1262 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III. 



southern regions," says Michaux, "it frequently exceeds 50 ft. in height, 

 with a diameter of from 18 in. to ^-tin. It is easily recognised by its bark, 

 which is of silver grey, and but slightly furrowed ; by its ample leaves, and 

 by its wide-spreading head, disproportioned in size to the diameter of its 

 trunk. It differs from other trees, also, in the fewness of its branches." 

 (X. Amer. Sylva, ii. p. 6+.) The catalpa is a tree of rapid growth, and 

 its timber is remarkably light, of very fine texture, and brilUant when [)o- 

 lishcd : its colour is of a greyish white; and, when properly seasoned, it is 

 very durable. If a portion of the bark of this tree be removed in spring, 

 " a venomous and offensive odour is exhaled." The bark is said to be 

 tonic, stimulant, and more powerfully antiseptic than the Peruvian bark ; 

 and the honey collected from its flowers to be poisonous, and analogous in 

 its effects to that made from the flowers of Gelsemium nitidum. The 

 catalpa is generally propagated by seeds, which are imported from America ; 

 but it will grow readily by cuttings of the root ; and, of course, plants 

 so raised will flower much sooner than those which are raised from seed. 

 The tree is of rapid growth till it attains the height of 20 ft., which, in deep 

 free soil, in the neighbourhood of London, it does in 10 years. Seedling 

 plants begin to flower, under favourable circumstances, in 12 or 15 years; 

 and, in soils and situations where the wood is well ripened, they continue 

 flowering every year, making a splendid appearance, not only from the large 

 size and lively colour of the flowers, which are white, marked with purple 

 and yellow spots, but from the fine pale green of its very large leaves, which 

 are of a different shade of green from those of almost every other tree ; the 

 nearest approach to it being that of the leaves of Kegundo /raxinifolium. 

 In fine seasons, the flowers are succeeded by seed-pods, which somewhat 

 resemble those of the common cabbage, but on a large scale ; being fre- 

 quently 2 ft. long, and curved upwards so as to resemble horns. 



statistics. Catalpa syringa/oWfl in the Environs of London. At Kenwood, 4() years planted, 40 ft. 

 high ; diameter of trunk 1 ft. 5 in., and that of the head 35 ft. ; head irregular ; in sandy loam on 

 clay. At Fulham Palace, 150 years planted, and 25 ft. high ; diameter of the trunk £ ft., and of the 

 head 20 ft. At Syon, the tree figured in our last Volume, 52 ft. high ; diameter of the trunk 3 ft., 

 and that of the space covered bv the branches 5f) ft. At Kensington Gravel Pits, in the grounds oi 

 S. C. Hall, Esq., 30 ft. high ; diameter of the trunk 1 ft., and of the head 40 ft. ; on gravelly soil ; and 

 flowering abundantly every year. At Muswell Hill, 31 ft. high, with a head 30 ft. in diameter. In 

 the Mile End Nursery, 35 ft high. , ^ ^ 



Catalpa syringa;/o/m South of Loitdon. In Devonshire, at Luscombe, 19 years planted, and 27 ft. 

 high ; diameter of trunk 11 in.,"and that of the space covered by the branches 24 ft. ; estimated height, 

 in 10 years 15 ft. ; in loam on gravel. In Kent, at Cobham Uall, 30 years planted, and 3(1 ft. high, 

 diameter of trunk 2 ft. 3 in., and that of the head 35 ft. ; at Eastwell Park, .'jOft. high. In Wiltshire, 

 at Longleat, 65 years planted, and 35 ft. high, diameter of the trunk 2 ft. S in., and of the head 37 ft. ; 

 at Wardour Castle, 50 years planted, and 30 ft high; at Longford Castle, 25 years planted, and 



Catalpa syringap/o/;'a North oj London. In Bedfordshire, at Ampthill, 38 years planted, and 

 30 ft high ; diameter of the trunk 2 ft., and of the head 40 ft. In Berkshire, at White KnighU, 25 

 years planted, and 30ft. high. In Buckinghamshire, at Temple House, 35 years planted, and 27 ft 

 high. In Cheshire, at Eaton Hall, 13 years planted, 14 ft high. In Essex, at Hylands, 10 years 

 Wanted 21 ft high : at Witham, two trees, from 40 to .50 years planted ; one with a trunk free from 

 branchestotheheight of ITift.and the other to the height of 10^ ft. ; both have wide-spreading 

 heads and flower abundantlv everv year. In Gloucestershire, at Doddington, 20 years planted, 

 and 2nft. high. In Hertfordshire, at Cheshunt, 10 years planted, 18 ft high. In Lancashire, at 

 Latham House, f>: I years planted, and 23 ft. high. In Oxfordshire, at Blenheim, several fine old 

 trees, upwanls of 30 ft. high, with heads from 30 ft. to .50 ft. in diameter. In Pembrokeshire, at 

 Stackpole Court, 6 years planted, and 6 ft high. In Suffolk, in the Bury Botanic Garden, 11 years 

 planted, and 13 ft. h:gh. In Warwickshire, at Combe Abbey, 20 years planted, and 10 ft. high. 

 In Worcestershire, at Croome, 40 years old, HO ft. high ; at Hagley. 8 years planted, 8 feet high. In 

 Yorkshire, in the Hull Botanic Garden, 8 years old, and li ft. high. ,. , ,. ^, 



C syrings/'Via in Scotland. At Gosford House, 12 years planted, and 15 ft. high. In the Glasgow 

 Botanic (Jarden, almost herbaceous, even under the shelter of a wall ; a proof of the coldness and 

 moisture of the autumnal months in that part of Scotland, so very different from the climate of the 

 cast coast. ._, „„ ,, j.^^i.-^ 



C syringai/a/m in Ireland. In the Glasnevin Botanic Garden, 30 years old, and 16 ft high, 

 diameter of the trunk 12 in., and of the top 15 ft. ; at Cypress Grove, 16 ft high, diameter of trunk 

 14 in., and of the top 12 ft. ; at Tcrenure, 8 years planted, and 7 ft high. In Galway, at Cool, 25 ft. 



Catftlpa svringa-/u/ia in France. In the Jardin des Plantes, 60 years planted, it is 40 ft high, the 

 diameter of the trunk 20 in., and that of the head 40 ft. ; at Sceaux, 30 years planted, it i( 50 ft. high, 

 the diameter of the trunk 2 ft., and of the head ;3()ft. ; in the Botanic Garden at Toulon, 36 years 

 planted, it is 3<i ft. high, with a trunk U ft in di.imctcr ; at Nantes, in the nursery of M. De Nerri^res, 

 30 years planted, it is 29 ft high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft. ; in the Botanic Garden at 

 Avranches, 29 years planted, it is 89 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 8 in., and of the head 



Cat&lpa syringse/J/w in Germany. In Hanover, at Schwobber, it is 30 ft. high ; in the Gtittingen 



