299 



sixty or more years. To very few has it been vouchsafed to see 

 such splendid results of their own work. Personally, I know no 

 scene of its type more attractive than that which greets the eye 

 .on passing out of the house at Tortworth — smooth, far-spreading 



exce 



trees unequalled probably in any private demesne for rarity, 

 diversity and vigour. 



The house is situated on an eminence sloping down on one side 

 to a Jong winding lake bordered by steep, tree-clad slopes, and on 

 the other to a deep ravine with a stream at its base. The grounds 

 occupied by Lord Ducie's trees rest chiefly on two geological 

 iormations, the one mountain limestone, the other old red saiid- 

 -stone, the two being divided by the stream ]ust mentioned. 



There is thus a useful choice of sites. The soil overlaying the 

 sandstone is admirable for ericaceous plants, amongst which a 

 large number of rhododendrons are in great vigour. 



Oaks. — Perhaps no genus of trees is so extensively represented 

 at Tortworth as Qucrcus. Unhappily, it has long since ceased to 

 be the fashion to plant exotic oaks, and owing to this ueg-lect 

 nurserymen do not find it worth while to stock representative 

 collections such as one might have found in older days at estab- 

 lishments like that of the Lees of Hammersmith and Isleworth, 

 -Smith of Worcester, or Booth of Hamburg-. In the greatly 

 revived interest that is being taken in trees now we may hope 

 .to see the oaks again planted. The beauty and diversity of their 

 foliage, their often rich autumnal colouring, together with their 

 noble dimensions and their longevity render them \ery attractive 

 and appropriate ornaments for large gardens and parks, Mr. 

 Vicary Gibbs has got together an extensive collection at Alden- 

 ham, but many are yet comparatively small. And at Kew there 

 is a collection unequalled, so far as I know, either at home or 

 abroad in the number of species and varieties, but the Kew soil 

 is too light and dry for oaks as a whole. So that neither at Kew 

 nor at Aldenham do the rarer exotic species show to such advan- 

 tage as at Tortworth. . 



Perhaps the rarest of oaks represented at Tortworth is the 

 Ja])anese Quercus glauca, an evergreen species with leaves glossy 

 green above, glaucous white beneath, and about as large as those 

 of Portugal laurel. It is not uncommon to find plants under the 

 name in gardens, but they are nearly always ^. Ftfemi/mna. 

 There are two bushy trees of the true species at Tortworth ; they 

 are of rounded habit, the larger one 22 feet through and perhaps 

 as much high, undoubtedly the finest in this country. Another 

 interesting Sverirreer* oak is Q. agrifoUa, a Califomian species of 

 ... ..^. .V,.. «. q. Ilex, but with leaves prickly-toothed and 

 glossy green beneath. A tree at Tortworth raised ^^J^T% 

 ?own in"l8T9, is now about 35 feet high, 3 feet 9 inches m gnth of 

 trunk, and of rather columnar form. QnercM, macedonxca is a 



d distinct oak, deciduous, but usually retaimng its W^ 



rare an 



until the New Year. It is 



several 



uiitii lilt? i^t'vv xfui. ^^ ^^ ^^v — 1 " : . * , • i^,,l^+ +1,0 



healthy but slow-growing. Lord Ducie's tree is ^o/^^^^^ /he 

 io.„,.,/;. -ir T...,T \..\rZ now HO to 35 feet high and 2 feet U 



largest in Enolund, being now JU to uD teet nig 



C 



