.53 



common 



*vm. One was the largest 



the lihododendron Dell. A very healtliy and handsome specimen 

 of Pinus Sabiniana near the Isleworth Ferry Gate went down. 

 This pine — the 'Digger' pine of N.W. America — is no longer 



common 



TV 



the Azalea Garden also fell. Seeing the considerable age of most 

 of the beeches in Kew, and the fact that many show evidences of 

 having reached their period of decadence, the loss of but one of 

 them may be regarded as a fortunate escape in a storm of such 

 extraordinary violence as this. IS'othing else of particular value 

 was lost, although the destruction of one of the middle-sized elms 

 on the river side of Queen Elizabeth's Lawn makes a noticeable 

 gap in the roM^ there. 



Additions to Arboretum. — The final sales by auction of the 

 collections in the Coombe Wood Nursery of Messrs. Veitch enabled 

 Kew to obtain a few of the large specimens of rare trees and shrubs 

 growing' there. The fine Trocliodendrojh aralioides tho t had so long 

 been an interesting footure nt Coombe Wood is now established near 

 the Sun Temple at Kew. It is 10 feet or so high and is the oldest, 

 perhaps the largest, example of this remnrkable Japanese tree in 

 the coimtry. It flowered profusely in its new quarters last April 

 and May, and its flowers, although green, are very striking, and 

 attracted much attention from visitors. Tlie onlj'^ plant of 

 Sassafras Tzitmii ever raised from seed in this country was pre- 

 sented by Messrs. Yeitch. Tliis tree is of remarkable interest as 

 the Asiatic representative of the Sassafras of North America- 

 each being the sole example of its genus on the respective conti- 

 nents. Tlie Coombe Wood tree had made enormously thick roots 

 wathout fibre and has felt its removal so severely that it may not 

 recover, although it is being nursed under glass. Two young 

 plants raised from it are, however, quite liealthy. A good plant 

 of the new Diospyros armata, an ally of the Persimmon and kaki, 

 was purchased, and is planted near No. II. f'ernery. Excellent 

 specimens of the Soutliern beeches, Notliofagus fusca and N. 

 cliff or tioides, each 12 to 15 feet high, were bought, also the rare 

 Ptcrocarjja hiipehensis, Rosa omeiensis and Schizandra HenryL 



Rare Chinese shrubs have also been presented by Mr. J. C. 

 ^^^illiams, Mr. Maurice L. de Vilmorin, Miss E. Wilhnott, Mr. 

 P. D. Williams, Mr. Gerald Loder and Mr. P. E. S. Balfoiir. 

 Mr. Balfour has also presented some new and interesting species 

 from North-west America. Mr, A. Waterer gave some new 

 varieties of garden rhododendrons raised at Knop Hill, tbe home 

 of so many famous hybrids. Mr. Elwes, from his gorden at Cohvs- 

 borne, has contributed a number of trees which possess a certain 

 historical interest in being derived from notable trees or sites 

 such as a beech raised from the famous one at Newbr^ttle, a 

 Lucombe oak from tlie Killerton tree, an Orientnl plane from (be 

 Temple of Diana, at Ephesus, etc. 



Ciipresstis formosensis. — Seeds of this remarkable cypress 

 were presented by Mr. H. Clinton-Baker in 1911. They ger- 

 minated well, and about two dozen plants were raised wliich have 



