The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-07-23 00:00:00

EXHIBITION AT THE BOTANIC GARDEN

As a splendid show of plants &c., flowers will take place this
afternoon at the Botanic garden, some account of the ground
and the conservatory will, we presume, be acceptable to
strangers :
The Liverpool Botanic Garden was established by sub.
scription, and was opened in 1803. The original site, from
which it was removed about five years ago, was at the top of
Oxford-street, near Edge-hill. Mr. Shepherd, the curator,
is a gentleman of much botanical research, and politely com-
municates his knowledge to enquiring visitors. From the
increase of the town it became necessary to remove the plants,
&c., to a greater distance from its smoke, and the present
appropriate site in Edge-lane was fixed upon. The ground
is nearly level, and is surrounded by interesting rural objects
and buildings. it comprises eleven acres, in an oblong
square, and is laid out in a moat tasteful and appropriate
manner.
After the fatigues of a day devoted to the cares, toils, and
confinement of business, we know of nothing more calculated
to recruit the physical, and to soothe and refresh the moral
powers, than a stroll through this delightful retreat. The
walks are of great width ; some of them straight, and some
winding; on each side of them is thick short grass, which
may be said to form the groundwork of the whole, in which
there are numerous clumps or divisions, in a variety of forms,
of flowering and decorative shrubs and flowers. At the bot-
tom or south end, there is an oval pond, edged with stones,
and on each side are large rockeries, with appropriate
mosses and other creeping plants. Here, too, are numerous
species of grasses. On each side the garden, at some dis-
tance from and parallel with the respective walls, rims a
straight walk throughout its whole length. The garden is
yet comparatively new, and being nearly level, with a gentle
inclination to the south, has an appearance of flatness, but
the shrubs are making rapid progress, and will, in a few
years, do away with the sameness of the ground, arising from
the want ofundulation. There is a tilled border under the
walls, in which blossom many choice perennials, and other
plants and flowers. Many fine specimens are also trained
against the walls, including climbing roses and magnolias.
The bo der under the north wall, which has the full advan-
tage of /Ise sun, is peculiarly rich in this respect. Near it we
observed a rare and curious plant of the fir tribe, resembling
at a short distance a small spruce tree, but thicker and darker
coloured in the stem and branches. This is the Araucaria
imbricata, from South America. It is covered all over with
dark-green thick pointed leaves, standing nearly straight out
from the stem and branches, and so strong and sharp that
they seem as if cut out of metal. The tops of the branches
are turned upwards, and terminate in hard tufts, not unlike
an unripe thistle. Like that plant too, it is not harshly tan-
gible with impunity ; and the Scottish motto might with eqnal
Propriety be written under it—"Netno me impune lacessit."
This is becoming a favourite decorative plant amongst the
nobility, and obtains high prices. The Duke of Devonshire
has several fine varieties of it, and there is one in the Royal
Gardens at Kew of a rare kind, of which the leaves are more
flat or prostrate. The Arancaria is found at high and in-
hospitable altitudes on the mountains of the Southern Ame-
rican continent, where it is seen spreading its dark branches
over the rocky and broken surface.
The Conservatory comprises the hothouses and greenhouse, '
the whole front, roof, and ends are of glass, is an erection of
a hundred yards in length, and of considerable width. The
centre division, for the larger tropical exotics, is about 24
feet in height, with a semi-circular facade. In front of this
erection there is a spacious terrace-walk, bisecting the ground
at about a third of its length from the north wall. From
the middle there is a central walk down the green. An or-
namental parapet wall of hewn stone, runs the length of the
conservatory. The terrace walk is occasionally covered in,
opposite the building, by an awning, forming a magnificent
tent, for the holding of ladies' bazaars, and other similar
Purposes. Here, last year but one, was held a meeting of the
British Medical Association, during their week's stay at
Liverpool.
The Greenhouse occupies the eastern portion of the con-
servatory, and is nearly fifty yards in length. Here a great
portion of the plants are from New Holland, and (with
others) form a very extensive collection. These plants, like
the animals of that country, bespeak, when felt, the generally
sterile nature of the soil from which they are derived. They
are invariably harsh,:and hard of feel in their foliage. We
observed a fine specimen of the camphor plant, " camphor
volatile," the leaves of which arc of a fine vivid green, and
when rubbed together emit the well-known odour of the
truly volatile, extraordinary, and valuable drug of that name.
This plant has already reached the full height of the roof.
The minor plants and flowers are of great variety, and so
numerous that they appear to be rather crowded. An addi-
tion to the conservatory at each end would on this account
be desirable.
The Hothouses are in three divisions. The central and
eastern are devoted to the growth of tropical plants and
flowers. Here, those who have visited either of the Indies
will immediately recognise several of their most striking and
peculiar trees and plants, characterized by the immense size
and beauty of their leaves. We observe the cocolobo
pubescens, a tall West Indian plant, with a hard-wood stein
and large cerated leaves, growing from branches at the top.
This is known to the natives of the islands producing it as
" the sea-side grape." Some of the leaves of this identical
plant, before its removal from the old garden, (which gave it
a check, from which, however, it is rapidly recovering,)
measured eighteen feet round, including the indentations !
The fruit which it bears is not held in much esteem. Perhaps
the finest plant here is the Australitzia Augusta, so called
in honour of the house of Austerlitz. It is a native of South
Africa, and somewhat resembles the Banana, but is very dif-
ferent in several respects. The stem of thickly-jointed
appearance, is not formed of the successive leaves, like the
Banana, but is self grown. The leaves grow from sterns or
stalks, proceeding from the top, and from two opposite sides
or points of the compass only, and as these are one over the
other and close together at the converging point, the tree is
of a flat form, not unlike an Indian dusting brush. The
leaves are from four to five feet in length. The lower and
larger leaves hang downwards like those of the Banana. The
present specimen is remarkably fine, being about twenty-
seven feet in height, but it is compressed in stature, the
upper leaves having some time reached the roof, some of the
glass in which it once broke in its strength of vegitation. In
its native clime this plant attains a height of about fifty feet;
but it is stated as remarkable, by a gentleman who has visited
South Africa, that the leaves are not so large or so fine as
those which it throws forth in this country.
In the western division may be seen a plant called after
Captain Bligh, the " Bliyhia Sapida," the African Ada,
which bears a large fruit, the pulp of which resembles
marrow : also the Pandana in great perfection. Amongst
the smaller plants and flowers there are many that are deemed
curious. The Cephalotus 'bile:dads, or pitcher plant of
New Holland; and the Bengal pitcher plant, Nepenthus
distilatoria are remarkable, particularly the latter. At the
end of its tendrils it bears cups, hanging perpendicularly,
of a long shape, terminating in a scroll, and with a leaf
forming a half-open lid at the top—not unlike in form to a.
Scotch horn snuff-mull. This cup, or picker, in the native
country of the plant, contains about a gill of water, which is
supplied not by the rains, but by the distilling properties of
the plant itself. Dr. Traill, when he resided in this town,
analysed some of the liquid, and found it to be pure water.
There are various speculations as to the purposes of this
aqueous depositary, some conjecturing that it is to supply
the thirsty traveller in the torrid regions where the plant
flourishes; others, with the greater semblance of accuracy,
that it is for the support of the plant itself, by reabsorption,
during long droughts.
The Dionea Musipula, is perhaps a still more remarkable
plant. It requires united warmth and moisture, and even
in the hot house is covered with a glass. It rises but little
above the soil, and has leaves (or rather appendages to the
general leaves,) two and two together, about the size and
form of a cockle shell when opened, and with small sharp
thorns or spikes at the edges pointing towards each other
like teeth, and reminding one of an iron rat-trap. It is not
at all improbable the form of that useful instrument was
taken from this plan . There are three little spines in each
lobe of this little trap, so sensitive, that if a fly drops in, it
immediately closes, as if on its prey, and retains its captive
Touched in the spines by a bit of sprig or anything else, it
closes obediently to the hand of the visiter, the thorns or
teeth fitting between each other. Mr. Sbephard one day ob-
served an earwig, a very strong insect for ,its size, secured
in this trag, and, unable to make its escape, it was after-
wards found dead.
There are also a variety of other interesting plants, but we
have not room to particularize them.
The show of plants, flowers, and fruits, at this Horticul-
tural Exhibition, (which will commence at two o'clock this
day), will, it is fully anticipated, be rare and magnificent.
The preparations made are on an extensive scale, and all the
principal growers and amateurs fin the neighbourhood, for
many miles round, will contribute their choicest specimens,
to add to the gratification of the visitors. The two im-
mense margees belonging to the garden are already erected
in front of the Conservatory on the terrace walk or prome-
nade. Here, in addition to the interior accommodations in
the buildings, large tables are placed for the display of fruits,
flowers, &c. On one of them will be founds beautiful model
of a romantic flower garden—if we may so term it, with a foun-
tain spouting up in the centre, a rock-work summer house and
other addenda to complete the pleasing miniature landscape.
In front of the semicircular centre of the conservatory, the
fountain will be in full play ; and, on each side of the beauti-
ful sward, east and west of it will be seen a fine classical and
appropriate figure in sculptor. At the bottom of the garden
there will be a jet, from the rocky pedestal of the figura
of a water Nymph, the " guardian of the lake ;" upwards of
a hundred beautiful flags will be displayed, and a fine band of
music will be in attendance. The ground, too, is already
enlivened by marquees and tents, so placed as to produce a
pleasing effect. Two of the latter will be appropriated by
Mr. Lynn, of the Waterloo Hotel, for the dispensing of re-
freshments to the visitors. The whole will form a delightful
fete chanzpetre ; and, as the object is to stimulate the friends
of the delightful and valuable science of botany, the attend-
ance will, we doubt not, be numerous and fashionable.

MR. SALTER'S PICTURE OF THE WATERLOO

BANQUET.

This picture has been one of the lions of Liverpool this
week, and has literally drawn crowds of visitors. A great

many names have been added to the list of subscribers to
the engraving, which will do honour to the artist—do honour
to the engraver—do honour to the publisher—and, lastly,
reflect credit on the man who hangs it up in his dwelling.
On the Waterloo battle-field, the peace of Europe was

. -
decided. Let Prussia claim the victory if she will ; let all
our allies put in their demand for having turned the tide ; but
they " cannot rail the seal from off the bond ;" there stands

the man they all looked to in those eventful hours, and there
are the gallant sons of the islands that they confided in, and
without whom another crown of victory would have been
added to Napoleon's bloodstained brows. That mall is in
his second grave, and there let him sleep ; his conqueror,
thanks to Providence, is living, and well. Napoleon would
have deluged " la belle France," or any other lovely country
with blood, so that he could slake his thirst for ambition.
What was it to him that the mother wept for her son, the
child for its father, the wife for the husband, or the girl for
her brother, or lover ? What cared Buonaparte that a river
of blood ran in a sanguine stream from French or any other
hearts ? Not a rush, while he shouted for "La belle France
et la gloire," and could infatuate thousands to cry, " Vive
Entpereur! vive Napoleon !" What was it to him that
the household comforts of his followers were exiled, and that
the sword drank deep around. Read the records
of his
career, either English or French version, and " blood, blood,
blood !" stares you in the face, till the heart aches, and oantderltohoe
eyes grow dim with looking at the crimson
prisoner ins far land.
sealed Buonaparte's fate ; he perished a
genius
to immortalize an anniversary of the glorious
His conqueror lives, and the painter, too, rwho
will find the men seated
d_ _
hmdayth.e
and surely a record of
bly mentioned ,
opposite to us honour!'
Who-
ever reads the annals of England
them should be kept every English home. We do hope
e nailed in number and respecta-
bility, will be attainedsay, that, in Liverpool, where we' are so
fuonr tithe. " W. aterloo Banquet ;'' and
ay
that Mr. 114°°11 rnif,,e we have done honour to the great
by becoming possessed of his portrait
f Wellington
name o
t than any other town in the kingdom,
renter extent to a g
strongly cons.erva

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