136 ORNAMENTAL PLANTING. 



;riousbi:t jniny variety, the fern-leaved beech (Fagus Comptoniaefolia), 

 nor < markaMe variety the purple beech, whose leaves in early 



spring of blood red line, in summer uniform dull purple, are too singular, 

 (having, we beliexe, no parallel among hardy trees, except a remarkable 

 variety of ha/el,) not to ensure it a place in every collection. Situations 

 may be found in the neighbourhood of ruins, or the recess of a se- 

 cluded grove, where it may be employed with happy effect. We have 

 found the North American beech not to succeed in our climate in dry 

 calcareous soils ; and they are described by Pursh as growing upon rich 

 levels. Some most interesting species exist in Patagonia and 

 in those regions, which every effort should be exerted to procure. 

 Perhaps the greatest desiderata in British parks are evergreen trees, 

 not being of spiral forms. The cedar of Lebanon, the evergreen oak, 

 and the yew, begin and end our list of such. But Captain King, in 

 it arduous survey of Terra Magellanica, that region of storm, 

 of snow, and glacier, found, we believe, three species of beech in 

 those countries; two of them he mentions by name, Fagus anta- 

 rctica and Fagus betuloides. The latter, an evergreen tree of frequent 

 occurrence, was met with in peculiar abundance in the neighbourhood of 

 Cape Famine: trees of three feet in diameter were plentiful, of four feet 

 there were many, and one was measured by Captain King, which maintained 

 a girth of seven feet, as high as seventeen feet from the root, and then 

 diverged into three immense limbs, each of them being three feet through. 

 Live specimens of those trees were brought to England by Captain King, 

 but have unfortunately, we hear, been lost. Every effort should be 

 made to re-introduce objects of such interest. The true Winter's bark, 

 (Wintera aromatica,) a native of the same inclement countries, is also an 

 j;reen tree of small stature, but on every account interesting. It is 

 most probable, that many important acquisitions to our shrubberies are 

 to be found in the same regions. Fuchsias of great beauty were dis- 

 covered "rowing to be considerable shrubs in the vicinity of perennial 

 snows ; barberries producing excellent fruit for tarts ; veronicas of great 

 size. We mention these facts, in the hope of directing attention of ama- 

 teurs to these countries generally, including the southern parts of Chili, 

 and the archipelago of Chiloe. 



l'ur>\iing our immediate subject, we must not omit to mention a very 

 beautiful tree lesembling the sumach in leaf, Ailanthus glandulosa, a 

 native of China, which, to singular beauty of foliage, unites great hardi- 

 hood. It lias the defect of coming into leaf perhaps the latest of any 

 hardy tree ; but compensates in some measure for this fault by its extraor- 

 dinary gracefulness. Jt is easily propagated by cuttings of the roots. 



The llobinia pseudacacia, or locust tree, is universally known and appre- 

 ciated as being singularly well adapted to garden scenery. Rapid in its 

 Ath when xoiing, it seems to lessen its pace materially, after twenty or 

 thirty \ears, apparently in consequence of its roots penetrating into a 

 colder subsoil, and it appears to be short lived on chalk soils. We do not 

 think it likely to become a large tree in England, except in a few very 

 favoured | I : -, timber possesses great durability. The various species 

 of sweet locust, or (iledilschia, are slender trees of elegant pinnated foliage, 

 derive some interest from the very remarkable thorns investing some 

 in : they are rather garden than park trees, and require deep soil, 

 together with a warm substratum. The same remarks as to soil apply to 

 the genus Celtis, or nettle tree. In England ue have rarely met with a 

 .specimen ; in Fran r we have seen them of great elegance. 



The willow tribe affords us one exotic of pre-eminent beauty, the Salix 



