2G4 



since only two other sycamores in the county are known to bear it, a sweet 

 chesnut, 6ft. 61n., a larch fir, 6ft. 2in., and a beech, Oft. 2in., or two, a well- 

 contrasted clump of trees appears. A black sprxice fir spiings out fiom a mass 

 of oak and sweet chesnut, with a base of yew trees and the ilex oak relieved 

 by tall holly and laui-el, through which a labui-num struggles here and there into 

 air and sunshine. 



Continuing the shrubbery walk past the garden entrance and beneath 

 the drawn up beech trees, whose stems are ever pretty and picturesque, the first 

 noticeable trees are two wide-spreading sycamores (8ft. and 7ft. 3iu.), whose 

 trunks are showing that attractive mottle^l appearance so peculiar to this tree. 

 They are worth jireserving for it, but oh ! how littering they are, not merely 

 shedding their leaves in all du-ections — that is a passing evil and might be got 

 over — but the abundance of their seeds is marvellous, and the way young sycamore 

 plants come up in all sorts of places, at inconvenient times, is enough to try the 

 patience of any gardener. 



A Scotch fir is next passed, 8ft. 5in., very handsome in growth, and a 

 Spanish chesnut, 10ft. 2in. , and then some young trees demand attention. There 

 are four' handsome Deodar cedars, from 33ft. to 34ft. high. They have been 

 planted 23 years, and are now growing from 18in. to 20in. annually. Further 

 on, a Virginian red cedar makes a very handsome pyramidal column some 46ft. 

 high. At a foot from the giound it has a circumference of 6ft. lin. 



There are here, too, some very fine specimens of the Douglas Spruce Fir 

 (Abies Douglasii). The finest tree is 35ft. 4in. in height, and is now growing 

 about two feet annually. This tree is a great favourite at Whitfield, and many 

 young ones are being planted. "Well it may be, for it is a graceful fast-growing 

 tree, with a foliage of a bright and cheerful green. It grows to a great height 

 (near 300 feet in California), and yields, it is said, a most valuable timber, "close, 

 and heavy, of the colour of yew, free from knots and not subject to warp. It is 

 superior to the best red deal." So here we have ornament and utility combined 

 with rapid gi'owth, and the tree moreover possessing these vh'tues thus proved to 

 suit well our heavy Herefordshire soils. Oh, timber growers ! Scatter Douglas 

 Spruce Firs thickly in your Larch plantations. Point out to yoirr neighbours 

 how their pretty evergreen foliage will enliven the landscape ; tell them how 

 much better they will j)rotect their jiheasants ; and take to yourself meanwhile 

 the satisfaction that you are growing a very superior timber at an equally 

 rapid rate. Scatter, it is said advisedly, for the young plants are dear yet — too 

 dear to be planted very freely. 



Turning now from the shrubbery, and walking if you please through the hot 

 houses — they are always most interesting, and many splendid specimen plants will 

 be found here — let us pass on to examine what may be called 



The horticultural gem of Whitfield. It is the Salisburia Adiaiitifolia, the 

 Maidenhair tree, or Ginkgo. It is believed to be the largest specimen in England 

 with one exception. It measures 7ft. 2in. in girth at 5 feet from the ground, is 

 50ft. Bin. in height, and has a diametric spread of foliage of 40 feet. It is very 



