ORNAMENTAL PLANTING. 145 



throw up a strong perpendicular shoot from its roots, and make quick 

 progress. Sometimes these strong shoots, after a year or two of rapid 

 growth, relax their speed, and discontinue the function of a leader : in. 

 such cases they must be depressed as before, and the practice will be sure 

 to succeed at last. 



The Italian cypress (Cupressus sempervirens), so conspicuous and so 

 beautifully applied in the terraced scenery of Italian villas, cannot be said 

 to attain to full vigour even in the south of England. It is essentially the 

 tree of architectural gardens, and ought never to be forgotten when the 

 climate and soil admit of its application. A tree nearly allied to it, but 

 deciduous (Cupressus disticha of our enumeration), now separated into 

 a distinct genus, under the name of Taxodium distichum, is one of the 

 largest and most ornamental of all the trees which thrive in temperate 

 climates. Nothing can well surpass the loveliness of its light and deli- 

 cately-coloured foliage. Though a native of Mexico, and of the southern 

 sections of the United States, inhabiting the deepest deposits in the valleys 

 of their vast rivers, and luxuriating in the deadly swamps of the Mississippi, 

 yet in England it appears to be perfectly hardy, affording one of many 

 instances, that trees vary in hardihood of constitution, and are not to be 

 absolutely tested by the latitudes, or even by the elevations, where nature 

 has originally placed them. It should have a deep, and, if possible, 

 humid soil. When we say that no pleasure-ground should be without it, 

 we but faintly express our sense of its elegance. Another species of 

 taxodium (Taxodium sempervirens), an evergreen tree, exists on the 

 North- Western shores of America, and should be introduced into this 

 country. One, if not two, true species of cypress are known to be found 

 on the same shores. In China and Japan several species of conifera are 

 among the most remarkable characteristics of their vegetation. Cupressus 

 pendula, which equals the weeping willow in the charms of its pendant 

 branches, in China is generally planted to hang over the tombs of the 

 departed. Nothing can be better in unison with this purpose than the 

 dark and weeping branches of this tree. Several species of thuya, 

 inhabitants of the same countries, are great desiderata. Among them, 

 Thuya dolabrata calls upon us for the most earnest endeavours to intro- 

 duce it. This plant is described by Kaempfer and Thunberg, who saw it 

 in its native soil, as a lofty, vast, and beautiful tree, of all evergreens the 

 fairest. It is unquestionably hardy. The policy of these remarkable 

 nations opposes the most inflexible resistance to European intercourse. 

 Still the perseverance of individuals, and of the Horticultural Society of 

 London, have procured us many of their beautiful plants. The camellia 

 is the chief spring ornament of our conservatories ; their magnolias, their 

 azaleas, their paeonies, decorate our pleasure-grounds; the corchorus 

 and the numerous varieties of the china rose, adorn our humblest cottages ; 

 but scarcely a forest-tree has yei taken its station upon our lawns. We 

 cannot doubt that this may also be achieved. To China, to Japan, to the 

 Himalaya, and other mountain chains of Central Asia, to the alpine 

 vallies of North-Western America, to Patagonia, the hills of Southern 

 Chili, and the archipelago of Chiloe, we look as to the sources almost 

 unexplored of additional wealth to the arboretum. Our intercourse with 

 almost every corner of the habitable globe is so intimate, communications 

 with the most distant nations are so frequent, so many accomplished 

 individuals inhabit countries the most remote, that we are persuaded it 

 is only necessary to invite general attention to our favourite object, in 

 order to place it in a fair train for accomplishment. 



