244 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



that great fourteen-volume record ot American arborescent 

 species. Elwes especially undertook the task of visiting every 

 place in this country where remarkable specimens exist, as well 

 as every European collection of note. The number of trees 

 described which Elwes himself had seen and measured is over- 

 whelming evidence of the untiring zeal he devoted to this work, 

 Wdll-nigh impossible except to one in whom. the boyish spirit of 

 adventure survived. The fact that both he and Henry had seen 

 almost every species in its native land gave great additional 

 value to their descriptions of the cultivated plants. Never was 

 a great labour more fittingly divided, Elwes making incessant 

 journeys to see and take particulars of specimens, and Henry, 

 the exact botanist, writing the scientific descriptions. To the 

 writer the ubiquitous character of their researches was vividly 

 brought home when in 1917, during war service in France, he 

 had occasion to visit a little known property in the Medoc. He 

 saw there some remarkable oaks, pines, and other trees of the 

 south-east United States, grown from seeds sent home by 

 Michaux 100 years ago. Though the existence of these trees 

 was scarcely known in France, the proprietor stated that a few 

 years previously two gentlemen had come from London to see 

 them, a Monsieur Elwes and a Monsieur Henri ! 



Some twelve years ago the writer paid a visit to Grasse, in 

 the Riviera, on the business of a public company ; Elwes 

 accompanied him solely to see two individual natural hybrid 

 oak trees which he believed could be found within a few miles 

 of that place. It is needless to add that the two trees were duly 

 found and photographed on the very day following that of 

 arrival ! This is not the place to describe the great book in 

 detail or enlarge on what it has meant for arboriculturists 

 generally. Its scientific accuracy, expressed in plain, straight- 

 forward and admirable English, has given an incalculable impetus 

 to forestry and arboriculture in this country, and has inspired 

 with enthusiasm everyone fortunate enough to possess it. 

 Elwes, indeed, had a ready pen, and was master of an easy, 

 vigorous style rarely surpassed in botanical literature. No slip- 

 shod statement of fact or hearsay evidence would satisfy Elwes' 

 critical faculties, indeed, there are some who think he at times 

 expressed his dissent with needless emphasis. He had little 

 knowledge of the arts of compromise or how to agree with his 

 adversary in the way. When in pursuit of a subject he some- 



