CHAP. III. CONTINENT OF EUROPE. 157 
The trees and shrubs which are to be found in the neighbourhood of St. 
Petersburg, and on the shores of the Gulf of Finland, are as follows: — 
Pinus sylvéstris, A‘bies excélsa, Bétula Alba, A’Inus glutindsa, Pépulus 
trémula, different Salices, Juniperus communis, Sérbus aucuparia, Cérasus 
Padus, Rhamnus Frangula, Tilia europe‘a, Pyrus Malus, A\cer campéstre. 
The introduction of foreign trees and shrubs into Russia may date from the 
commencement of the reign of Catharine, or about the year 1768; when, from 
reading Der Hausvater, that empress determined on having the gardens at 
Tzarsco Celo laid out in the English manner. From the severity of the 
climate, not many foreign species can endure the winters, either there or any 
where else, in the neighbourhood of Petersburg; nevertheless, with laudable 
ambition, many species have been tried at all the imperial residences. The 
trees and shrubs generally used for planting the Petersburg gardens are of the 
following genera : — 
Aquifoliacee. IJ‘lex. Pomicee. Crate‘gus, Méspi- | Solanee. L¥cium. 
Legumindse. C¥tisus, Cara- lus, Pyrus. Eledgnee. Hippdphae. 
gana, Genista, Spartium, Aralidcee. Hédera. Euphorbiacer. Baxus. 
Rosdcee. Rodsa. Caprifolidcee. Sambicus, Lo- | Cupulifere. Fagus. 
Potentiliee. Potentilla, nicera, VibGrnum. Amenticee. Corylus. 
, Spireéa, Spire‘a. Cérnee. Cornus. Tardcea. Taxus. 
Amygdalee. AmY¥gdalus. Oleicee. Syringa. Contfere. ~Pinus.} 
The Pinus sylvéstris and the A‘bies excélsa attain a considerable size in 
the elevated light soil at a few miles’ distance from St. Petersburg; though 
in the bog by which that city is surrounded their size is but small. In the 
Taurida Palace gardens, in the city, the U’lmus campéstris has attained the 
height of 49 ft.; the Cérasus Padus, and the Sérbus aucuparia, of 21 ft.; the 
Fraxinus excélsior, of 35 ft.; the Salix fragilis, 49 ft.; the A’Inus glutindsa, 
56 ft.; the Betula alba, 68 ft.; the Larix europz'a, 63 ft.; and, what appears 
to us remarkable, the Quércus ribra, also 63 ft. In the summer gardens of 
St. Petersburg, planted during the reign of Peter the Great, there is a lime 
tree 79 ft. high ; and a common elm and Norway maple, each 70 ft. high. 
On the shore of the Gulf of Finland, opposite the village of Strelna, the 
small island of Sosnovy Rosha is entirely occupied with tall Scotch pines, 
from 3 ft. to 5 ft. apart; among which, one has attained the height of 77 ft., 
and another of 65ft. In the imperial garden at Strelna is a common Eng- 
lish elm, 60ft. high, the branches of which cover a space of 56 ft. The 
measurements of a number of trees, grown on the estate of Madame Con- 
stantinoff, at Rudets, near St. Petersburg, have been sent us by one of 
the imperial gardeners, with the following introductory remarks :—“ The 
woods consist principally of pines and firs; the surface of the ground is covered 
with long moss (Hypnum); the surface stratum is black earth, 6 in. deep ; 
below this a stratum, 4 in. deep, of sand mixed with earth ; and under this 
is clay. The greater number of the trees consists of Pinus sylvéstris, A‘bies 
excélsa, and Bétula. The pines grow with clean straight stems, of from 
50 ft. to 70 ft. high, to where the branches commence, which extend from 
14 ft. to 20 ft. more, making the whole height of the tree nearly 100ft. No 
care is taken of the woods ; the young trees spring from self-sown seed; and 
the strong plants are suffered to overshadow and destroy the weak ones, till 
the former at last become large trees. Where the Pinus sylvéstris grows 
singly, and has plenty of space to spread its branches, the lower arms are not 
rubbed off or killed when young, as they are where the tree grows in a thick 
wood, but they form immense limbs; the consequence is, that the trunk of 
the tree becomes full of large knots, and, though it is more in diameter, 
it is less in height; the timber, of course, being of little use but as fuel.” 
Some of the largest specimens of Pinus sylvéstris in these woods, supposed of 
213 years’ growth, measured in height 99 ft. and 85 ft.; others, 65 years old, 
78 ft. and 64 ft.; one, supposed to be 108 years old, 106 ft.; one, 95 years 
old, 85 ft.; 120 years old, 99 ft.; 232 years old, 113 ft.; this last tree had a 
trunk 31 in. in diameter at 1 ft. from the ground; the diameters of the others 
varied from 26 in. to 12in., 8in.,and even 7 in. Bétula alba, in the same wood, 
at 40 years old, was 71 ft. high; at 85 years, 85ft. ; and at 75 years, 70ft. and 
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