J60 THE ENGLISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. [Oct. 



almost smooth ones near the top of the tree. The large common 

 hollies in Needwood Porest are said to be of this description. A 

 considerable-sized forest of common hollies used to flourish at Gordon 

 Castle, Banffshire ; and there are also many fine clumps to be seen 

 on the banks of the Dee. During the Arctic winter of 1879 

 hollies suffered considerably, many of them became deciduous, while 

 others, in damp situations, were killed to the ground. 



In describing the ornamental varieties of laburnum and maple, 

 Mr. Browji took occasion to revert to the curious phenomena 

 produced on grafting two varieties, on each other, of these trees 

 in Messrs. Fell & Co.'s nurseries ; indeed, tlie paper was in some 

 respects a vidimus of ornamental trees there grown, illustrated by fresh 

 leaves. When Tillia Americana is grafted on the common lime, 

 the leaves are of enormous size, and the branches slightly drooping,, 

 thus deserving a good place in any collection. Amongst oaks, the- 

 scarlet variety {Quercus coccinca), whose leaves in autumn attain a 

 bright crimson colour similar to that of the Virginia creeper, the 

 variegated variety {Q. varicgata), and the dark bronze variety {Q. 

 nigcr'), as well as the evergreen oak {Q. scmjjcrvirens), were particu- 

 larized from among the twenty sorts grown. Attention was drawn 

 to the noble specimens of this tree grown at Lowtlier and at Beau- 

 fort Castles. The golden-leaved Corstorphine plane is recognised 

 by travellers miles distant. The common sycamore is said to have 

 been planted with success near our eastern and western shores. 

 Amongst the leaves of poplars exhibited were those of Popnhts 

 hollcana, which may be classed for its ornamental character with 

 Populus Canadensis aurea, the latter variety being an astonishingly 

 quick grower ; also of Populus aurea Van Geerti, a type of the black 

 Italian poplar ; and of Fojndus Ontario varicgata, which presents a 

 large gold-coloured foliage. Poplars grow in damp situations by the 

 sides of rivers, lakes, or brooks, where no other tree (the willow and 

 alder excepted) will grow. Mr. Brown reviewed the pines as orna- 

 mental plants. A good combination of ornamental deciduous and 

 coniferous trees cannot fail to clothe the landscape with new beauty. 

 Here alone was a source for many new landscape gardening studies 

 by judiciously mixing other trees with sucli as those enumerated. 



In proposing a vote of thanks to the reader, Mr. Davidson said 

 that landowners had been shown how the golden tints of autumn, 

 supposed by old-fashioned people to be due to the progress of the 

 seasons, might by judicious planting be prolonged throughout the 

 course of the year ; or at least they might have autumn tints much 

 longer than at present. It was suggested to Mr. Brown to write 

 another paper on the different soils, climates, and localities suitable 

 for the trees he had described. 



