In the Erica-house we notice Aponogeton distachyon flowering very freely in a large bell-glass. This is a very interesting hardy aquatic from the Cape of Good Hope, and deserves to be more extensively grown either in tanks out of doors or in cool ferneries, wherever there is convenience. It grows very luxuriantly in the "aquatic" pond in the Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh, and bears a profusion of its white flower-spikes. In this house we also note an arborescent Geranium, G. anemoncefolium, forming single stems a foot or more in height, having a symmetrical head of finely-cut palmate foliage, and bearing a profusion of its bright purple flowers on great branched panicles. This is a very effective plant when well grown, and we have noticed some fine well-flowered specimens in the Birmingham Botanic Garden. Another arborescent plant, Oxalis crassa, is very remarkable, its ternate leaves being borne on a caudex five or six inches high. The leaves of this plant are thick, and have a superposed layer of air-cells, which gives them an appearance similar to the foliage of Mes-embryanthemum crystallinum. The flowers are yellow. Sonchus platylepis is a very ornamental plant, with lanceolate, pinnatifid, glaucous leaves, arranged very symmetrically; but its flowers give it a weedy appearance.

In this house are also grown a few choice Alpines, and some bulbous plants, as Hoemanthus, Ixias, Lachenalias, and various other old-fashioned though beautiful plants, now sadly too much neglected by amateurs. On leaving this house we are attracted by a low tree of Pyrus spectabilis on the lawn. This is flowering very freely, and is a pretty object, bearing rich rosy flowers, and a profusion of crimson buds admirably set off by its fresh green foliage. The Succulent or Cactus House we always consider one of the most interesting structures in the garden, filled as it is with a collection at once rare and unique. The first plants that engage our attention are some of the Australian Liliaceae,such as the Dianellas and Arthropodiums. The Dianellas, at present in flower, are D. strumosa, D. divaricata, D. Tasmanica, and D. longifolia, all having long grassy leaves, and panicles of bright-blue flowers. These flowers will be succeeded by a crop of blue berries about the size of small peas, and last for a long time in beauty. Arthropodium serratum bears lax spikes of 6-parted white flowers, having the filaments curiously thickened for half their length, the enlarged portion being of a faint lilac colour, and having two golden-yellow horns at the base, which curl upwards towards the anthers.

This species has bright-green strap-shaped leaves, and is very ornamental. A plant somewhat similar in appearance is Libertia formosa, a member of the Iridacece, bearing white flowers on a spike two feet high, the leaves being bright green, and grasslike. Oldenburgia arbus-cula is a very rare plant, a native of South Africa, and very ornamental. Its young leaves are covered with a dense tomentum, which reminds one forcibly of the Salvia argentea, or Stachys lanata, sometimes used for edging purposes in the outdoor garden. The lower leaves are of a bright and shining green colour. Amongst the grand collection of Agaves, A. densiflora was in flower, bearing a dense spike of lurid flowers about 0 feet high. In this house two or three species of Asparagus are grown as climbers, and have a very elegant appearance. One or two species are well worth growing for furnishing elegant sprays of green foliage, very suitable for bouquet-work. One of the rarest plants in this house is the extremely handsome Dyckia argentea (Hart), one of the rarest and handsomest of Bromeliads. Its epinose leaves are nearly two feet in length, and recurve very gracefully, giving a globular outline to the plant.

It flowered in the Kew collection in 1871, but its flowers are by no means showy, still the extreme grace and beauty of the plant itself makes ample amends for this defect. Yellogia (Talbotia) elegans (Oliv), is a very rare and interesting plant, having bright-green foliage six inches long, and nearly one inch in width. The flowers are white with golden anthers, and remind one of those borne by Triteleja uni-flora, though happily they have not its objectionable alliaceous perfume. Several species and varieties of Phyllocactus are in flower, and are very showy, though rather fugitive. Leaving the Succulent-house we enter the greenhouse, gay with spring-flowering plants, bulbs, and some nice pots of Lachenalia tricolor. One of the first objects to attract the visitor's attention, is a plant of the Australian Clianthus puniceus, trained up the rafters. The foliage of this-is fresh and green, and it bears a profusion of its rich crimson blossoms. Here we notice plants of the old Sparmannia Africana, a souvenir of Captain Cook's second voyage round the world. This is a very valuable decorative plant for small pot work, as it can be freely propagated from cuttings of the young wood in the spring, and these cuttings will flower the succeeding winter in forty-eight pots.

This plant is also a botanical curiosity, having sensitive stamens, which expand on being touched, this action differing from that observable in Berberis, where the stamens are already expanded in the open flowers, and rapidly contract or close round the stigma on being irritated. Here also may be noted Arctotes grandiflora, a large-flowered composite from the Cape, also .Othonna pectinata, a very profuse golden-flowered asteraceous plant from Honduras. The stems of this plant are terminated by finely-cut foliage of a silvery or glaucous tint, and its flowers are borne on slender peduncles about six inches long. This last is a good companion to the white-flowered Chrysanthemum frutescens, a valuable winter-flowering decorative plant, far too much neglected by horticulturists. Hardenbergia mono-phylla was flowering very profusely, trained up the rafters as a climber; and the same remark applies to Lonicera sempervirens, one of the Honeysuckles, bearing clusters of bright coral-red flowers admirably set off by foliage of the freshest green colour imaginable. Glancing through the Fern-houses, which are in admirable condition, we took our departure to the great Palm-house, where the " princes of the vegetable kingdom " hold their court.

These specimens are simply magnificent, towering upwards in their vigour, and in some few cases intimating that the house, large as are its proportions, will soon be too small for them. Here we notice several plants of the noble Crinum ornatum, bearing great white flowers tinged with rose on the apex of scapes, 3 to 4 feet high. This plant has long, strap-shaped leaves, and when bearing its umbels of lily-like blossoms, would form an effective ornament for the conservatory. A plant of Bromelia sceptrum, having long, dark-green, epinose leaves, bears a large erect cluster of golden-yellow fruit as large as pigeons' eggs. Another plant deserving of special notice, on account of the striking beauty of its young leaves, is Carapa guianensis. The young foliage is arranged in a plumose manner, and is of a bright-crimson colour gradually shading off to bright green as it becomes older. The fine specimens of Encephalartos horrida and E. caffer, together with the curious orange - and - purple - flowered Strelitzia reginse, are worthy of notice, being noble ornaments to the plant-stove or tropical conservatory.

Leaving the Palm-house, we walk through the Temperate House, or Winter Garden in the pleasure-grounds, with its noble specimens of Dicksonia, Cyathea,. Todea, Eucalyptus or Blue Gum-trees of Australia, and Araucarias which tower upwards to the very roof. Here are also some fine plants of Rhododendrons from the Sikkim Himalayas, which bloom profusely during the spring months. This house is one of the most interesting in the gardens, and is neatly laid out in numbered oblong beds and gravel walks, most of the specimens being planted out.

Having had a stroll through the Arboretum or Pleasure-grounds, and noted the new operations now being judiciously carried out, we left the garden and seized the opportunity of having a little chat with the veteran ex-curator John Smith, Esq., A.L.S., whose useful life ought to be recorded in extenso, if only for the encouragement of aspiring young horticulturists. Mr Smith is a native of Scotland, and came to Kew during Aiton's time. Here by perseverance and ability he rose to the honour of the curatorship - a post which he filled with credit to himself for over forty years. With these few remarks, we close this short notice of a two hours' ramble through our National Botanic Garden - a ramble that has once more taught us how much we have yet to learn.

F. W. BURBRIDGE.