CHAP. II. BRITISH ISLANDS. 115 
The largest old oak tree in Ireland, Sir Robert Bateson in- 
forms us, is at his residence, Belvoir Park, near Belfast. It 
measures about 28 ft. in girt at 6 ft. from the ground; but it is 
split, and much damaged. It is supposed to be between two and 
three centuries old. It grows about 50 yards from the banks of 
the river Lagan, in rather moist soil. . 
At Hillsborough, the seat of the Marquess of Downshire, in 
Lady Downshire’s garden, a tulip tree carries up the girt of 
4 ft. 6 in. to the height of 8 ft., when it branches off. It flowers 
abundantly, and has flowered for many years past. Close to 
this tree is a Magnolia acuminata 26 ft. high, and 4 ft. 4 in. in 
girt at 2 ft. from the ground, where it branches; it does not 
flower every year, but in hot summers very abundantly. There 
is, also, a cedar 8 ft. 8 in. in circumference at 34 ft. from the 
ground, where it begins to branch. It is not tall, and is quite 
flat at the top. There are several other forest trees, and some 
shrubs of about the same age, or perhaps older, in the grounds, 
particularly some very fine evergreen oaks. — J. M. R. 
No Dr. Walker has yet arisen in Ireland to determine the dates 
of the introduction of particulay species, and all that we have been 
able to do, therefore, is to place before our-readers the fore~ 
going statements. From these it appears that more had been 
done in Ireland in the way of introducing foreign trees and 
shrubs, previously to the middle of the 18th century, than is 
generally imagined; that a good deal has been done since; and 
that there is every encouragement to proceed, from the extraor- 
dinary rapidity of the growth of the trees that have been planted. 
There are also the greatest inducements, in point of climate, as 
will appear in our succeeding subsection, when we give a list of 
what are green-house trees and shrubs in England, but which 
stand the open air in Ireland. 
Nurseries were probably established in Ireland about the 
time when it became fashionable to plant*trees. The oldest we 
know of is that of Toole and Co. at Cullenswood near Dublin, 
and at Shank Hill near Bray. In both gardens are some very 
fine specimens of foreign trees and shrubs. At Cullenswood, 
Magnolza grandiflora has attained the height of 17 ft. in 20 
years, and M. Thompsonzdna, 15 ft. in 6 years; A’rbutus An- 
drachne, and A. h¥brida, 19 ft. in 27 years; O'lea excélsa, as a 
standard, 17 ft. in 27 years; Pittésporum Tobira, as a standard, 
10 ft. in 20 years; Yéced"gloridsa, 8 ft. in 30 years, with a stem 
a foot in diameter; Aralia spindsa, 20 ft. in 20 years; Eriobé- 
trya japOnica, 20 ft. in 20 years; Pyrus [S6rbus] nipalénsis, 16 ft. 
in 7 years; Zadrus nobilis, 25 ft. in 35 years; and Psdnia 
Moitan, 8 ft. in 20 years. In the Shank Hill Nursery there is an 
Arbutus Andrachne, 20 ft. high, with a head covering a space 
30 yards in circumference, 30 years old. 
