740 The yournal of Forestry. 



at Castle Wigg, Wigtonshire, but the finest tree in Scotland is, we think, at 

 Keir (Sir W. Stirling Maxwell's) ; it exceeds 50 feet in height. The largest 

 tree that we have heard of in Ireland is at Woodstock. It was planted by Col. 

 Tighe fifty years ago, and exceeds 50 feet in height. There is also a very fine 

 specimen in Mr. Boyd's garden at Ballymacool, co. Donegal. The largest 

 tree we have heard of in the Isle of Wight is in Miss Johnson's gardens at 

 Willow Bank, St. John's, Eyde. We should be glad to hear the exact height 

 of those trees, and of other noteworthy specimens. 



The Aknold Arboretum. — A tract of land at Jamaica Plain, Mass., of about 

 130 acres, is assigned by Harvard University to the Arnold Arboretum, of 

 which Prof. Chas. S. Sargent is the able director. It being desirable to have 

 the land laid out to the best possible advantage, and the income from Mr. 

 Arnold's bequest not being equal to any extraordinary expenditure, Mr. Fred. 

 Law Olmsted, so favourably known as a landscape architect, volunteered his 

 services for the work, and a few of the wealthy gentlemen of Boston amd vici- 

 nity have volunteered the few thousands needed to pay the surveyors and 

 draughtsmen. Thus this important preliminary work will be accomplished 

 without drawing upon the proper income of the fund, and in a manner so 

 thorough that it cannot fail to be of the greatest value to the Arboretum — an 

 institution to the development of which arboriculturists and lovers of trees, 

 not only in America, but abroad, look with the liveliest interest. — American 

 Agriculturist- 



Arbutus Unedo in Yorkshire. — At a distance of four miles from the east 

 coast, and at an elevation of 500 feet, this very handsome evergreen sub -tree 

 or tree-like shrub is perfectly hardy, but it flowers so late as to have them 

 destroyed, which may, however, be due to the imperfect ripening of the wood, 

 quite as much as to the late flowering and cold. At an elevation of about 

 200 feet above the sea, and distant about a mile and a half, it fruits very freely 

 and regularly, being sheltered from north winds by plantations at a short 

 distance, and having a southern exposure. Beautiful as are the berries of 

 A. unedo [ab this dull season, they are surpassed by Croome's Scarlet {Arbutus 

 unedo Croomei) and the Scarlet {A. unedo ruber). Excepting near the coast, 

 and there even in high and exposed situations, positions in front of buildings 

 with a south exposure are necessary for the fruiting of these very desirable 

 evergreens. A. Andrachne is very handsome ; it has bright orange berries 

 in clusters, which are very ornamental, the tree being remarkable for casting 

 its bark annually, leaving a smooth red trunk. Birds of the thrush tribe 

 have a particular relish for the fruit, which they devour greedily. I may 

 mention that Cotoneaster Simmonsi is loaded with its orange-red berries ; 

 the erect form of the bushes and bright berries have a fine effect as seen 

 among the dark monotonous forms of evergreens which usually prepon- 

 derate in pleasure-grounds. — G. A^bey, Journal of Horticulture. 



Madras Forests. — The subject of forestry in Madras will most likely claim 

 special notice when the pressure of famine is over. Opposition has been 

 offered by some members of the Madras Government to all proposals for a 

 satisfactory demarcation of forest tracts and to their permanent main- 

 tenance as reserves ; the consequence is that extensive denudation of hill 

 ranges is going on, the outcome of which will be the drying up of many 

 important streams, with increased liability to famine and all its attendant 

 horrors, during the prevalence of a dry season.— JucZtan Agricultimst. 



