September 11, 1873. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



187 



ORNAMENTAL PLANTING.— No. 



AVESUES. 



VENUES for carriage-drives may be classed 

 as of two distinct kinds : ;in one the trees 

 are sufficiently near for the branches to 

 meet across the di'ive and form a living arch 

 high overhead ; in the other they are kept j 

 so far apart and so far from the sides of the j 

 road, that each tree has ample space to be- ' 

 come a fine specimen by tlie development 

 of the full proportions and pecuhar features 

 of its species. The aspect of an arched ave- 

 nue is peculiar and striking, and its foi-ma! and stately 

 appearance is not displeasing when the situation is well 

 chosen. Due attention is not always given to this im- 

 portant point, for I have seen drives from which fine 

 views have been shut out by the compact but misplaced 

 and unmeaning margin of trees. Instances there are, too, 

 of belts of lofty trees intei-vening between a lawn and 

 beautiful park scenei-y ; and although the shelter of the 

 trees might be necessary, it could have been obtained 

 almost equally well by a series of groups so arranged as 

 to afford pleasing views of the scenery beyond. 



Like every other featm-e of ornamental planting, an 

 avenue must have expression, or, in other words, there 

 must be an apparent reason for its presence, otherwise 

 it will fail to please, however fine it may appear. The 

 most suitable position, then, for the formation of an 

 avenue, which in time may become a living arcade, is 

 along a drive leading in a straight line from an entrance 

 lodge to the residence, to some important place or object, 

 or, when the drive passes through plantations of under 

 wood. In the first instance a glimpse of the mansion at 

 the further extremity of such a noble gallery seems to 

 welcome the visitor, and imparts a pleasing unity and 

 expression to it ; in the second, t)ie sides of the avenue, 

 without altogether concealing the green woods behind 

 them, serve to break the monotony, and impart an im- 

 portance and interest to a part of the drive that woidd 

 otherwise appear very tame. 



The length of straight avenues should be limited to a 

 forlong, or at most two. A straight line that stretches 

 away till it is lost in the distance is fatiguing to the eye, 

 and is almost devoid of any feature that is graceful or 

 interesting : to my mind it is a symbol of power or force 

 and nothing else ; and when a drive is very long a few 

 curves may be introduced, without materially adding 

 to its lengtli, while the ever-valued charm of variety is 

 gained. An avenue for such a drive should be of a wide 

 and open character, with the trees of kinds that are 

 remarkable for size and symmetiy. There are few trees 

 equal to the Chestnut for such a purpose, but it, like the 

 Oak or Elm, attains so slowly to the huge proportions 

 which wo admire so much, that the planter knows full 

 well that a generation or two of frail humanity must pass 

 away before Ids work will obtain its full meed of ad- 

 miration, and therefore that he is planting for posterity. 

 Avenues of such noble old trees are exceedingly rare, 



Noi C60.— Vot. SXV., New Seehs. 



yet the sight of one is enough to excite in anyone for 

 whom such things have an interest, a strong wish to be the 

 founder of a scene of such magnificence. In Maresfield 

 Park, nearly opposite the entrance to the by-road leading 

 to Messrs. Wood's nursery, there are three very fine old 

 Chestnuts which are perfect models of what trees for an 

 open avenue should be ; the immense boles are crowned 

 with numerous huge spreading branches, which from the 

 freedom of their wide-spread growth clearly show that 

 no other trees have ever grown vciy near them. Like the 

 Oak, the Chestnut docs not form a lofty stem when its 

 branches are exposed to the full play of air and light, 

 but it bestows its full vigour upon the leading branches 

 which spring outwards and upwards from the stem at a 

 few yards from the gi-ound. In striking contrast to the 

 spreading habit which is induced by such an ample 

 breathing space, I may instance the fine Chestnut knoll 

 in Godington Park, near Ashford, in Kent, where the 

 crowded trees are more than twice as high in stem and 

 branch as those at Maresfield, and although so lofty as to 

 be remarkable, they are not individually very picturesque. 

 The longevity of the Chestnut is another important merit : 

 the great age to which it is known to live being very far 

 in excess even of that of the Oak. In an orchard at 

 Norton Court, near Faversliam, there is a Chestnut of 

 vei-y similar appearance to the Tortworth Chestnut, and 

 which is said to be several hundred years old. 



Next to the Chestnut I would place the Beech, which, 

 from its stately air and the gi-aceful sweep of its branches, 

 has been most aptly termed the " Lordly Beech.'' Then 

 come the Oak, Elm, Lhne, and Horse Chestnut among 

 deciduous trees ; and among Conifers the WelUngtonia, 

 Cedrus Libani, C. Deodara, and Ai-aucaria imbricata. 

 Individual taste will doubtless suggest others, but I Iiavu 

 intentionally restricted my list to a few very choice kinds 

 that are certain to make a fine appearance wherever they 

 are found to flourish. 



For a close-arched avenue the whole of the deciduous 

 trees ah-eady named answer admii-ably, and of Conifers 

 we may take the Scotch Fii- ; Pinus Cembra, which has 

 such strikingly beautiful bark when it is old; Norway 

 Spruce, with its dense growth and very ornamental pendant 

 branches that droop abruptly downwards from the stem, 

 and yet curve upwards and outwards far from it, with 

 the lateral growth or branchlets suspended from beneath 

 like clusters of long green tassels ; and to these may be 

 added Pinus austriaca and P. macrocarpa. 



The arrangement of the distance apart of the trees for 

 cither kind of avenue is an important but not a difficult 

 matter if the planter remembers that for a tree to grow 

 to a large size its branches must be tolerably exposed 

 to the healthy influence of air and light. For narrow 

 avenues, 30 to 50 feet apart, according to the kind of tree 

 used, would be ample ; while for an open avenue, or, to 

 use a more expressive term, an avenue of noble speci- 

 mens, double that distance, or even more, would be re- 

 quisite ; for in order tliat a fine tree may display its full 

 beauty it should not stand very close to another, but 

 should have a considerable sweep of turf beyond the 



No. 1302.— Vol. L , Old Sesizb. 



