Sept, 26,—We have two plants of the night-blooming Cereus, oF to give it its most up-to-date name, Selenteerens grandifiorus. These plants have been a source of much interest to ws @uring the Summer: they each produced a few owers in July, 2 few in August and a quantity fon September 21 and 22. We counted 12 buds on tone plant last week, but. three of these got damaged and fell off: the remaining nine opened practically simultaneously on Sunday evening, the plant was outside in the pouring Fain but this did not affect the flowers, they just ignored it and the plant seen by electric light. was n gorgeous sight. We Kept a record of one the flowers which opened on September 21, this reads ae follows:—715 pum, outer petals beginning. to unfold, 7.30, opening, %" inch wide, 740 pam. ower open %4. inch, 750 Giameter of Mower, 1% inch, 8 p.m. Mower, 2 Inches "across. 8.15, 3 Inches. across, 830 pin. flower fully open, 6% inches across. We did not see the lowers close, but they had closed, never to open again, at 4 am. on Sunday. It oes seem a pity" that such beautiful and fea-grant flowers should remain open for a few hours only, but who are we to criticize the acts of nature, The moonflower is another noeturnal-Aowering plant which has been blooming marvellously well this year: we hear of plants which had over 40 flowers open at the same time. How true are those words of one of the poets (we forget which one) "Darkness shows Us worlds of light, We never see by day." There is another very fragrant flower open at the present time: this is an evergreen shrub however and a great favourite amongst all classe Its often referred to by its Chinese name "Kuei hwa" and seldom as Osmanthus fragrant, ap it is known in the botanical world, 'The "Kuei wa" ig a handsome shrub with attractive foliage and when in flower, its fragrance is delight(ul, We cannot refer to' the plant without offering word of advice which may prevent disappoint ment, There are a few varieties on the market: tone has practically entire or smooth-edged eaves, another has leaves serrated at the tips conly, while still another hag leaves which ate very' serrated or saw-like on the edges, The first-named is the variety to buy,, these_shrubs produce flowers in abundance while the last ramed seldom produces more than a few, We have seen a few shrubs having serrated Teaves, bearing flowers; but they are not comparable with the enormous quantities borne by the smooth Jeaved varlety—Walst, Sept. 29.—We have read somewhere that one of the first "Big Bosses" to come to Shanghas had previously been connected with the East India Company. Ho way a surgeon on a sailing ship, and a medical man in those days._must have had an extensive knowledge of herbs and their medicinal properties. One of his successors Dullt the first railway in China, which ran for few miles into the country. Later, the same firm brought a touch of Loneashire into the city, but, as far as we know, the clogs and shawls Were not introduced. Since those days, much water has passed down the. Soochow Greek: it is perhaps dirtier now tian It was in the "good old days" but we can still call It water. although some people may disagree with us, We were reminded of that frst "Big: Boss" when we were enjoying a walk around a large garden on the south side of Hungjao Road to-Gay. We know that the garden did not exist his days, nor did it exist for many years atter he had shaken the dust of Shanghai from his heels; but the knowledge of plant life that must have had has been passed down to the present day "Big Boss" of the firm. We saw many plants that we had last seen in the "old country" and many beautiful colour schemes formed by the arrangement of trees which one docs not meet with everywhere. Tt is much more diMeuit to plant trees for colour effect than to arrange a colour scheme in a flower border. We saw a batch of cotton growing in tone part of the garden, probably this had been planted to keep the ground under cultivation But, in our imagination, we saw a link with those first factories introduced long years ago. We also saw a fine collection of Borberis and we admit that a pang of jealousy shot through when we saw' the colicetion but we were somewhat comforted by the thought that a "Big Bose" of a rival firm would have been still more envious had he seen the plants, As we proceed ed along the drive some cryptomeria trees {tracted our. attention, This ornamental over aroon is handsome ixeo despite its faults and tone of those we saw Was partially hiding a beautiful: large maple: we are glad that we have not to decide which of the two to re-lain, Ag the drive entered the carriage turn on the east side of the house we noticed a magni Acent Paulownia tree. This native of Central China was referred to in these notes on April {8 fast, it was, then in flower: flower buds are forming at. present and these, on terminal panteles, look quite attractive against a back-round of catalpa-like foliage. If the Winter is for too severe, the buds will survive and the tree will be a gorgeous sight when in flower next Spring. Ovold seed pods were also noticed fon the tree, it seems rather strange to find Seed pods ahd Mower buds being borne at the fame time. Under the shade of the Paulownia (ce saw another interesting maple and noticed that a case of unintentional grafting had taken place years ago? someone had tied two stems Into 2 knot. The branches have grown together Dut the Knot is plainly visible. We crossed a stretch of lawn to south of the carriage turn, past a "weeping 'Cherry and some wifective' colour grouping' on our left, to a "Tea garden bridge-—(o be continued) wal, Longer Millie as pretty as she was ten an "Yes, but it taker longer to be
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