94 TRANSACTIONS OF ROVAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



v. Deciduous Trees, with Ornamental and Coloured Foliage, 

 useful in Landscape Forestry. By John Methven, Leith 

 Walk Nurseries, Edinburgh. 



(Read at tlie Annual General Meeting, 1887.) 



There cannot be two opinions as to the importance of practical 

 foresters cultivating a taste for planting with a view to produce 

 a pleasing effect on the landscape, while at the same time 

 acquiring a knowledge of the various trees popularly known 

 as " fine foliaged." We live in a time when the sesthetic is 

 studied in everything connected with dress, architectvire, house 

 furnishings, garden decoration, and other affairs of everyday life ; 

 and the grand opportunities presented in forestry should be fully 

 taken advantage of to improve the public taste. In view of the 

 now almost innumerable species and vai-ieties of trees with 

 attractive forms of foliage and gorgeous variegations, our plan- 

 tations should show, more than they have hitherto done, that 

 planters have an eye to the beautiful in the arrangement of 

 colour and variation of form, which after all is the great charm 

 in woodland scenery. Opinion is divided as to whether the fresh 

 green of spring-time, or the rich colouring of autumn is the most 

 beautiful, but that both are beautiful and charming cannot be 

 denied. If we can produce the russet brown, the golden, and 

 the crimson tints of autumn throughout the summer, surely an 

 advantage is gained. There can be no doubt that many of our 

 Lowland plantations could be brightened by a free admixture of 

 such beautiful-foliaged trees ; and as park, avenue, or roadside 

 trees, some of them are unequalled. Indeed, all of those of which 

 specimens are shown (a list of which is given at the end of this 

 paper) are perfectly hardy in our climate ; and of their orna- 

 mental character thei'e is no question. Most of them are distinct 

 species, while some are natural deviations from the original form. 

 As an example of what I consider a " fine-foliaged " tree, I will 

 only instance the golden sycamore, or " Corstorphine Plane " as it 

 is commonly called, the original tree of which grows within three 

 miles of where we stand, near the village of Corstorphine, and 

 which during the month of June is worth a pilgrimage to see. 

 It produces leaves of the most brilliant golden colour, and is a 

 conspicuous object in the landscape for miles around. So far, I 

 have only spoken of the tcsthetic effects of these ornamental trees. 



