1885.] A DAY IX AX ENGLISH PARK. 121 



A DAY IX AN ENGLISH PARK. 



BY D. F. MACKENZIE, MOIITOXHALL, MIDLOTHIAN. 



Part II. 



THE arboriculturist may find much to interest him in Ciren- 

 cestfr Park, especially the parts near Earl Bathurst's mansion- 

 house, and in the park. Xear the south-west front of the house 

 are two large horse chestnuts of a rather peculiar habit of growth, 

 and a few large cedars of Lebanon, as well as other large specimens 

 of oak, elm, etc. The horse chestnuts, which are about five and a 

 half feet in diameter, have long pendulous, rather slender branches, 

 many of which have got self-layered, and are forming a line of 

 moderately-sized trees, which in turn have many of their branches 

 in a fair way of becoming layered also. The outline of these two 

 trees with their " family " presents the appearance of one huge tree, 

 and must be very picturesque when in full leaf. 



The cedars are also very large for their age, which is said to be 

 about eighty years. In some instances two or three of them have 

 the appearance of one wide-spreading tree. The principal tree of 

 one of the groups is over five feet in diameter, having a spread of 

 branches of over one hundred feet. Several of its gigantic hori- 

 zontal limbs are supported by massive iron hoops suspended by 

 continuous " rod " chains to the upper portion of the trunk. 



Xear to these, as well as in several parts of the park, are several 

 very fine specimens of the Lucombe oak ; though a sub-evergreen, 

 they were quite as green in the first week of January as they are in 

 the midland counties of Scotland in the month of September. There 

 are also many fine specimens of the common oak, the English elm, 

 and the beech. 



Although the newer coniferse are seldom met with in the park, 

 there are many fine specimens of Cupressus Lanibcrtiana, C. Macro- 

 carpa, C. Lmvsoniana, etc., thirty to fifty feet in height, clothed to 

 the ground. Several of the specimens are very handsome. The 

 true pines, spruces, and silver firs of the newer and ornamental 

 varieties are nearly absent, though these would undoubtedly thrive 

 very well, judging from the magnificent examples which are to be 

 found all over the park of the Scots fir, spruce, and silver fir, as also 

 the larch. 



The Scots firs, I believe, are amongst the largest 'phmtcd trees of 

 the kind, taking them as a whole, and can only be equalled by those 



