the dashing dramatist on the other. | hold good of Mr. Froude's lecture.
But it is surely idle to talk of the old Historians of every school, all who hold
school being repudiated and the new the reputation of the universities dear
triumphant, because the latter happens - all indeed who have any respect for
for the moment to be in the ascendency sense and the fitness of things-will
in our universities. The world's ver- rejoice to hear that he has set his face
dict is not pronounced in the lecture against what is fast growing to be a
rooms of Oxford or Cambridge, and crying scandal. If girls wish to play at
the world, we may be very sure, will being undergraduates, by all means let
continue to read those historians who them do so; they might conceivably
can write the best books.
play at worse things, especially under
the guidance of that aspiring petroleuse
Miss Cozens. Neither Oxford nor
Cambridge is in truth their proper play-
ing-ground; but the universities, pa-
tient like the East, if not disdainful,
have chosen to bow before the blast of
the
Higher Education.' When the
petticoated legions have rustled past to
some fresh conquest, a new morning

Our little systems have their day;
They have their day and cease to be.
While schoolmen wrangle over this
method and that, over what the law
may be and where to find the testi-
mony, Gibbon and Macaulay will con-
tinue to be read with delight and profit
by all who can understand good history
and appreciate good literature.

66

will doubtless break over these enduring spirits. Meanwhile it is at least their business to take heed lest, in order to gratify the whims of our modern Hypatias, what should be the serious business of academical life be turned into an unseemly farce.

MARK REID.

From The Gentleman's Magazine. A GARDEN IN THE TROPICS.

My paper has grown, I fear, to a somewhat unwieldy length, but before closing it I should wish to add a few words on a subject not directly concerned with the study of history, but apparently much concerned with its study at Oxford. Mr. Froude has announced that for the future he will lecture only to men, that is to say, to members of the university by whom he has been appointed and by whom he is paid. Both at his first lecture, THE settled portion of Demerara is and at that delivered a few days pre- nothing but a mud flat, on which it viously by Mr. Gladstone, the scene might be supposed there would be little that ensued when the doors were opened scope for a garden. Nevertheless, on and all the best places discovered to account of its fertility and the heavy be filled with women, has been called rainfall, nowhere in the world can be by those who saw it as indescribable found better examples of tropical luxand discreditable. Discreditable it uriance. Here the little bushes of most assuredly is that no care should European conservatories become imhave been taken by the university to mense shrubs and lofty trees, while ensure that their members for whose royal palms of a hundred feet high, and instruction these lectures have been silk cotton-trees even higher, are not especially ordained should be enabled uncommon in some of the larger garat least to hear them. In the case of dens. In the city of Georgetown every Mr. Gladstone's lecture some excuse house of any importance is detached, may perhaps be found in the fact that and surrounded by what is virtually a the whole affair lay outside the aca- shrubbery, but more often a thicket. demic pale, and was indeed more akin Fruit trees are mixed with flowering to what stage-players call a "star per- shrubs in such a manner as to be almost formance" than to the serious studies indistinguishable, while the whole is of the place. But this excuse, what- often surrounded by hedges of hibiscus, ever it may be worth, can certainly not croton, or gardenia. The house is

decorated with a wealth of flowering What an example of the survival of creepers which often spread themselves the fittest is here before me! This, over half the shrubs, and even mount my garden, was planted a few years to the top of the highest trees. In the ago with a pretty arrangement of palms, absence of the pruning-knife the thicket casuarinas, and other foliage plants. becomes almost impenetrable, the walks | How pretty they looked when only two being speedily obstructed by tangled or three feet high! But where are vines, and even the gateway entirely choked with vegetation.

they now? The weakest, and of course the prettiest, are gone, while the Almost every plant is a tree, and others have grown and grown until hardly a single herb can exist without they now overtop the house, and have special attention. Everything reaches become part of the landscape, instead upwards to the sun; in a few months of being confined to my flower-bed. after planting, towering, spreading, and When planted their foliage was delicate elbowing its neighbor. To-day you and their colors brilliant, as seen by plant a fine collection of nice little any one walking on the paths. Now crotons and other small shrubs. They we have to look up, and then only to see look well, and fill up the beds with the under surfaces of the leaves, and variety and color. But in a year or their stems like bare sticks. Once two most of them are above your head, there was a pretty show of zinnias, and the effect is almost lost. The fast- dahlias, African marigolds, and ever est growers soon cover the others, shut China pinks; but this was before the out their light, and cause them to dwin-plants grew to be shrubs, and the dle and look sickly — when the former, shrubs trees. Now these little beauties as it were, crow over their work and hardly grow at all, and if they come up soon finish off the poor creatures. do not flower. What a lot of trouble Then what was a beautiful garden be- we have with delicate plants! — those comes a shrubbery, and finally, if not hardy and half-hardy flowers which thinned, a wood. Leave it alone for make such a fine show in English garthree or four months during the rainy dens. Here we cannot lower the temseason, and on your return it is a wil-perature without interfering with the derness. The creepers have grown so light, or producing such a damp atmoluxuriantly that they form an irregular sphere that the foliage grows rank, network from bush to tree, effectually while no flowers are produced. shutting out the light from everything below. Some of the most beautiful creepers are cruel tyrants, doing their very best to smother anything weaker than themselves.

I once left home for four months, leaving the house in charge of people who could not be trusted to interfere with the garden; the time included April to July, the heavy rainy season of Guiana. On my return, what a change! The climbing white-rose had extended itself in every direction, choking up the entrance to the garden-house entirely, while the walks were so choked that access could hardly be obtained in any direction. As for the weaker plants, some were dead, while others were so weak and sickly that the greatest care had to be taken to assist in their recovery.

And

then the rains! How the young seedlings and low plants suffer from even a single tropical downpour! It actually bruises them so much that when the sun comes out they wither and die. Some of us long to see a daisy, but it is useless even to hope for such a thing. Pots of violets have been brought here, and flowers gathered from them, hut these have been the result of a las dying effort.

care

What then shall we say of our gardens? We have a grand assemblage of showy flowers, for which we little, but which to people in England would be priceless treasures. Of course we are not content with these, any more than you are with your delicate little beauties, the daisies and buttercups. They are common and almost despised, while any little English gar

den-flower is petted, and as it dies our have more species in his flower-bed of a
hearts feel sore at the loss. But trop- few yards square than the Demerarian
ical foliage plants are grand, while the in his large garden. A few arums of
flowers are showy and very beautiful. six or eight feet across and palms of
The arum family contains some of the double that diameter soon fill up all the
most magnificent decorative plants. space at his disposal. Then they are
There are tree-like montrichardias, too large to be seen to perfection from
twenty feet high, climbing monsteras the ground level, and when the royal
with perforated leaves, great epiphytal palms and tall trees attain maturity
anthuriums, and caladiums of most they are only useful for shade, although
beautiful patterns. Bananas and ma- they give the city of Georgetown its
rantas are also very beautiful, but being character as an assemblage of country
so common are hardly noticed, while houses embowered in foliage.
palms in their different forms supply
elegance and beauty of another type.
What a variety of foliage is here!
which, filled in with the more delicate
ferns, would alone make a beautiful
garden, and one very refreshing to the
eye when the midday sun pours down
his fervent rays on the parched earth.

In the pond the water-lilies are flour-
ishing-only the nelumbium, however,
being open during the day. Its green,
shield-like leaves and rosy flower rise
above the surface of the water, afford-
ing shade for the pretty little fishes
which disport themselves in the water.
To the microscopist what a wonderful
Now for the flowers. For brilliancy field of investigation is here! Its in-
of color nothing can equal the flamboy-terest is inexhaustible; there is work
ant, the royal poinciana - whose spread- for a lifetime. Here live the larvae of
ing canopy is a mass of crimson, almost
dazzling to look upon. Then there are
the various species of hibiscus, ixoras,
plumerias, and a hundred others, all
shrubs or trees, generally beautiful in
leaf as well as flower.

Here lies the great trouble with our gardens. We want this, that, and the other, and fill every square foot of space with something, but it will not do for long. As the plants commence to grow we find that double or treble the space is necessary-and then begins what spoils almost every Demerara garden injudicious pruning, hacking, and chopping are carried out in every direction, until hardly a tree, shrub, or plant grows in its natural shape. Every tree has a characteristic manner of growth, and to deform it by cutting here and there is a sin against good taste. Rather entirely destroy half-a-dozen others, and let the first grow to perfection. Beauty consists not only in the shape of the leaves and colors of the flowers, but in the arrangement of the branches and the general effect of the whole tree; but how very rarely is this considered. However large the garden may be, the number of specimens must be comparatively few. An English cottager will

flies and mosquitoes, water-mites, and all that great variety of living creatures whose habits are so little known, and therefore afford all the more scope for investigation. To the ordinary observer it is simply a pond for water-lilies, but to me it is something more— a world filled with animal and vegetable life.

On the surface of the water rest the immense leaves of the Victoria Regia, here and there diversified with the smaller water-lilies - white, red, and blue. Immediately after sunset the lilies will turn back one petal after another, until their clusters of yellow stamens are exposed to the nocturnal insects which are so necessary to their propagation. In the moonlight they glisten like stars and perfume the air with fragrance; but soon after sunrise all close for the day and lay themselves down to rest, until evening comes to rouse them again.

In the garden at night the light zephyrs bring to our notice a number of perfumes of which we know nothing. Some probably emanate from those tall trees above us; but as we cannot reach the flowers it is impossible to verify the origin of the fragrance.

In the morning they will suspend

- and two hours after nothing but a wreck.

Experience shows that insects do

work for the day, so that unless the flowers are gathered and kept until the following night nothing can be discovered. Even if this be done, however, come forward when needed, which disappointment often follows, as many flowers only develop their perfume for an hour or so, and never repeat the operation. Thus it may happen that if we are walking at a particular time a striking perfume may be perceived, and perhaps never again, as time and circumstances may never again combine to bring it to our notice.

To an ordinary observer it may perhaps appear as if this opening of the flower and distilling of its perfume is erratic, but such is not the case. The operations are generally as regular as the sun, being only interfered with a little by heavy showers. A convolvulus will open at dawn, ten in the morning, or four in the afternoon, according to the species, under almost any circumstances; but its closing will generally be delayed a little by cloudy or rainy weather. The marvel-of-Peru is called "four o'clock" by the negroes in British Guiana, from its opening so near that time, while one kind of convolvulus has been named the "Civil Service flower," from its opening from ten till three.

brings us to the question whether the flowers have chosen their own time, or whether, as it were, knowing that a particular bee will be on the wing at a certain hour, they accommodate themselves to it. Whatever may be the answer, it can only be gained by a careful study and tabulation of results. Here is grand work for a naturalist in the tropics. Hitherto, hardly any one has done more than pay flying visits to South America, and although much has been gleaned from these, it cannot be expected that the close observation necessary for establishing the connection between plants and insects could be made. In temperate climates the weather makes great differences in the times of opening and closing of flowers, and, correspondingly, of the excursions of insects. Here, on the contrary, the changes are slight, and consequently there is greater regularity.

This is only one of the problems which await solution. There are many others, some of which are quite as interesting; the most important of all being the question whether plants have No doubt if careful observations were a germ of consciousness. Everywhere made it would be found that under fa- in the tropical garden are signs of vorable circumstances - that is, where something beyond what is called vegethere is nothing out of the common tating. There is the struggle for life, every flower has its own time to open the fight, where the weakest goes to the and close. In some cases, where the wall—the taking advantage of others texture is thick, the corollas wither or to gain their own ends, and the varifall off, and these of course cannot be ous contrivances by which insects are so easily tabulated; but the time when attracted and utilized. Selfishness is their work is over can still be estimated everywhere so obvious, that it is hardly without much difficulty. What makes possible to conceive that these things this the more wonderful is the fact that can be done without a faculty similar to a flower which opens and closes at reg-instinct, or even intelligence. Even if ular times must receive the visits of the in some there is nothing more than a insects necessary for its fertilization within that time, otherwise the object of its very existence would be frustrated. Some flowers are enabled to keep open for several days until fertilization has taken place, but a very large number of tropical species close exactly to time. As you wake the climber is end. brilliant with flowers-a glorious sight

blind impulse towards light and moisture, in others, especially in regard to their fertilization and everything connected with the dispersion of the seed, we can come to hardly any other conclusion than that certain contrivances have been developed to a particular

JAMES RODWAY.

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