. 

40.     Thorn 

Elder,  Chickweed 

.. 

41.     Rose  seedling 

.. 

0 

42  .         o              Nightshade 

.. 

0 

43.    Eose 

.- 

.. 

Blackberry 

Dandelion 

.. 

44.     Dandelion,  Thorn 

.. 

Blackberry,  Rose,  Nightshade  .  . 

Two  young  trees. 

45.     Willow  Herb,  Thorn,  Grass, 

Chickweed      Nightshade 

.. 

46.     Rose,  Thorn 

t 

47.        o 

Dock,  Grass 

t 

48.     Grass,  Thorn,  Chickweed 

•  • 

•• 

Nightshade 

.. 

0 

Seat. 

49.        o                         o 

0 

t 

50.     Rose,  Chickweed,  Grass 

.. 

51.     Grass,  Thorn 

Chickweed,  Hawkweed 

52.    Eose,  Thorn 

Chickweed 

Blackberry 

53.     Dandelion 

Chickweed 

0 

54.     Rose,  Thorn 

Grass 

Blackberry 

55.     Eose,  Thorn 

56.     Ivy,  l^horn 

o 

57.         o                          o 

o       Grass, 

Nightshade 

58.        o                         o 

0 

0 

59.     Ivy,  Thorn,  Dandelion,  Grass 

60.     Thorn,  Chickweed 

.. 

61.     Eose 

62.     Thorn,  Grass 

Blackberry 

63.     Chickweed,  Grass,  Thorn 

? 

t 

64.     Thorn,  Grass 

.. 

65.     Grass,  Dandelion 

0 

o 

256 


APPENDIX   I 


Willow    J^8                        I^9° 

1900                     1911 

66.     Grass,  Thorn 

Thorn  seedling                o 

67.     Grass,  Thorn,  Elder 

Nightshade 

68.     Dandelion,  Thorn,  Ivy 

69.        o                         o 

o                           o 

70.     Dandelion,  Willow  Herb,  Comfrey 

0                                      0 

71.        o                          o 

o                 Grass,  Elder 

72.        o                         o 

0                                     0 

73.     Grass,  Chickweed,  Willow  Herb 

Comfrey                 Thistle 

74.     Willow  Herb,  Dandelion,  Thorn 

0 

75.     Grass 

Willow  Herb                 o 

76.     Rose,  Thorn,  Willow  Herb 

77.     Grass,  Dandelion,  Dock,  Buttercup 

Hawkweed 

78.     Thorn  seedling      o 

o                            o 

79.         o                           o 

?                           t 

80.     Willow  Herb,  Dandelion,  Comfrey 

?                                       0 

81.        o                          o 

0                                     0 

82.     Willow  Herb         .. 

?               t 

83.        o                         o 

Comfrey             Nightshade 

o                           T?  p*r\1o  rȣkrl   \~\IT   "J   \rr\\iv\cr  trppc 

0                                     0 

o4"                 rxcpiciCcu.  uy  ^  yuuiig  iicco 

85.     Ivy,  Thorn 

?                            t 

86.     Mountain  Ash,  Ivy 

.  .    Mountain  Ash  dead, 

killed  by  drought; 

stem  I  in.  thick. 

87.        o                         o 

0                                     0 

88.     Mountain  Ash,  Chickweed 

0                                       0 

Ferry. 

C                                   T>          i              J    -L          _*    ,7^lvrirr    ft-ooe 

0                                     0 

o^j,      •           Jxcpio-Lcci  uy  ^  yuuii^  uiccb 

90.     Grass,  Elder,  Ivy 

Nightshade 

Seat. 

Three  young  trees,  not  pollarded. 

91.        o 

Comfrey                       ? 

92.     Chickweed 

0                                     0 

93.         o 

Grass 

94.     Currant,  Grass 

Nightshade         Thorn,  Rose 

95.     Mountain  Ash,  Grass 

Thorn 

96.     Dandelion,  Grass 

.. 

Seat. 

97.         o                         .  .                    Nightshade.  Currant  seedling    o 

98.         o                          o 

o                           o 

99.         o                         o 

o                          o- 

WIND   AND    BIRD   GARDENS 


257 


No.  of 


1888 


.890 


Willow. 

100.  O  O 

101.  O  O 

1 02.  Nightshade          o 

103.  o  o 

104.  o  o 

105.  o  o 

1 06.  Currant 

Willow  Herb 

107.  Thorn 

Dock  seedling 

108.  Comfrey,  Rose 

109.  Blackberry 

no.  Grass,  Chickweed 

in.  Elder 

112.  o  o 

113.  o  o 

114.  Willow  Herb 
Bridge  near  Parson's  Pleasure. 


1900 

o 
Thorn 


Nightshade 


1911 
o 


0 

0 

0 

0 

o 

0 

o 

0 

Rose 

0 

0 

Dock 

Rose 

Thorn 

Rose,  Grass 

Willow  Herb 

0 

0 

0 

0 

Ivy 

0 

TOTAL   NUMBER   OF   EPIPHYTES   RECORDED    IN   THE   YEARS 
1888  and  1890  1900  1911 

183  138  90 


This  marked  impoverishment  in  the  flora  of  the  Willow- 
gardens  has  not  been  wholly  due  to  the  reduction  in  the  total 
number  of  suitable  Willows.  Depredations  by  visitors  have 
been  frequent,  and  so  have  cases  of  arson,  especially  during 
the  abnormal  drought  in  the  summer  of  1911,  which  not  only 
caused  the  death  of  many  of  the  older  plants,  e.g.  of  the 
large  Mountain  Ash,  but  also  of  many  seedlings,  and  hindered 
the  germination  of  seeds. 

The  surveys  of  the  Willow-gardens  were  made  in  all  cases 
at  the  end  of  the  Long  Vacation  or  at  the  beginning  of  the 
October  term,  and  greater  attention  was  paid  to  well-established 
perennials  than  to  the  seedlings  of  annuals  which  could  not 
be  expected  to  endure.  Had  the  census  been  taken  earlier 
in  the  season,  many  more  species  would  undoubtedly  have 

T7 


258 


APPENDIX   I 


been  recorded,  as,  for  example,  in  the  May  list  printed  below, 
but  our  interest  chiefly  centred  in  the  hard-wooded  shrubs  and 
trees  growing  as  epiphytes. 

Of  the  Willows  themselves,  about  14  per  cent,  have  perished 
in  the  twenty  years.  And  if  it  be  assumed  that  out  of  the 
114  trees  some  14  were  unsuited  for  the  growth  of  epiphytic 
plants,  and  could  not  have  supported  a  Willow-garden,  the 
numbers  given  in  the  following  table  may  be  taken  as  approxi- 
mate percentages.  It  must  be  remembered  that  the  plants 
were  not  under  continuous  observation,  and  that  the  results 
are  based  upon  the  state  of  things  as  observed  upon  four 
occasions  in  the  autumn  ;  they  are,  however,  sufficiently 
striking  to  be  worth  recording,  if  only  as  a  suggestion  for 
further  research. 


Number  of  Willow-gardens  in  which  the           Total   number  of 
same  species  of  plant  persisted  for                 Willow  -  gardens 
20  and  more          10,  but  under           less  than         in  which  the  plant 
years.                   20,  years.               10  years.               was  noted. 

Thorn         .         .         18                      14 

12 

44 

Rose  ...          8                       6 

6 

20 

Grass                              4                      14 

18 

36 

Nightshade          .           3                         7 
Dandelion                       3                         9 

6 

11 

Iv7     •         •         •           3                        5 

2 

10 

Raspberry  .     _   .           2                         3 

5 

Chickweed           .                                     2 

23 

26 

Elder          ...                                    4 

3 

8 

Blackberry  .         .                                     3 

4 

8 

Currant       .                                               2 

3 

6 

Hawkweed         ..                                    I 

3 

5 

Mountain  Ash     .                                    i 

i 

3 

Gooseberry 

Willow  Herb      .          .                           8 

10 

18 

Comfrey 

3 

7 

10 

Dock.         .         .          . 

O 

3 

5 

Stinging  Nettle  . 

i 

Dead  Nettle        .          . 

i 

Beech 

i 

Hedge  Parsley    . 

i  . 

Buttercup  . 

i 

Celandine  . 

i 

Thistle        .         . 

.  . 

i 

i 

TOTALS 


88 


247 


WIND   AND    BIRD   GARDENS 


259 


A  more  complete  list  of  the  plants  living  upon  the  Willows 
of  the  Parks,  as  well  as  upon  those  of  Mesopotamia,  on 
May  28,  1906,  was  compiled  by  the  members  of  the 
Ashmolean  Natural  History  Society  of  Oxfordshire : 


Acer  pseudo-platanus 
Anthriscus  sylvestris 
Betula  alba 
Bromus  mollis 

,,      sterilis 
Bursa  pastoris 
Carduus  crispus 
Caucalis  anthriscus 
Cerastium  viscosum 
,,         vulgatum 
Cnicus  arvensis 

,,      palustris 
Crataegus  oxyacantha 
Dactylis  glomerata 
Epilobium  montanum 
Festuca  rubra 
Galium  Aparine 
Geranium  Robertianum 
Geum  urbanum 


Hedera  helix 
Hieracium  sciaphilum 
Holcus  lanatus 
Humulus  lupulus 
Lactuca  muralis 
Lamium  album 

,,      purpureum 
Lapsana  vulgaris 
Leontodon  autumnalis 
Lychnis  Flos-cuculi 
Myosotis  arvensis 
Nepeta  Glechoma 
Plantago  lanceolata 
Poa  annua 

„    pratensis 
Polypodium  vulgare 
Potentilla  reptans 
Pyrus  Aucuparia 
Rhamnus  catharticus 

TOTAL,  57  species. 


Ribes  Grossularia 

„      rubrum 
Rosa  canina 
Rubus  rusticanus 
Rumex  Acetosa 

,,      crispus 

„      obtusifolius 
Sambucus  nigra 
Senecio  vulgaris 
Sisymbrium  Alliaria 
Solanum  Dulcamara 
Sonchus  asper 

„        oleraceus 
Stachys  sylvatica 
Stellaria  graminea 

„       media 
Taraxacum  officinale 
Taxus  baccata 
Urtica  dioica 


But  to  these  we  can  add  Fagus  sylvatica,  Ranunculus  ficaria, 
and  R.  acris. 


ADDENDA 

Addendum  to  p.  142. 

WORMS 

The  Rev.  Hilderic  Friend  has  informed  me  that  the  fol- 
lowing Earthworms  have  been  identified  by  him  among  worms 
collected  on  March  i,  1904,  and  on  October  8,  1909,  respec- 
tively. He  adds,  in  a  letter,  that  the  Garden  has  been  very 
imperfectly  worked,  but  has,  nevertheless,  yielded  two  forms 
as  yet  unknown  elsewhere.  The  list  will  appear  in  the 
"Zoologist"  in  an  article  on  the  distribution  of  British 
Annelids. 

Lumbricus  rubellus,  Hoffmeister.*f  Eisenia  veneta,  Rosa  : 

„          terrestris,  Linn.*  f  (i)  Var.  tepidaria,  Friend.*  f  J 

,,          castaneus,  Sav.t  At   present  only   known  from 

Allolobophora  longa,  Ude.*  f  this  locality. 

„            caliginosa,     Sav.,  (2)  Var.  unnamed, 

forma  trapezoides,  Eisenia  rosea,  Sav.  f 

Duges.f  Aporrectodea  chlorotica,  Sav.*  f 

,,            intermedia,  Friend.f  Octolasium  lacteum,  Oerley.*  f 

At  present  only  known   from  ,,          cyaneum,  Sav.f  J 

this    locality.      Described  and  Dendrobaena  subrubicunda,  Eisen.f 

figured  in  Gardeners'  Chronicle,  Allurus  tetraedrus,  Sav.f 

November  27,  1909.  Fridericia  sp.f  (perhaps  striata). 

Eisenia  foetida,  Sav.*  f  Perichaeta  sp.f 

*  Collected  March  i,  1904. 

f  Collected  October  8,  1909. 

J  Described  and  figured  in  Gardeners'  Chronicle,  March  12,  1904. 

Addendum  to  List  of  Works,  p.  183. 

SLOANE  MS.  1038  in  the  British  Museum  : 

Catalogus  plantarum  horti  Oxoniensis  pariterque  earum  quae  in  pagis, 
silvis,  pratis  montosisque  in  Oxonia  locis,  nascuntur,  fols.  1-89. 


260 


I  N  DEX  I 


THE  OXFORD  BOTANIC  GARDEN 


ABIETINAE,  87 
Abir  powder,  107 
Abutilon,  97 
Acacia,  66,  96,  117,  123 
— ,  False,  44,  65 

,  Locust,  44 

Acanthaceae,  76 
Acer,  47,  51 
Acerineae,  64 
Achillea,  72 
Achimenes,  76 
Acland,  28 

,  Miss,  95 

Aconitum,  57 
Acrocephalus,  137 
Acrosticheae,  101 
Addison,  8 
Adiantum,  100 
Adoxa,  70 
Aechmea,  106 
Aesculus,  47,  51,  64 
Aethalium,  158 
Agapanthus,  96 
Agaricus,  135 
Agave,  83,  127 
Agrimonia,  66 
Agrostideae,  86 
Ailanthus,  42,  63 

Silkworm,  42 

"  Air  roots,"  121 
Ajuga,  77,  133 
Alchemilla,  66 
Alga,  12 
Algae,  134 


Alismaceae,  86,  106 
Allamanda,  74 
Allspice,  no 
Almonds,  66 
Aloe,  19,  126 
Aloes,  84 
Alopecurus,  86 
Alpine  Plants,  91 
Alpinia,  108 
Alsineae,  61 
Alsophila,  100 
Alstroemeria,  84 
Althaea,  62,  132 
Amarantaceae,  78 
Amaryllideae,  83 
Amentaceae,  82 
American  Aloe,  83 

-  Plants,  73 
Amomum,  108 
Amorphophallus,  86,  115 
Ampelideae,  64 
Ampelopsis,  144 
Amygdalum,  12 
Anabaena,  134 
Anacardiaceae,  64 
Anacharis,  82,  91 
Anagallis,  74 
Androsace,  74 
Anemone,  56 
Anemonopsis,  131 
Angraecum,  122 
Anona,  109 
Anonaceae,  58 
Ant,  140 


261 


262 


INDEX    I 


Anthemis,  72 
Anthurium,  116,  123 
Antirrhinum,  76 
Apera,  86 
Aphis,  40 
Apocynaceae,  74 
Apocynum,  74 
Aponogeton,  86,  91 
Apple,  41 
Aquatics,  25,  90 
Aquilegia,  57 
Arabideae,  59 
Araliaceae,  70 
Araucaria,  95,  123,  131 
Araucarinae,  87 
Arbutus,  73 
Archontophoenix,  113 
Areceae,  113 
Aristolochia,  39,  108 
Aristolochiaceae,  79 
Armeria,  73 
Aroideae,  86,  115 
Arrowhead,  86,  91 
Arrowroot,  East  Indian,  108 
Artemisia,  72 
Artichoke,  Jerusalem,  72 
Artocarpeae,  81 
Artocarpus,  119 
Arum,  86 

Lily,  97 

Arundo,  99 
Asafoetida,  70 
Asarum,  79 
Asclepiadeae,  74 
Ash,  Common,  51,  74 

,  Red,  47 

• — — ,  Weeping,  41 
Ashmole,  6 
Asparagus,  85,  99 
Asperula,  71 
Asphodel,  84 
Aspidieae,  101 
Aspidistra,  85 
Asplenium,  101 
Asteroideae,  71 
Atriplex,  133 
Atropa,  75,  133 
Atropin,  76 
Aucuba,  70 
Aveneae,  87 


Ayliffe,  12 
Azalea,  73 
Azara,  43,  97 


Bacterium  rubescens,  135 
Badhamia,  134 
Baker,  G.,  30,  104 

— ,  H.,  153 
Balfour,  Prof.,  30 
Balm,  77 
Balsamineae,  63 
Bamboo,  87,  106,  151 
Bambusa,  106 
Bananas,  83,  103 
Banksia,  95 
Baptisia,  65 
Barbarea,  133 
Barberry,  58 
Barley,  87 
Baskerville,  188 
Batatas,  75 
Bateman,  25 
Bauer,  20,  154 
Bauhinia,  66 
Baxter,  W.,  22,  72,  87,  132,  150, 

172 

Baxter,  W.  H.,  22,  172 
Bay  rum,  1 10 
Bean,  65 

Bear's  Breech,  76 
Bedstraw,  71 
Bee,  140 
Beech,  40 

— ,  Cut-leaved,  46 
Beetles,  139 
Beetroot,  78 
Begonia,  69,  123 
Belladonna,  75 
Bentinckia,  113 
Benwell,  J.,  21,  171 
Berberideae,  58 
Berberis,  44 
Bertholletia,  67 
Beta,  78 
Betel-nuts,  113 
Betulae,  82 
Bhang,  81 
Bidder,  H.,  172 
Bignoniaceae,  76 


BOTANIC    GARDEN 


263 


Bilberry,  73 
Billbergia,  106,  120 
Bindweed,  75 
Bipalium,  142 
Birch,  44,  82,  141 
Bird-lime,  64 
Birds,  136 
Birthwort,  79 
Blackberry,  67 
Blackcap,  138 
Bladderwort,  76 
Blue  Gum,  68 
Blumenbachia,  68,  133 
Bobart  the  Elder,  5,  90,  171 
-the   Younger,    9,    n,    153, 
163,  180 
Bog  Bean,  91 

—  Plants,  90 
Bombax,  109 

Bonaparte,  Prince  C.  L.,  26 
Bonapartea,  128 
Boragineae,  75 
Borasseae,  114 
Borrer,  25,  50 
Boswell,  150 
Botanic  Gardens,  i 
Bougainvillea,  78,  99 
Bouvardia,  71 
Bowenia,  115 
Bowstring  Hemp,  83 
Box  Elder,  42 
Boxwood,  38 
Boyd,  97 
Brambles,  66 

Brassica,  59 

Brazil-nut,  68 

Bread-fruit,  81,  119,  151 

Bromeliaceae,  83,  106 

Broom  rape,  76 

Brosimum,  81 

Broussonettia,  xi,  42,  8 1 

Browallia,  76 

Bryonia,  68 

Bryony,  Black,  84 

Buckingham,  94 

Buckland,  26 

Buckthorn,  40 

Buckwheat,  78 

Buddleia,  75 

Bulbine,  131 


Bulgaria,  134 
Bulimus,  142 
Bulrush,  85 
Bur  Reed,  85 
Burbidgea,  108 
Burdon-Sanderson,  159 
Burmanniaceae,  83 
Bursa,  133 
Bursera,  63 
Butcher's  Broom,  85 
Butomus,  86 
Biittner,  12 
Buxus,  80 


Cabbage,  59 

—  walking-sticks,  59 
Cabomba,  105 
Cacalia,  128 
Cacteae,  69,  123 
Cactus,  125 
Calabar  Bean,  65 
Caladium,  86,  108,  116 
Calamai,  151 
Calamites,  88 
Calamus,  114 
Calathea,  108 
Calceolaria,  76 
Calendula,  72 
Calla,  86,  97 
Calophyllum,  61 
Calycanthus,  57 
Camassia,  84 
Camellia,  61,  96 
Camomile,  72 
Campanula,  131 
Campanulaceae,  73 
Camphor,  79 
Candy  Tuft,  59 
Canna,  83,  97 
Cannabineae,  81 
Canterbury  Bell,  73 
Cape  Bulbs,  94 
Capers,  60 
Capparideae,  60 
Caprifoliaceae,  70 
Capsella,  59 
Caraway- seed,  70 
Carex,  86 
Carludovica,  85,   118 


264 


INDEX    I 


Carnarvon,  Lord,  25 
Carob,  96 

Carpenter,  G.  D.,  142 
Carpinus,  41 
Carrion  Flower,  126 
Carrot,  70 
Carter,  C.  R.,  172 
Carum,  70 
Caryophylleae,  61 
Cascara  Sagrada,  40 
Cashew-nut,  64 
Cassava,  80 
Cassia,  66,  131 
Castilloa,  118 
Castor- oil,  80 
Casuarineae,  82,  95 
Cat  Mint,  77 
Catalpa,  76 
Catasetum,  122 
Catha,  64 
Cattleya,  122 
Ceanothus,  48,  64,  145 
Cecropia,  81,  117 
Cedar,  35,  48 

,  N.S.  Wales,  63 

— -,  West  Indian,  63 
Cedrela,  63 
Cedrus,  19,  48 
Celastrineae,  64 
Celosia,  78 
Centaurea,  72 
Centranthus,  71,  133 
Cephalotaceae,  67 
Cephalotus,  in 
Ceratonia,  66,  96,  131 
Cercis,  41,  66 
Cereus,  124 

Ceropegia,  74,  123,  130 
Cestrum,  131 
Chamaerops,  95 
Chapman,  E.,  29,  159,  173,  196 
Chara,  134 
Charlemagne,  72 
Charles  I.,  2 
-II.,  2,  4 
Cheiranthus,  59 
Chenopodiaceae,  78 
Cherry,  Common,  66 
— — ,  Laurel,  66 
Chestnut,  Horse,  46 


Chickweeds,  61 

Chloroxylon,  63 

Chocolate,  62,  117 

Choisya,  43 

Chondrilla,  132 

Christ  Church  Meadow,  133,  136 

Christmas  Rose,  57 

Chrysanthemum,  72,  96 

Church,  Dr.,  161 

Cichorium,  72 

Cinchona,  71 

Cineraria,  96 

Cinnamodendron,  no 

Cinnamomum,  79,  no 

Circaea,  68 

Cistus,  60 

Citrus,  63,  131 

Cladophora,  134 

Cladrastis,  47,  65 

Clarendon,  2 

Claytonia,  133 

Clematis,  45,  56,  144 

Clerodendron,  120 

Climate,  143 

Climbing  Plants,  144-147 

Closterium,  134 

Clove,  68,  no 

Clover,  65,  75 

Club  Moss  Order,  102 

Coal,  88 

Cobaea,  75 

Coca,  62,  118 

Cocaine,  1 18 

Cocculus  indicus,  58 

Cochineal,  124 

Cochlearia,  59,  133 

Cock's-comb,  78 

Coco  de  Mer,  114 

Cocoa,  62,  117 

Cocoa-nut,  1 14 

Cocoes,  116 

ocoineae,  114 
Uocos,  114 
Coelogyne,  122 
Coffee,  71,  117 

,  Kentucky,  43 


3olchicum,  84 
3oleman,  180 
Nolens,  97 
Colletia,  45,  64 


BOTANIC    GARDEN 


265 


Colocasia,  116 
Columbine,  57 
Combretaceae,  67 
Comfrey,  75 
Commelinaceae,  85 
Compositae,  71 
Conferveae,  134 
Coniferae,  87,  95,  198 
Conifers,  41,  48 
Conium,  69 
Connaraceae,  64 
Conservatory,  8 
Convallaria,  84 
Convolvulaceae,  75 
Convolvulus,  75 
Copernicia,  114 
Copra,  114 

Cordyline,  95,  115,  123 
Coreopsis,  72 
Corinthian  capital,  76 
Cork-tree,  239 
Cornaceae,  70 
Cornus,  51 
Corrigiola,  78 
Corydalis,  58 
Coryleae,  82 
Corylus,  44 
Corypheae,  114 
Costus,  108 

Cotoneaster,  43,  46,  67 
Cotton,  62 
Cotyledon,  67 
Coula,  46 
Cow  Tree,  81 
Cowberry,  73 
Cow-itch,  no 
Cranberry,  73 
Crane's-bills,  62 
Crassula,  94,  128 
Crassulaceae,  67 
Crataegus,  40,  48,  67 
Cretan  Dittany,  97 
Cricket-bats,  50 
Crinum,  25,  83 
Crithmum,  70 
Crocosmia,  94 
Crocus,  83 
Crotalaria,  131 
Croton,  80 
Crowberry,  82 


Crowfoots,  56 
Cruciferae,  59 
Crustacea,  141 
Cucumber,  68 
Cucurbitaceae,  68 
Cupressineae,  87 
Cupressus,  44,  48 
Cupuliferae,  82 
Curators,  172,  179 
Curcuma,  108 
Currant,  67 
Cuscuta,  75,  131 
Custodians,  171 
Cycads,  43,  115 
Cyclamen,  74 
Cyclanthaceae,  85 
Cymbalaria,  132 
Cynanchum,  74 
Cynara,  72 
Cynoglossum,  75 
Cyperaceae,  86 
Cyperus,  99 
Cypress,  48 
Cypripedium,  121 
Cystopus,  135 
Cytisus,  46,  52,  65 


Daffodil,  83 

Dagger  Plant,  128 

Daisy,  71 

Dalbergia,  65 

Danby,  2,  176 

Dandelion,  72 

Daphne,  44,  79 

Darlingtonia,  131 

Dasylirion,  85,  128 

Date  Palm,  95 

Datura,  76,  131,  133 

Daubeny,  17,  23,  33,  81,  152,  155, 

165-170,  181 
Daubeny  Cottage,  168 
Daucus,  70 
Davallia,  100 
Deadly  Nightshade,  5 
Deckenia,  113 
Delphinium,  57 
Dendrobium,  122 
Desmodium,  65 
Deutzia,  67 


266 


INDEX    I 


Dianthus,  61 
Diatoms,  134 
Dicentra,  58 
Dicksonia,  100 
Dictamnus,  63 
Didymium,  135 
Dieffenbachia,  108 
Digitalis,  76 
Dilienia,  57 
Dillenius,  14,  17 
Dimorphotica,  72 
Dionaea,  130,  159 
Dioon,  115 
Dioscorea,  99 
Dioscoreaceae,  84 
Dioscorides,  154 
Diospyros,  47,  74 
Dipladenia,  74 
Dipsaceae,  71 
Dipsacus,  71 
Dipterocarpeae,  61 
Dock,  78 
Dodder,  75 
Dodecatheon,  74 
Dodgson,  C.,  1 60 
Dogbane,  74 
Dog-tooth  Violet,  84 
Dogwood,  51 
Doo-doo  Tree,  151 
Doronicum,  72,  133 
Dorstenia,  119 
Dracaena,  85,  114 
Dracunculus,  86 
Dragon  Tree,  85,  114 
Drimys,  58 
Drosera,  67,  129 
Druce,  29,  132,  149 
Dryandra,  95 
Duckweed,  86 
Dumb  Cane,  108 
Duncan,  J.,  151 
Dutchman's  Pipe,  79  108 

Ebenaceae,  74 
Eccremocarpus,  76 
Echeveria,  67 
Echinocactus,  124 
Echinodorus,  86,  106 
Eglantine,  70 
Ehret,  171 


Eichhornia,  85,  104 
Elaeagnaceae,  79 
Elaeodendron,  64 
Elder,  70 
Elecampane,  72 
Elephant's  Ear,  69 

Foot,   130 

Ellis,  2,  177  183 

Elm,  81 

Elodea,  82 

Eltham  Garden,  129 

Empetrum,  82 

Encephalartos,  115,  129 

Enzymes,  162 

Epacris,  73 

Ephedra,  45,  87,  147 

Epidendrum,  122 

Epilobium,  68 

Epimedium,  58 

Epiphyllum,  125 

Equisetum,  88 

Eremurus,  84 

Ericaceae,  73 

Erigeron,  133 

Eriobotrya,  45,  147 

Eriocaulon,  86 

Erodium,  133 

Erythrina,  131 

Erythronium,  84 

Erythroxylon,  62,  118 

Essence  of  Violets,  83 

Eucalyptus,  68,  131 

Eucomis,  94 

Eugenia,  no 

Euonymus,  46,  64 

Eupatorium,  71 

Euphorbia,  125,  133 

Euphorbiaceae,  80 

Euphrasia,  76 

Euryale,  105 

Eutoca,  75 

Evelyn,  4,  6,  180 

Evening  Primrose,  68 

Ewart,  162 

Experimental  Garden,  165-170 

Eyebright,  76 

Fairchild,  151 
False  Acacia,  44,  65 
Farfugium,  97 


BOTANIC   GARDEN 


267 


Farmer,  Prof.,  109,  161 

Fennel,  69 

Ferns,  99-101 

Ferraria,  131 

Ferula,  69 

Festuceae,  87 

Ficoideae,  69 

Ficus,  99,  118 

Fieldfare,  137 

Fielding  Herbarium,  149,  179 

Fiennes,  C.,  127,  152,  181 

Fig,  45,  81,  147 

—  Marigold,  69 
Filmy  Ferns,  131 
Finance,  175 
Fitzroya,  95 
Flagellarieae,  85 
Flax,  New  Zealand,  84 
Flesh-eaters,  129 
Flies,  139 
Flower  Show,  97 
Fly-catcher,  138 
Forestry,  School  of,  31,  198 
Forget-me-not,  75 
Forsythia,  74 
Fowler,  W.  W.,  137,  172 
Foxglove,  76 
Fragaria,  66 
Frankeniaceae,  60 
Frankincense,  63 
Fraxinus,  46,  74 
Fritillaria,  84 
Frogs,  138 
Fuchsia,  68,  112 
Fuller's  Teazle,  71 
Fumariaceae,  58 
Fungi,  135 
Funtumia,  118 
Furcraea,  83,  127 

Gaillardia,  72 
Galactodendron,  81 
Galanthus,  83 
Galium,  71 
Galls,  139 
Galphimia,  62 
Gamboge,  61 
Gamopetalae,  70 
Garcinia,  61 
Garnsey,  150 


Garrya,  45,  147 
Gasteria,  84,  127 
Genista,  65 
Gentian  root,  75 
Gentianeae,  75 
Geraniaceae,  62 
Gerarde,  i 
Gesneraceae,  76 
Giaggiola,  83 
Ginger,  107 
Ginkgo,  43 
Gladiolus,  83 
Glass-houses,  29 
Glastonbury  Thorn,  40 
Glaucium,  133 
Globba,  1 08 
Gloeocapsa,  134 
Gloriosa  Lily,  84,  106 
Gloxinia,  76,  123 
Gnetaceae,  87 
Goldcrest,  137 
Gold-fish,  135,  136 
Gonium,  134 
Gooseberry,  67 
Goosefoot,  78 
Gorse,  65 
Gossypium,  62 
Gotch,  F.,  159 
Gourds,  68 
Government,  170 
Grafting,  8,  52,  125 
Gramineae,  86 
Granadilla,  99 
Grape-vine,  8,  19,  45 
Grass,  Fescue,  87 

— ,  Oat,  86 
Greenheart,  79 
Gregory  of  Reggio,  149 
Grevillea,  79,  95 
Grew,  9 
Groom,  161 
Ground  Ivy,  77 
Guaiacum,  62 
Guava,  68,  118 
Guide-books,  181 
Gum,  Sweet,  67 
Gunnera,  68 
Gutta-percha,  74,  118 
Guttiferae,  61 
Gymnocladus,  43,  65 


268 


INDEX    I 


Gymnogramma,  101 
Gymnosperms,  87 
Gymnosporangium,  135 
Gynerium,  49 
Gypsophila,  61 

Haemanthus,  94 
Haemodoraceae,  83 
Halesia,  74 
Halorageae,  68 
Hamamelideae,  67 
Hamm,  A.  H.,  139,  140 
Hancornia,  118 
Harebell,  73 
Hashish,  76,  81 
Ha  worth,  128 
Hawthorn,  40 
Hazel,  44,  82 
Heath,  Tree,  73 
Hedera.     See  Ivy 
Hedwegia,  63 
Hedychium,  107,  108 
Hedysarum,  51 
Heleniodeae,  72 
Heliotrope,  75,  96 
Helix,  142 

Hellebore,  White,  84 
Helleborus,  57 
Hemerocallis,  84 
Hemlock,  69 
Hemp,  81 

—  Agrimony,  71 
— ,  Bowstring,  83 
Henbane,  75 
Henna,  68 
Herbarium,  148 
Hermann,  12 
Hermodactylus,  83 
Hernaria,  78 
Heterotoma,  131 
Heuchera,  67 
Hevea,  99,  118 
Hexacentris,  99 
Hibiscus,  47,  62 
Hieracium,  72,  132 
Hiley,  W.  E.,  140,  162 
Hippophae,  79 
Hippuris,  68 
Hole,  Dean,  155 
Holly,  64 


Hollyhock,  62 
Honesty,  59 

Honeysuckle,  41,  44,  70 
Hooker,  28 
Hop  Hornbeam,  46 
Hope,  F.  W.,  139 
Hordeeae,  87 
Hore hound,  77 
Hornbeam,  41,  82 
Horse-chestnut,  46,  51,  64 
Horse-radish,  59 

-  Tree,  64 

Horse-tail  Order,  88 
Hottentot's  Bread,  84,  130 
Hound's-tongue,  75 
House,  163 
Houttuynia,  79,  131 
Howea,  113 
Hoya,  74,  112 
Humea,  97 
Humulus,  81 
Hyacinth,  84 
Hydrangea,  67 
Hydrocharideae,  82 
Hydrolea,  106 
Hydrophyllaceae,  75 
Hyoscyamus,  75 
Hydrosme,  116 
Hymenocallis,  94 
Hypericaceae,  61 
Hyssop,  77 

Iberis,  59 
Ice-plant,  69 
Ilex,  64 
Ilicineae,  64 
Illecebraceae,  78 
Imbauba,  117 
Impatiens,  63,  133 
India-rubber,  99,  118 
Indigo,  no 

— ,  Wild,  65 
Indigofera,  65,  no 
Insect-eaters,  129 
Inula,  72 
Ipomoea,  75 
Irideae,  83 
Iris,  83 
Iron  Tree,  67 
Isatis,  59 


BOTANIC   GARDEN 


269 


Ismene,  94 
Ivy,  41,  70,  145 

,  Poison,  42 

Ixia,  83 

Jack-fruit,  81 
Jackson,  C.,  164 

1  \y.,  172 

,  W.  H.,  63,  133 

Jacob's  Ladder,  75 
Jalap,  78 
Jarrah,  68 
Jasminum,  74,  112 
Jerusalem  Artichoke,  72 
Judas  Tree,  41 
Juglandaceae,  82 
Juncaceae,  85 
Juniperinae,  87 
Justicia,  77,  112,  145 

Kaempferia,  108 
Kalanchoe,  67 
Kalmia,  73 
Karatas,  106 
Karri,  68 
Kava,  109 
Kempin,  Mr.,  152 
Kentia,  113 
Kerria,  39,  66 
Kew,  193 
Kewley,  95 
Kingsley,  C.,  169 
Kirkdale,  3 
Klugia,  109 
Kniphofia,  84 
Kochia,  78 

Labdanum,  60 

Labiatae,  77 

Laboratory,  155 

Laburnum,  46,  52 

Lachenalia,  94 

Lacquer,  Japanese,  64 

Lactuca,  72 

Lady's  Slippers,  121 

Laelia,  122 

Lagetto,  151 

Lamium,  77,  132 

Landolphia,  118 

Lankester,  Sir  Ray,  142,  157 


Lapageria,  85 
Lathraea,  76 
Lathyrus,  65 
Lauraceae,  78,  79 
Laurel,  Cherry,  66 
,  Portugal,  66 


Laurus,  43 
Lavandula,  77 
Lavender,  77 
Lawes,  J.  B.,  168 
Lawn  sand,  77 
Lawson,  27,  128,  157,  193 
Lawsonia,  68 
Lectures,  155 
Leea,  64 
Leek,  84 
Leguminosae,  64 
Lemon,  63 
Lenmaceae,  86 
Lens,  65 

Lentibulariaceae,  76 
Lentils,  65 
Leonurus,  133 
Lepidium,  133 
Lepidodendron,  101 
Lettuce,  72 
Leucojum,  83 
Library,  152 
Ligustrum,  74 
Lilac,  74 
Liliaceae,  84 
Lily  of  the  Valley,  85 
Lime,  62 
Limnocharis,  106 
Linaria,  76,  132 
Lineae,  62 
Linnaea,  70 
Linnaeus,  17,  63 
Linseed,  62 
Liquid  Storax,  67 
Liquidambar,  67 
Liriodendron,  58 
Livistona,  114 
Loaseae,  68 
Lobelia,  73 
Locust  Acacia,  6 
Loganiaceae,  75 
Lomaria,  100 
Lonicera,  44,  46,  47,  70 
Lophira,  63 


270 


INDEX    I 


Loquat,  45 
Loranthaceae,  79 
Lords  and  Ladies,  86 
Loteae,  65 
Lotus,  Chinese,  103 
— ,  Egyptian,  104 
Love-lies-bleeding,  78 
Lunaria,  59 
Lungwort,  75 
Lupins,  65 
Luzula,  85 
Lychnis,  133 
Lycopersicum,  75 
Lycopodiaceae,  102 
Lygodium,  101 
Lysimachia,  74 
Lythraeae,  68 

Maclura,  81 
Madder,  71 
Magdalen  College,  2,  17,  81,  136, 

155.  163,  177-178 
Magdalen  Giant,  136 
Magnolia,  45,  58,  144 
Mahogany,  63 
Maidenhair  Tree,  43 
Maize,  86 
Mallow,  6 1 
Malpighiaceae,  62 
Malva,  133 
Malvaceae,  61 
Mamillaria,  125 
Mammee  Apple,  61 
Mangifera,  64 
Mango,  64 
Mangold  Wurzel,  78 
Mangosteen,  61 
Mangrove,  67 
Manihot,  80 
Manna,  46 

Ash,  46 

Mantisia,  108 
Maple,  47,  64 

,  Japanese,  51 

Maranta,  83,  108 
Marattia,  100 
Mare's-tails,  68 
Marjoram,  Sweet,  77 
Marrubium,  77 
Marsilea,  131 


Marvel  of  Peru,  78 
Maryophyllum,  103 
Masdevallia,  122 
Masters,  M.  T.,  150 
Mastic,  64 
Mathiola,  133 
Meadow  Sweet,  59 
Medici,  Cosmo  de,  180 
Medicinal  Herbs,  89 
Meliaceae,  63 
Melon,  69 
Meni,  63 

Menispermum,  41,  58 
Mentha,  77 
Menyanthes,  91 
Mesembryanthemum,  69,  128 
Mignonette,  60 
Milium,  86 
Milkwort,  60 
Millet,  86 
Millington,  9 
Mimoseae,  66 
Mimulus,  76 
Mirabilis,  78 
Missel- thrush,  137 
Mistletoe,  79,  133 
Mite,  141 

Mohle  Flowers,  112 
Monkeys,  26,  135 
Monkey-flower,  76 
Monkshood,  57 
Monochlamydeae,  78 
Monocotyledons,  82 
Monodora,  58 
Montbretia,  83 
Moraceae,  81 
Moraea,  94 
Moringa,  64 
Moringeae,  64 
Morison,  4,  155,  180 
Morus,  42 
Moschosma,  97 
Mougeotia,  134 
Mucuna,  no 
Mulberry,  42,  81 
,  Paper,  42 


Mullein,  76 
Musa,  83,  103,  131 
Muscari,  84 
Museum,  28,  151 


BOTANIC   GARDEN 


271 


Musk,  76 
Musschia,  131 
Mustard,  59 
Mustard- tree,  74 
Mutisieae,  72 
Mycorhiza,  73 
Myosotis,  75 
Myricaceae,  82 
Myristiceae,  79 
Myrmecodia,  109 
Myrobalans,  67 
Myrrh,  63 
Myrtaceae,  67 
Myrtle,  67,  82 

Naiadaceae,  86 
Nandina,  131 
Nartheca,  69 
Nasturtium,  63 
Nectandra,  79 
Nectria,  135 
Neem,  63 
Negundo,  42 
Nelumbium,  103 
Nematus,  139 
Nemophila,  75 
Nepenthaceae,  79 
Nepenthes,  108 
Nepeta,  77 
Nephrodium,  101 
Nephthytis,  116 
Nerium,  74 
Nettle,  8 1 

— ,  Dead,  77 

New  Zealand  Flax,  84,  151 
Newbould,  W.,  149 
Nicotiana,  19,  76 
Nightshade,  Deadly,  75 

— ,  Enchanter's,  68 
Nopal,  124 

Norfolk  Island  Pine,  95 
Nostoc,  134 
Nutmeg,  79 
Nux  vomica,  75 
Nyctagineae,  78 
Nymphaea,  104,  131 
Nymphaeaceae,  58 

Oak,  African,  63 
,  Evergreen,  38 


Oak,  Holm,  38 

,  Turkey,  46 

Odontoglossum,  123 

Oenothera,  68 

Officers,  171 

Olacineae,  64 

Old  Man  Cactus,  124,  130 

Oleaceae,   74 

Oleander,  74 

Olearia,  46 

Olive,  74 

Onagraceae,  68 

Oncidium,  123 

Onion,  83 

Onobrychis,  65 

Opium,  58 

Opuntia,  124 

Orange,  63,  94 

— ,  Osage,  8 1 

— ,  Prince  of,  180 
Orchideae,  25,  83,  120-123 
Orders,  173 
Oriental  Plane,  279 
Origanum,  97 
Ornithogalum,  84,  94 
Orobanchaceae,  76 
Orris-root,  83 
Ortgiesia,  107 
Osage  Orange,  81 
Oscillatoria,  134 
Osmunda,  88,  101 
Ostrya,  46 
Ouvirandra,  86,  106 
Owl,  137 
Owstrowskia,  73 
Oxalideae,  62 
Oxalis,  108,  133 
Oxford  Ragwort,  71,  132 
Oxyria,  79 

Paeonia,  57 

Palaquium,  74,  99 

Palisota,  85 

Paliurus,  vi,  19,  39,  64,  144 

Palmeae,  85 

Palms,  113-114 

— ,  Date,  113 

— ,  Palmyra,  114 

— ,  Sago,  115 
,  Wax,  114 


272 


INDEX   I 


Pampas  Grass,  48 
Panama  hats,  118 
Pancratium,  83 
Pandaneae,  85 
Pandanus,  114 
Pandorina,  134 
Panicum,  86 
Pansy,  60 
Papaveraceae,  58 
Papaw,  68 
Paper  Mulberry,  42 
Papyrus,  86,  102 
Paralysis,  6 
Parks,  27,  237 
Parnassia,  67 
Parrottia,  51,  63,  146 
Parsley,  69 

Parson's  Pleasure,  138 
Passiflora,  68,  99 
Passifloreae,  68 
Pastinaca,  69 
Patchouli,  77,  no 
Paulownia,  76 
Pea,  65 
Pear,  41 
Pediastrum,  134 
Peepul,  118 
Pennyroyal,  77 
Pentstemon,  76 
Peperomia,  79,  109 
Pepper,  79,  109 

,  Guinea,  19 

Peppermint,  77 
Pereskia,  125 
Periwinkle,  74 
Persimmon,  47,  74 
Peruvian  Lily,  84 
Petunia,  76 
Peziza,  135 
Phajus,  123 
Phaseolus,  65 
Philadelphus,  67 
Phillips,  27 
Philougria,  141 
Phleum,  86,  132 
Phlomis,  77 
Phlox,  75 
Phoenix,  95,  113 
Phormium,  84 
Photinia,  45 


Phyllocactus,  125 

Phyllotaxis,  162 

Physostigma,  65 

Phytolaccaceae,  78 

Phytophthora,  135 

Pilocereus,  124 

Pimenta,  109 

Pine- Apple,  83,  106 

Pine  turn,  47 

Pinguicula,  76 

Pink,  6 1 

Pinoidea,  87 

Piper,  109 

Piperaceae,  79 

Pipewort,  86 

Pistachio  nuts,  64 

Pistacia,  64 

Pistia,  86,  105 

Pisum,  65 

Pitcairnia,  106 

Pitcher  Plants,  79,  107 

Pittosporeae,  60 

Plantagineae,  77 

Plantain,  77 

Plantanaceae,  82 

Platanus,  6 

Platycerium,  100 

Plum,  66 

,  Sapodilla,  74 

Plumbagineae,  73 
Plumbago,  73 
Podocarpus,  131 
Podophyllin,  58 
Podophyllum,  58 
Podostemaceae,  78 
Pogostemon,  no 
Poinsettia,  80 
Poison  Ivy,  53,  64 
Poke  weed,  78 
Polemoniaceae,  75 
Polygaleae,  60 
Polygonaceae,  78 
Polygonatum,  84 
Polypodium,  101,  151 
Pomeae,  67 
Pomegranate,  51,  67 
Pond  weed,  86 
Pontederiaceae,  85,  131. 
Poor  Man's  Weather  Glass,  74 
Poplar,  51,  133 


BOTANIC   GARDEN 


273 


Populus,  51 
Portulaceae,  61 
Potamogeton,  86 
Potato,  75 

— ,  Sweet,  75 
Potentilla,  66,  133 
Poterium,  66 
Pothos,  108 
Prickly -Pear,  124 
Primula,  6,  74 
Primulaceae,  74 
Prince's  Feather,  78 
Prints,  1 86 
Pritchardia,  114   ' 
Privet,  74 

Professor's  House,  163 
Professors,  171 
Proteaceae,  79,  95 
Prunus,  39,  47 
Psidium,  118 
Ptelea,  41 
Pteris,  100 
Pterocarpus,  65 
Pulmonaria,  75 
Pumpkin,  69 
Punica,  67 
Purslane,  61 
Puschkinia,  84 
Pyrus,  39,  40,  41,  46 

—  japonica,  51,  146 
Pythium,  135 

Quassia,  63 
Quercus,  38,  47 
Quesnelia,  107 
Quinine,  71 

Radish,  59 
Ramondia,  76 
Ranunculaceae,  56 
Raphanus,  59 
Raphiolepis,  98 
Raspberry,  67 
Razor-strop,  128 
Redstart,  Black,  137 
Redwing,  137 
Reed  Warbler,  137 
Reeds,  91 
Rehmannia,  131 
Reinwardtia,  112 
Reseda,  133 

18 


Resedaceae,  60 
Restiaceae,  86 
Rhamnaceae,  64 
Rhamnus,  40 
Rheum,  78 
Rhipsalis,  126 
Rhizophoreae,  68 
Rhododendron,  73,  131 
Rhodostachys,  107 
Rhubarb,  19,  78 
Rhus,  42,  64 
Ribes,  39,  67 
Rice-paper,  70 
Richardia,  86,  97 
Richards,  F.  T.,  172 
Ricinus,  80 
Robinia,  44,  65 
Robinson,  93 
Rohdea,  85 
Rolleston,  G.,  156 
Romanes,  G.,  169 
Rosa,  44,  66,  89,  147 
Rosaceae,  66 
Rosemary,  77 
Rosewood,  65 
Royal  Fern,  88 
Rubber,  118 
Rubiaceae,  71 
Rubus,  43,  67,  145-148 
Rudbeckia,  72 
Rue,  63 
Ruellia,  77 
Rules,  173 
Rumex,  79,  132 
Ruscus,  85 
Rush,  85 

— ,  Flowering,  86 
Ruskin,  155 
Rutaceae,  63 

Sabal,  114 

Sacred  Bo  Tree,  119 

Sadler's  balloon,  20 

Sage,  77 

Sagittaria,  86,  131 

Sainfoin,  65 

St.  John's  College,  170 

St.  John's  Wort,  61 

Salicetum,  49 

Salicine,  51 


274 


INDEX   I 


Salicineae,  82 
Salicornia,  78 
Salix,  50 
Salpiglossis,  76 
Salsola,  78 
Saltwort,  78 
Salvadoraceae,  74 
Salvia,  89,  112 
Salvinia,  106 
Samphire,  78 
Samydaceae,  68 
Sandys,  13 
Santalaceae,  80 
Sap  Green,  40 
Sapindaceae,  63 
Sapodilla  Plum,  74 
Saponaria,  61 
Sapotaceae,  74 
Saprolegnia,  135 
Sarracenia,  130 
Sarraceniaceae,  58 
Sarsaparilla,  85 
Satin  wood,  63 
Saunders,  W.,  128 
Saw-flies,  139 
Saxifrageae,  67 
Scarborough  Lily,  83 
Scenedesmus,  134 
SchizanthuS;  76 
Schlich,  Sir  W.,  198 
Schultes,  22 
Scilla,  84 

Scitamineae,  8.3,  107-108 
Scleranthus,  78 
Screw  Pine,  85,  114 
Scrophularineae,  76 
Scurvy  Grass,  59 
Sea  Elite,  78 

Buckthorn,  79 

Pink,  73 

Seaforthia,  113 
Sedge,  86 
Sedum,  67,  133 
Selaginellaceae,  101 
Sempervivum,  67 
Senecio,  71,  128,  132 
Sensitive  Plant,  6,  19,  66,  116 
Sequoia,  35 
Service  Tree,  40,  46 
Sexualitykof  plants,  9 


Shad  well,  C.,  172 

Sharrock,  R.,  8 

Shaw,  149 

Shelley,  117 

Shepherd's  Purse,  59 

Sherard,  13,  92,  149,  153,  173 

Sherardia,  71 

Sibthorp,  Humphrey,  20 

,  John,  20,  72,  149,  153,  164 

Sibthorpia,  20,  76,  90 

Silk  rubber,  118 

Silkworm,  Mulberry,  42 

Silky  Oak,  96 

Silver  Tree,  96 

Siphonia,  80 

Sisymbrieae,  59 

Sisyrinchium,  83 

Sloane,  151 

Slug,  142 

Smilax,  39,  85,  145 
Snail,  142 
Snake's  Heads,  84 
Snapdragon,  76 
vSnowdrop,  83 
—  Tree,  74 
Snowflake,  83 
Soap  wort,  61 
Solanaceae,  75 
Solanum,  75,  99 
Soldanella,  74 
Solomon's  Seal,  84  , 
Sophora,  38,  65 
Sorbiere,  n 
Sorrel,  79 
Sour  Sop,  109 
Sparganium,  85 
Spathiphyllum,  116 
Spearmint,  77 
Speedwell,  76 
Spergula,  61 
Sphaeotheca,  135 
Spiderwort  Order,  85 
Spinach,  78 
Spinacia,  78 
Spiraea,  45,  46,  66 
Spirogyra,  134 
Spondias,  131 
Spurge,  80 
Stachys,  77 
Stag's-horn  Fern,  100 


GARDEN 


Stangeria,  115 
Stanhopea,  123 
Stapelia,  74,  126 
Staphylea,  41,  64 
Star  of  Bethlehem,  84 
Statice,  73 
Stellaria,  61 
Stenocarpus,  96 
Stereura,  135 
Stock,  59 
Stonecrop,  67 
Stratiotes,  83 
Strawberry,  66 
Streptocarpus,  76,  99,  131 
Strychnine,  75 
Strychnos,  75 
Sturch,  162 
Styraceae,  74 
Suaeda,  78 
Succulents,  123,  193 
Sugar-cane,  106 
Sumach,  64 
Sundew,  67,  129 
Sunflower,  72 
Susum,  85 
Sweet  Gum,  63 

—  Marjoram,  77 
— -  Potato,  75 
Swietenia,  63 
Sycamore,  5 
Symbiosis,  109,  117 
Symphytum,  75 
Syringa,  74 

Taccaceae,  84 
Tagetes,  72 
Tamariaceae,  61 
Tamarind,  79 
Tamarindus,  66,  no 
Tamarix,  51,  146 
Tamus,  84 
Tanacetum,  72 
Tansy,  72 
Tapioca,  80 
Taraxacum,  72 
Tatham,  E.,  155 
Taxodinae,  87 
Taxodium,  39 
Taxoideae,  87 
Tea,  6 1 


Teak,  77 

Teazle,  Fuller's,  71 
Tecoma,  76,  131 
Tectona,  77 
Ternstroemiaceae,  61 
Testudinaria,  84,  130 
Thalictrum,  56 
Theobroma,  62,  in 
Thesium,  80 
Thistle,  72 
Thoresby,  151 
Thorn,  40,  48 

Apple,  75 

,  Glastonbury,  40 

Thrift,  73 
Thrinax,  114 
Thrush,  136 
Thunbergia,  77,  117 
Thyme,  77 
Thymelaeaceae,  79 
Tigridia,  83 
Tiliaceae,  62 
Tillandsia,  107 
Toadflax,  76 
— — ,  Bastard,  So 
Tobacco,  76 

— ,  Indian,  73 
Todea,  100 
Tomato,  75 

Tradescant,  i,  91,  151,  171 
Tradescantia,  85 
Trees,  35 
Trichomanes,  100 
Trichoniscus,  141 
Tricycla,  78 
Trifolium,  65 
Trionfetti,  12 
Tropaeolum,  63 
Trowe,  13 
Trumpet  Tree,  117 
Tulip,  84,  133 

Tree,  58 

Turmeric,  108 
Turneraceae,  67 
Tussilago,  72 
Tutsan,  61 
Typhaceae,  85 

Uffenbach,  n 
Ulmeae,  81 


INDEX   I 


Umbelliferae,  69 
Uredineae,  135 
Urostigma,  118 
Urticaceae,  91 
Urticularia,  76 
Ustilago,  135 

Vaccinium,  73 

Valerianeae,  71 

Valerianella,  132 

Vallisneria,  82 

Vallota,  83,  96 

Vanda,  123 

Vanilla,  121 

Variegated  Plants,  5 

Vaucheria,  134 

Venus'  Fly -Trap,  130,  159 

Veratrum,  84 

Verbascum,  76 

Verbenaceae,  77 

Veronica,  76 

Vervain,  77 

Vestia,  131 

Viburnum,  47,  145 

Vice-Chancellor,  2 

Vicia,  65 

Victoria  Lily,  98 

Villarsia,  131 

Vinca,  74 

Vine,  8,  19,  45,  64 

Vines,  Professor,  30,  107,  159, 161 

Violaceae,  60 

Viscum,  79 

Visitors,  180 

Vitis,  45 

Vitus,  99 

Wallflower,  59 
Walnut,  82 

,  Black,  51 

Wasp,  140 

Water  Hyacinth,  104 

Lily,  91,  104 

-  Plantain  Order,  86 

-  Soldier,  82 
Watsonia,  83 
Wattle,  96 
Weeds,  132 


Wellingtonia,  35 
Welwitschia,  87 
Wheat,  87 
Whitethroat,  138 
Williams,  22,  94,  129,  153 
Willow,.  49,  51,  82 

Herb,  68 

Willow- wren,  138 
Winter's  bark,  58 
Wistaria,  41,  65,  147 
Witch  Hazel,  67 
Witch's  Broom,  141 
Woad,  59 
Wood,  2 

-  Oil,  61 
Woodpecker,  137 
Woodruff,  71 
Wood-sorrel,  62 
Worms,  142 
Wormwood,  72 
Wound  wort,  77 
Wourali,  75 
Wurmbea,  94 
Wyatt,  J.,  163 

Ximenia,  64 
Xylaria,  135 
Xyrideae,  85 

Yams,  84,  99,  130 
Yarrow,  72 
Yellow  Wood,  47 
Yew,  9,  42 
York,  Duke  of,  180 
Yucca,  85,  128,  131 
Yulan,  45 
Yule,  C.,  159 

Zamia,  115 

Zea,  86 
1   Zelkova,  204 
!    Zephyranthes,  94 
i   Zingiber,  83,  108 

Zinnia,  72 

Zizyphus,  64 

Zoology,  135,  178 

Zygnema,  157 

Zygophylleae,  62 


INDEX    II 


THE   COLLEGE   GARDENS    AND   THE   PARKS 


The  largest  specimen  of  a  tree  is  indicated  by  the  page  number 
being  printed  in  clarendon  type. 


ABIES  grandis,  240 

-  nordmanniana,  235 
Acacia,  False.     See  Robinia 
Acer  monspessulanum,  203 

—  platanoides,  204 

—  saccharinum,  204 

—  tartarica,  240 
Addison's  Walk,  221 
Aesculus  carneum,  203,  221 
Ailanthus,   203,   205,   229,    232, 

235,  236 
Alder,  203,  205,  233 

— -,  Cut-leaved,  226,  240 
All  Souls  College,  225 
Almond,  205 
Alnus,  203,  205 
Amelanchier  ovata,  229 
Aphis,  239,  240 
Apple,  228,  229,  232,  235,  236, 

248 

Arabis,  222 

Araucaria  imbricata,  235,  242 
Arbor  vitae,  248 
Ash,  203,  222,  233 

— ,  Mountain,  223,  225 

— ,  Weeping,  233,  235 
Aster,  222 

Balliol  College,  229 

Bateman,  J.,  238 

Baxter,  W.  H.,  238 

Beech,  203,  221,  233,  245,  259 

,  Copper,  223,  232 


Beech,  Cut-leaved,  222,  242 
— ,  Purple,  234,  236,  248 

,  Weeping,  239,  248 

Betula  papyrifera,  243 

Bidder,  Rev.  H.,  230 

Birch,  204,  220,  223,  229,  235, 

248 
— ,  Paper,  243 

Bodleian  Library,  225 

Box,  206,  232 

Brasenose  College,  225,  226 

Broussonettia  papyrifera,  234 

Brown,  "Capability,"  230 

Buckthorn,  Sea,  239 

Carter,  Rev.  C.  R.,  222 
Castanea.     See  Chestnut,  Span- 
ish 

Catalpa,  206,  223,  228,  229 
Ceanothus  veitchianus,  229 
|   Cedar,  Atlantic,  242 
— ,  Deodar,  242 

—  of  Lebanon,  224,  231,  233, 
245,  248 

Cerasus  padus,  220 

—  serrulata,  229 

—  virginica,  229 
Cercis,  135,  248 

Chamaecyparis  nootkaensis,  242 
Charles  II.,  237 

Cherry,  Bird,  229 

— -,  Double,  206 

,  Laurel,  235 


277 


it 


Chestnut,  Horse,  207,  209,  221, 
223,  226,  231,  232,  248 

,  Double  Horse,  243 

,  Spanish,  242,  245 

Christ  Church,  203-207 
Cinclidotus,  222 
Cladrastis,  243 
Cork  Oak,  239 
Cormorant,  247 
Cornus,  240 
Cothill,  251 
Cotoneaster  frigida,  229 

—  montana,  239 
Crab,  220 
Crataegus  coccinea,  204 

—  crus  galli,  234 

—  douglasii,  204 
sp.,  229,  243 

Crayfish,  221 
Cypress,  209 
Cytisus  quercifolia,  243 

Daubeny,  238,  242 
Davidia  involucrata,  229 
Dimorphanthus     mandshuricus, 

231 

Dogwood,  240 
Dokks,  222 

Elder,  247 

Elm,   203,   205,   209,   212,   215, 
223,  231,  235,  240,  241, 

245 
— — ,  Huntingdon,  206 

— ,  Jo.  Pullen's,  249 
,  Weeping,  205,  240 

— ,  Wych,  218 
Epiphytic  Plants,  258 
Euonymus  latifolius,  229 
Eurhynchium,  222 
Exeter  College,  225 

Fagus.     See  Beech 
Fiennes,  Celia,  220,  223 
Fig,  206,  209.  226,  231 
Fletcher,  C.  R.  L.,  245,  246 
Fowler,  W.  W.,  227 
Fraxinus  lentiscifolia,  205 

monophylla,  203 

Fritillary,  222 


Garrya,  235 
Ginkgo,  234 
Gleditschia,  234 
Green,  J.  R.,  221 

Hazel,  Turkish,  239 
Heber,  226 
Hickory,  209 
Hieracium,  259 
High  Street,  246 
Holly,  235,  236,  248 
Hopkins,  T.,  221,  238 
Hornbeam,  205,  221,  229,  233 
Horse-chestnut,    207,    209,    221, 
223,  226,  231,  232,  248 

— ,  Double,  243 

— ,  Red,  203,  221 

Ilex.     See  Oak,  Evergreen 
Ivy,  210,  225 

Jackson,  T.  G.,  247 
Johnson's  Piece,  251 
Judas  Tree,  235,  248 
Juniper,  231 

Kennicott,  226 


Laburnum,  231,  234 
Larix  microcarpa,  242 
Laurel,  Cherry,  235 
Lawson's  Cypress,  222,  236" 
Libocedrus  decurrens,  235 
Lilac,  248 

Lime,  203,  208,  221, 223, 228,  231, 
234.  241 

,  Weeping,  234,  248 

Lincoln  College,  227 
Liriodendron.     See  Tulip  Tree. 


Magdalen  College,  209 
Magnolia  acuminata,  234 

—  soulangeana,  229 
Maple,  203,  221 

— ,  Norway,  204. 
Maundrell,  226 
Medlar,  235 


COLLEGE   GARDENS   AND   THE   PARKS 


279 


Merton  College,  207 
Mesopotamia,  237,  243 

-  Willows,  253 
Mistletoe,  133 
Morus,  206,  209 
Mountain  Ash,  223,  225,  256 
Mountain  Ash,  Pendulous,  239 
Mulberry,    206,    207,    208,    209, 

219,  229,  231,  233,  245, 

247,  248 
— ,  Paper,  234 

Napier,  222 
Negundo,  203 
New  College,  223 

Oak,  205,  214,  221,  222,  236 
— ,  Cork,  239 

,  Evergreen,  209,  231,  233, 

234,  235,  248 

— ,  Lucombe,  235,  236,  239 
—  sp.,  239 

— ,  Turkey,  205,  235,  248 
Oxford  Ragwort,  236 

Parks,  237 

Pear,  206,   209,   226,   228,   231, 

236,  247 

Pembroke  College,  207 
Pine,  Mountain,  239,  242 

— ,  Weymouth,  239 
Pink,  Cheddar,  236 
Pinsapo,  222 
Pinus  cembra,  242 

—  excelsa,  204,  209,  235 

—  sylvestris,  231,  235,  236 
Plane,  204,  205,  220,  221,  228, 

229,  232 
— ,  Oriental,  204,  206 

Planera.     See  Zelkova. 

Poa,    222 

Pococke,  Edward,  206 

Polygonum  baldschuanum,  231 

Poplar,  244,  248 
— ,  Lombardy,  221,  240 
— ,  White,  233 

Populus  abele  acerifolia,  240 

sp.,  203 

Pugin,  224 


Pyrus  intermedia,  203 
- —  pinnatifida,   204 

—  riviolaris,  239 

Queen's  College,  209 
Quercus  cerris,  205,  235,  248 

—  spectabilis,  220 

Raper,  R.  W.,  243 
Red-wood,  234,  235 
Rhododendron,  204 
Robinia,  206,  209,  212,  219,  225, 
233.  234,  236,  247,  248 

—  hispida  inermis,  234 
Rose,  Wild,  254 
Routh,  Dr.,  219,  237 
Rowan,  223,  225,  256 
Ruskin  Reserve,  251 

St.  John's  College,  230 

Salix  fragilis,  204 

Scotch  Fir,  231,  235,  236 

Senecio  squalidus,  236 

Sequoia  gigantea,  204,  222,  236 

—  semper virens,  234,  235 
Sewell,  Warden,  224 
Shenstone,  245 

Shipley,  233 

Shotover  Hill,  251 

Somerville,  Prof.,  239 

Sophora,  243 

Swans,  221 

Sycamore,  208,  225,  242,  247 

— ,  Variegated,  221 
Symons,  Warden,  241 

Tamarack,  242 
Taxodium  distichum,  240 
Thorn,  204,  205,  229,  231,  236 

-  sp.,  243 
Thuja  gigantea,  204 

—  pygmaea,  231 
Thujopsis  alba,  243 

—  argentea,  241 

—  aurea,  240 
borealis,  242 

—  heterophylla,  240 

Tilia  petiolaris  pendula,  234,  240, 
248 


280 


INDEX   II 


Tournay,  Warden,  235 
Trill  Mill  Stream,  205 
Trinity  College,  228 
Tulip  Tree,  209,  223,  235,  248 

Ulmus.     See  Elm. 
Ulmus  glabra,  205 

—  glabra  pendula,  240 

—  montana,  218 

—  montana  nana,  239 

montana     pendula,      204, 

205 

University  College,  209 
-  Park,  237 

Vine,  227,  230 
Virginia  Creeper,  207 


Wadham  College,  233 

Walnut,  206,  207,  209,  213,  232, 

236 

Weigela  rosea,  204 
Wellingtonia,  204,  222 
Willow,  205,  233,  243 

— ,  Poplar,  204 
Willow-gardens,   253 
Wills,  Warden,  233 
Wilson,  Rev.  H.  A.,  219 
Wistaria,  228,  229,  231 
Worcester  College,  232 

Yew,  206,  209,  228,  231,  248 
— ,  Table,  242 
— ,  Yellow-berried,  242 

Zelkova,  203,  204,  240 


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Plates  printed  at  the  Clarendon  Press,  Oxford. 


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