TWO FOREST ARBORETUMS NEAR BRUSSELS. II 



the author of two useful works on trees — (i) The Arboretum 

 Cataloge of the Tervueren Arboretum, a well got-up bound work 

 of 211 pages; (2) a large classic on the exotics of Belgium : one 

 of the best and most complete works on mid-European exotics. 

 The following are the chief trees we saw in our walk round the 

 arboretum : — 



Pitius contorta. Grows well here. 



Picea sitchensis. Sitka spruce. The largest and one of the 

 most quick-growing of the spruces : the most northern of the 

 Pacific conifers, says the arboretum hand-book. This is well 

 represented in the arboretum. Has here got the same leaf 

 disease I saw at Groenendaal. Before this they grew very well, 

 with yearly shoots up to 3 feet in length. Trees up to 3 feet in 

 diameter exist in Belgium. 



Ficea rubra. Doing well here. Planted in the forest it seems 

 neither better nor worse than the common spruce, says my guide, 

 M. Bommer. But M. Drion cites 4 acres of F. rubra in the 

 forest of Hertogenvald where the growth is only half that of 

 the common spruce. 



Tsuga Mertensiana. At 11 years, 20 feet high and up to 

 8 inches in diameter; very healthy. Handsome trees with 

 thin nodding tops, but M. Bommer fears it may be too dry 

 for them eventually. Rainfall 28 inches here, which is rather 

 above the average rainfall in the south-east of England. 

 In growth, up to now, they are close on Douglas fir 

 which is the fastest-growing tree in the Tervueren arboretum. 

 In this arboretum they have been planted, not only in their own 

 group, but mixed with other groups for forest purposes on 

 account of their good growth and handsome appearance. 



Tsuga Fattoniana. A slow-grower from the Pacific mountains. 



Finus contorta var. Murrayana. A quick-growing tree with 

 important forest qualities. This tree ranks very high in Belgium 

 among exotics on account of the rapidity of its growth, its 

 hardiness, and good natural reproduction. It will grow on all 

 sorts of soil and has a wide natural habitat on the Pacific slope 

 of North America. See note on its good growth in the 

 Groenendaal arboretum. 



Fseudotsuga Douglassii. Douglas fir. As at Groenendaal 

 this is the fastest-growing conifer. At 1 7 years (from seed) the 

 largest trees are some 12 inches in diameter and 40 feet high. 

 About 9 inches diameter by 24 feet high is the average size. 



