316 
Mr. Allard’s Arboretum at Angers—At La Maulévrie, in the 
suburbs of Angers, is situated one of the finest collections of hardy 
trees and shrubs in France. It belongs to Mr. G. Allard and has 
been formed entirely by him. The inauguration of the Arboretum 
dates back as far as 1858, when the site was drained and the soil 
treated ; the first plantings, however, were not made until 1863, 
after which, for over thirty years, Mr. Allard was occupied in 
forming the main collections. Their augmentation has been assidu- 
ously carried on up to the present. The area occupied is about 
174 acres, and the number of species and varieties represented there 
is over two thousand. The collection is particularly noteworthy 
for the splendid series of conifers and oaks : of the former there are 
about 260 species and varieties, and of the oaks there are about 
half as many. The Arboretum, moreover, is not more remarkable 
for its comprehensiveness than for the size, health and arrangement 
of the individual specimens. At the present time it affords probably 
the best object-lesson available to planters in the west of France 
or the adornment of their gardens and parks. It is a remarkable 
In the course of an official visit in company with Sir F. W. 
Moore of Glasnevin, I spent June 11 and 12 last inspecting the 
Arboretum. wo days were far from exhausting its interest. 
Many conifers and hardwoods thrive there that are only to be 
found in good condition in the mildest parts of the British Isles. 
Athrotazis selaginoides, for instance, is 15 ft. high, and A. cupres- 
soides 7 {t.; the rare Libocedrus tetragona is 9 ft. high. The tender 
cypresses such as Cupressus cashmeriana, C. torulosa, C. funebris, 
ete., are all very healthy, and, owing no doubt to the sunny climate, 
bear cones in remarkable freedom. Angers is on an angle of land 
formed by the confluence of the rivers Loire and Maine which are 
high, blossoming freely; Fabiana imbricata, 12 ft. high; and 
Iilicium religiosum, 10 ft. high, all bear testimony in its favour. 
A tree of peculiar interest is Populus euphratica, 18 ft. high, its 
trunk 5 ins. thick, its foliage very glaucous and Eucalyptus-like. 
This is the real weeping “ willow” that grew by the waters of 
Babylon, of which the Psalmist wrote. Mr. Allard has what is 
