1885.] DECIDUOUS TREES AND SHRUBS. 243 



years." This would give on an average an annual increase of 1^ 

 line in diameter. 



The American oaks can by no means vie with their brethren in 

 Europe, either as to size or age, probably more on account of the 

 close stifling growth of tlie primeval forests in that country, than 

 of the woodman's axe. The Wadswortli oak, on the bank of the 

 Genesee river, however, may be mentioned ; it is of that species 

 called the lohite oak, and lias a circumference at the smallest part 

 of the trunk, about 4 feet from the ground, of 22 feet 4 inches: 

 towards the base it is nearly 27 feet. This noble tree is estimated 

 to be 500 years old, giving as much as 2 lines for its average 

 annual increase in diameter. The live oak, so called from the 

 heavy and incorruptible nature of its wood, also grows to a good 

 size: Bartram in his travels in Florida notices some from 12 to 18, 

 or even 20 feet in girth; and the younger Michaux mentions a 

 tree of this kind felled near Charleston, whose trunk was 24 feet 

 in circumference. Mr. iSTuttall says that in West Florida it some- 

 times acquires the diameter of 8 or 9 feet, and as these trees 

 are of extremely slow growth, perhaps one line annually in diameter 

 is as much as ought to be allowed for its increase ; this would make 

 such a tree nearly 1300 years old. Further information on this 

 subject is, however, still requisite. 



VARIEGATED AND ORNAMENTAL-LEAVED DECIDUOUS 

 TREES AND SHRUBS. 



EVERGEEEN TEEES, especially coniferce and hollies, have 

 been freely used in ornamental planting for many years, and 

 with generally happy results. But the many beautiful variegated 

 and tinted-leaved deciduous trees that are as easily obtainable iuive 

 been comparatively neglected. The colour effects of flowers in 

 ornamental woods and shrubberies are restricted to spring and early 

 summer. 



Late summer and autumn flowering trees and shrubs are very 

 few — indeed, there are almost none worth naming ; it is therefore 

 very desirable that colour should be introduced by means of the 

 judicious interspersiou of deciduous trees and shrubs with coloured 

 leaves in ornamental plantations. Of these coloured-leaved trees 

 tliere are plenty obtainable in considerable variety of colour and 

 habit, most of them also as hardy as their normal green types. 

 But they don't seem to be generally known, or if known are 

 certainly but rarely employed, and even then not always with 



