273 
On the lower part of the garden are two of the finest trees of 
Libocedrus decurrens in the country, making a pair of stately 
columns; one of them is over 8 ft. in girth of trunk and about 
65 it. high; Elwes mentions another one near the house which is 
even finer. In the Pinetum is a magnificent Thuya plicata (7. 
gigantea), its trunk clothed with rich brown bark and 13 ft. in 
girth; I estimated its height as between 90 and 100 ft. Even 
taller are some splendid Douglas. firs in groups, one that I 
measured girthing 11 ft. A redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), has 
a similar girth. It is very unusual to find any but quite young 
trees of Cunninghamia sinensis looking really healthy, and a tree 
at Bicton, although 60 ft. high an t. round its bole (and, 
therefore, one of the biggest in England), is no exception. 
To the lover of rare and interesting plants there*is no tree at 
Bicton which will make a greater appeal than Phyllocladus 
asplenifolia. This curious conifer belongs to a genus allied to the 
yews, but distinguished by curious leaf-like organs of rhomboidal 
shape termed ‘‘ phyllodes.’’ Sir Joseph Hooker remarks of the 
seen only in young plants, but which in older are united into flat 
fan-shaped organs resembling simple leaves, which bear the in- 
florescence at their edges.’’ (New Zealand Flora, p. 259.) The 
tree at Bicton is 32 ft. high, of slender pyramidal form, and in 
luxuriant foliage and perfect health. I do not know of any other 
tree in our islands equal to this; it would, itself alone, give 
distinction to any garden. 
Of Fitzroya patagonica, from Chile, a not uncommon tree in 
the south-western counties, a very healthy and symmetrical speci- 
men is 20 ft. high and 10 ft. wide at the base. Another Chilean 
conifer, Prumnopitys elegans, is represented by a tree which must 
be one of the finest in this country; I estimated it at 36 ft. in 
height, and the spread of its lower branches is 20 ft.; it was 
bearing its small male flowers in great numbers. 
The Himalayan hemlock (7suga Brunoniana), is rarely seen in 
good condition in any but the warmer counties or specially 
favoured spots; a perfectly healthy tree here is 15 ft. high ; and 
another is in the form of a rounded bush 25 ft. through. 
tion of the non-coniferous trees and shrubs was necessarily rather 
