1884.] THE GIANT CYPBESSES OF VERONA. 245 



ground to be about seven feet ; the height of the tallest is stated at 

 one hundred and twenty feet, and this did not seem to me to be an 

 exaggerated estimate. The uniformity in point of growth is very 

 wonderful, and I do not think that there was a difference of more 

 than ten feet between the tallest and the shortest in the whole 

 avenue. Nearly all the trees are bushy with foliage from the very 

 ground, though their greatest girth is probably some twelve feet up, 

 from which height they taper aloft with exquisite symmetry to the 

 tiny topmost twig that thrusts itself needle-like into the blue. 

 The monotony of the dark green foliage was jjleasantly varied at the 

 time of my visit, in late October, by the profusion of large drab- 

 coloured seed-pods, of about the same size as a golden pippin apple, 

 which, in the bright sunshine, stood out in bold relief. In nearly 

 every tree the branches clung closely to the parent trunk, giving an 

 aspect of perfect symmetry and compactness, whichis just wanting in 

 the Poplar,but is borne to its fullest extent by the Sassafras. In compar- 

 ing these noble Cypresses with those in many of the gardens of the 

 villas on the shores of the Italian lakes, I not only failed to find any 

 of the latter of equal altitude, but their symmetry was, as a rule, 

 decidedly inferior, their upper branches in many instances diverging 

 considerably from the trunk, and being bent and twisted, probably 

 owing to the severity of the winds which sweep down from the Alps 

 during the winter months. 



It must not be thought that the famous avenue contains the only 

 specimens of the Cypress to be found in the Giardino Giusti. A 

 still larger number are dotted about all over the garden, not a few of 

 which, by reason of a higher stand-point, tower many feet above the 

 loftiest in the avenue. One of these h£«s, as it were, eleven smaller 

 trunks springing upwards from its butt, forming with the main stem 

 a bamboo-like clump as much as thirty feet in circumference six 

 feet from the ground. This tree, however, like all its fellows, pre- 

 serves its compact, close-growing habit, its dark green shaft tnpering 

 upwards a hundred feet in absolute perfection of form and 



detail. 



But, irrespective of its superb Cypresses, the Giardino Giusti is 

 well worthy of a visit. That part of it which lies to the right of 

 the avenue is devoted to the raising of plants and shrubs, and need not 

 be alluded to. On either side of the steps which lead up to the cliff 

 is a wilderness of evergreen and deciduous shrubs of low growth, 

 from amongst which rise specimens of Mountain Ash, Lime, Scotch 

 Fir, Cedar and Douglas Pine. In the clif(-wall are several caves, one 

 which is filled with a tribe of tame rabbits, and on either hand 

 winding v/alks lead up to a higher terrace, from which a spiral stair- 



