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S itnI?^ LB n T0 ?i. ABB ?TT: Thi fl s ' the demesne of Lord s ™**. is 



situated 011 the outskirts of Swansea and about two miles from 

 the centre of the town. Like most of the South Wales estates it 

 nas great natural beauty, the grounds being undulating and well 

 timbered, with here and there considerable open spaces of park- 

 land clotted with fine specimen trees. The Abbey occupies a good 

 position on rising ground and from it vistas have been opened up 

 wiiicn carry the eye either to distant views of tree-clad hills or to 

 tne bay with the open sea on the horizon. 



Of the many interesting subjects to be seen at Singleton tin- 

 most important are the conifers and rhododendrons. A former 

 proprietor about 70 years ago formed an extensive pinetnm, 

 planting in it every hardy conifer that he could then obtain ; this 

 bas been added to from time to time since, so that it now contains 

 a very large number of species. Amongst a few of the specimeni 

 noted were Picea Menziesii, 90 to 100 feet high, Cryptomeria 



japomca, GO feet high with a trunk diameter of J 8 inches, Pinus 

 excelsa, 90 feet high and 9 feet in girth at 3 feet above the ground, 

 Isuga Mertensiana, 100 feet high with a girth of 7 feet 7 inches, 

 Araucaria tmbrtcala, 70 feet high with a girth of 6 feet (I inches, 

 oequota sempervirens, Picea Morinda, Abies cephalonica, A. 

 grandis, a form of Arauca ria excelsa with very small leaves and 

 slender branches, and Podocarpus macruphyllus, 25 feet high, 

 forming a perfect specimen from base to summit. 



Himalayan rhododendrons are represented by many large 

 examples, the finest of which are R. Thomsoni, 20 feet high with 

 four main branches, R. barbatum, 33 feet high, with a mag- 

 nificent head on a trunk 12 feet high, R. Hodgsmi, 12 feet high 

 and very bushy, and R. Falconeri, 30 feet high with a head 

 18 feet through and a trunk girth of 35 inches. The last- 

 mentioned plant is claimed to have been raised from the first 

 batch of seeds received in this country. The seeds, I was 

 informed, were sent to Edinburgh by Colonel Sykes, who com- 

 manded the first expedition in the Himalayas, and a portion of 

 the consignment was sent from Edinburgh to Singleton. Hybrid 

 rhododendrons, both evergreen and deciduous, are grown in large 

 quantities, and many have attained large dimensions. 



A few other interesting specimens which deserve mention an; 

 Fagits sylvatica, var. laciniata, 60 feet high with a trunk girth ot 

 7 feet at 3 feet from the ground and a head diameter of M feet ; 

 Prunus serrulata, with a trunk 5 feet 6 inches in girth and a 

 head 40 feet through ; a magnificent specimen of Faffus ylvattca, 

 var. pendula, 60 to 70 feet high and of perfect outline ; many very 

 fine examples of Arbu/>'S Unedo, Quercus coccijera, and uremuea 

 rosmarini folia. 



Clyne Castle is situated midway between Swansea and The 

 Mumbles, a*^ «- ^ «« iA™*** of W. G. Vivian, Esq. It ma> be 

 reached by 

 nearest station. 



nd is the lesidence of W 



means of The Mumbles > - .. . . 



As my visit was made during heavy run 1 ™ 



unable, unfortunately, to make a thorough roimd ^J^Jff^i 

 Himalayan rhododendrons are groirn in quantity and goo 



examples of R. Hodgsoni, R. ^^^^A^^^SS 



q«,i » ™_.7. . ^ J .„ Ins A«»m aru R. camtw<»<i ' ^ m were 



.thrum and R. campylocarj 



30018 



B 2 



