138 HISTORY AND GEOGKArilY OF TI'.EES. PART I. 



acacias, (lecidiious c\ presses, pines, and ceJars. The dimensions of sonic of the 

 trees planted by M- Jansen liavel)een sent us by Mr. lilaikic, who now (1835) 

 resides at Cliaillot, in a iioiise built in tiie midst of tlicni : amon^ them 

 are, an A\-cv O'palus, 50ft. high, with a trunk It^ ft. in diameter; a Sophma 

 japonica, (JO ft. hi^h; and an /Mex balearica, .'JO ft. higli. A great many trees 

 were planted in the great park at Ilambouillet, about 170.5, chieHy in avenues, 

 after a design made by Le Notre, who died a few years before. The majority 

 of the trees are abeies, and they have attained the height of upwards of KJOft., 

 tliouuh many have fallen down from age. Between the years 1787 and 1789 

 a great many American trees were planted in that part of the grounds at Kam- 

 bouillet known as the Jardin Anglai.s, which have thriven well, and many of 

 them have attained considerable size, as will appear from an account of them 

 in the Gardenci's Alrnraziiic, vol. xi. p. 42. and p. 205. At Thury, the pro- 

 perty of the learned Vicomtc Hericart de Thury (see Annales cVIIi>rt. dc Paris, 

 tom! xi. p. 298.); at Baleine, near Monlins, the estate of Madame Aglae Adan- 

 son, the daughter of the botanist Adanson, a descendant of Ilelvetius, and 

 herself the author of La Mcihon dc Cawjni^iie ; at Nerac, on the estate of the 

 Comte de Dijon; and at various other places; are collections of American 

 trees and shrubs planted before the revolution, of which we have received 

 notices from our correspomlents, that will be found recorded, w hen we treat 

 of the trees to which the}- refer. Near Metz, at C'olumbierc, there arc some 

 fine trees of the pine and fir tribe, and many American trees, which were 

 planted about the middle of the 18th century, by the Baron T.-^choudi, the 

 lather of the baron of that name who was the inventor of herbaceous graft- 

 ing ; and who, after having been many years in the army, has retired to 

 Columbierc, and has there an extensive collection of trees and shrubs. 

 At Mereville there are many fine American trees, which were planted by 

 Mr. Blaikie, particularly the ailantus, which grows there to a large size, many 

 specimens having attained the height of 80 ft. in 40 years. At St. Leu, the 

 ailantus has also attained a sinnlar height in the same time, with a trunk of 

 3^ ft. in diameter. One of the oldest magnolias in France is at Maillardicre, 

 a property in the neighbourhood of Nantes. An account is given of this tree 

 in the Nouvcau JDii Ilamc/, toni. ii. p. 220. ; and we have also been favoured 

 with its history, connnunicated by the proprietor, M. le Comte de la Bretesche, 

 to M. Duranii de Lan^on of Coutance in Normandy, and sent to us by him ; 

 and with a ilescription of it by M. Nerricre, a nurseryman at Nantes. The 

 particulars will be fountl under the head of MagnohV/ graniliflora : it will be 

 sufficient to state here, that, alter having sustained many injuries during the 

 century that it has stood at Maillardiere, the tree is still in existence, and is 

 now upwards of 30 ft. liigh. 



Historical notices anil dimensions of many other large and old foreign 

 trees have been sent us, and they will be found under the heads of their 

 respective genera: but we may remark that there are lew large and old trees in 

 France comparatively w ith w hat there are in England ; not only on account of 

 the "reat changes which landed property has undergone in France, but because 

 trees in that country are grown principally for tinil)er and fuel, and iuive at no 

 period been considered so much articles of luxury as they have been and are 

 in England, which is supplied with timber for buiKling from the Baltic, and 

 witii fuel from its coal mines. 



The knowledge which we in England possess respecting the culture of trees 

 in France may be said to date from the jiublication of the Trmlc dcs Arbrcs 

 et Arhustcs, by Du llamel, in 1755. Du llanicl was contemporary with 

 Miller and Collinson of London, and was in general corres|;ondencc with 

 British botanists, to whom, in common with botanists in other parts of the 

 world, he, in the preface to his work, acknowledges his obligations. In the 

 first and second editions (in 2 vols. 4to) of his Treatise, he describes 180 

 genera and nearly 1000 species, without including those small under-shrubs, 

 such as thyme, hyssop. Sec, which technically are ligneous plants; and in the 

 third edition, known as the Noiivcau Du Ilamcl (in 7 vols, folio), which was 



