CHAP. III. CONTINENT OF EUROPE. 169 
the brothers Pecinardi, near Cremona. In 1785 great additions were made 
to the foreign trees and shrubs of the north of Italy, by Count Louis Cas- 
tiglione, who undertook a voyage to North America, and brought home a 
great number of seeds, which he sowed at Mozzate, afterwards distributing 
the plants over all Italy. In 1811 farther additions were made to the foreign 
trees and shrubs of Lombardy, by M. Villaresi, then director of the gardens 
of Monza; and in 1814 still further additions were made by the present 
viceroy. In consequence of these introductions, there are now, in the park 
and gardens at Monza, many fine specimens of exotic trees. Magnolia 
conspicua flowers every year, and ripens abundance of seed. M. grandiflora, 
at 60 years old, is 36 ft. high; and, though in a very unfavourable situation, 
viz. a dry soil and a warm sunny exposure, it flowers and seeds freely. 
There are above 230 of these trees in the plantations of the park, besides 
numerous plants of all the other species. The tulip tree has attained the 
height of 70 ft. in 29 years, flowering and seeding every year. Aildntus glan- 
dulosa, 29 years planted, is 60 ft. high; and Robinia Psetid-Acicia, of the 
the same age, is 75ft. high, with a trunk 2 ft. in diameter, and branches 
covering a space of 120 ft. in circumference. There are many other fine trees 
in the grounds at Monza, details respecting which will be found in the Gar- 
dener’s Magazine, vol. xi. p. 639. 
In the garden of Count Mellerio, at Brianza, near Milan, the Mélia 
Azedaréch, 26 years planted, is 40 ft. high, and flowers and seeds freely every 
year. This beautiful tree is one of the greatest ornaments of the public 
promenades of the south of Italy; but there are very few parts of Lombardy 
where it attains so large a size as at Brianza. 
In the year 1832, the Abbé Belése made a tour through the northern part of 
Italy, chiefly to inspect the gardens ; and he noticed, among other trees and 
shrubs, the following: — Near Milan, at Soma, he saw a cypress of great 
antiquity, which girted 20ft., and was 70 ft. high, though it had, for many 
years, lost its leading shoot ; popular tradition says that it was planted pre- 
viously to the birth of Christ; and the Abbé Belése’s brother assured 
him, that there was an ancient chronicle in Milan, which proves that this 
tree existed in the time of Julius Cesar, B.C. 42. In the botanic garden 
at Padua, the abbé found two trees of Magnolia grandiflora, which had 
been planted 90 years, soon after the introduction of the tree into Europe; 
they were 60 ft. high, with trunks 4ft. in diameter; they were sown by the 
director of the garden, Farsetti, in 1742. There are in this garden, a salis- 
buria, 60 ft. high; two trees of Lagerstrce‘mia indica, of 40 ft. high, which 
ripen seed every year; the common red-flowered althea frutex, 50 ft. high, 
and which, on the 8th of August, 1832, was so covered with blossoms as to 
resemble one immense flower of the double red camellia. Quércus J‘lex is 
here 100 ft. high; Salix annularis, 40 ft.; Zycium japénicum, 25 ft.; Acacia 
farnesiana, 60 ft., the flowers of which perfumed the air for a great distance 
round ; the date palm, 25 ft.; Aralia spinosa, 25 ft.; Cérasus semperforens, 
bearing fruit and flowers at the same time, 50ft.; Vitex A’gnus-cistus, 
140 years planted, and 35 ft. high; Técoma stans, 30 {t.; Smilax Sarsaparilla, 
60 ft.; Nicotiana glaica, a magnificent tree-like specimen; Cesalpinia Sdp- 
pan, 15 ft.; Chamee'rops humilis, 25 {t.; Astmina triloba, 20ft., and covered 
with excellent ripe fruit ; Acacia Julibrissin, 60 ft.; Liriodéndron Tulipffera, 
80 ft.; Sterculia platanifolia, 40 ft.: Casuarina distyla, 15 ft.; and a number 
of others, which will be found recorded in the Annales de la Société d’ Horti- 
culture de Paris, tom. 12e, p. 68. 
In the Isola Bella there are a great many exotic trees and shrubs of very 
luxuriant growth. Among these are, an immense oleander, numerous trees 
of Latrus nébilis, of great growth ; and a hydrangea, 10 ft. in diameter, and 
8 ft. high, planted in peat soil, and covered with deep blue flowers. In 
this, and in other of the Borromean islands, the Agave americana stands the 
open air, and flowers freely. On the whole, though there are several tropical 
trees that will not live in the open air in the north of Italy generally, yet 
