270 The journal of Forestry 



KHGDODENDRONS. 



Sir — Being in the vicinity of Manchester on the 20th of June, I paid 

 a visit to Heaton Park, the seat of the Earl of Wilton, and in looking 

 through the extensive and admirably kept gardens, ornamental grounds, 

 and plantations. I vras much struck with the magnificent display of rhodo- 

 dendrons, then in full bloom, and as some of the individual plants are 

 unusually fine, a few notes about them may be interesting. The largest 

 and finest plants of Rhododendron ponticum, which were planted by the late 

 Countess of "Wilton somewhat over fifty years ago, were amongst the first 

 of that species introduced into Lancashire, being raised from seed pro- 

 duced by the original plants brought to this country from Gibraltar about 

 a hundred years ago, by Mr. Clowes, of Broughton Old Hall, near Man- 

 chester. These plants are eight in number, and range from 10 feet 

 to IG feet in height, with a circumference of 80 feet to 120 feet, perfectly 

 circular in outline, in luxuriant health, and covered from base to crown 

 with a perfect sheet of bloom, producing a most lovely and striking effect 

 upon the landscape. 



Those in masses and clumps, on the sloping banks and in the shrub- 

 beries, were also most profusely in bloom, and are freely interspersed with 

 azaleas, laburnums, double white, pink, and scarlet thorns, lilacs, hollies 

 and purple beeches, which heightened the effect and brought out their 

 beauties to perfection, and produced a sight worth going many miles to 

 see. These plants, I was told, usually flower finely in this part of Lan- 

 cashire, although quite within the range of the smoke from the factory 

 chimneys of Manchester, some of which are hardly a mile distant. But 

 this year they are exceptionally fine, although quite a fortnight later 

 in flowering than usual, owing to the lateness of the season in this 

 district as elsewhere. 



The species of rhododendrons grown at Heaton Park are not nume- 

 rous ; among the older plants, R. ponticum and its varieties being the 

 predominant sort, with some fine plants of R. campamdafum and R. 

 arboreum, and their varieties. But we are pleased to observe among the 

 younger plants which have been introduced to the park in recent years 

 many of the finest hybrids of arboreum, catabiense, &c., from the cele- 

 brated collection of John Waterer and Sons, of Bagshot, Surrey, and 

 which appeared to be perfectly at home, and were in fine flower, so that in 

 the course of a few years more they will add greatly to the charms of an 

 already lovely scene. Visitor. 



SYCAMOKE WOOD. 



SiE, — In looking through the Journal for this month (July) I fiud in the 

 review of the Practical "Timber Merchant," page 207, that the Plane or Syca- 

 more wood is represented as not being subject to be destroyed by worms. 

 Now my experience teaches me quite the reverse. I find that for whatever 



