The Didsbury Road. 69 



or altitude, stands upon the lawn of Mr. T. H. Nevill's 

 house at Didsbury, the second on the Manchester side 

 of the College. Oak, willow, elm, poplar in three 

 different kinds, lime, ash, and beech, both green and 

 purple, are also represented very fairly. There are 

 examples, too, of walnut, of negundo, and of tulip trees. 

 A noble specimen of the last-named stood not far from 

 the Didsbury sycamore until about 1855, and was covered 

 with flowers every season ; but, like the cedar in the 

 grounds adjoining Mr. Callender's late residence at 

 Rusholme, which was another of the finest trees on the 

 road, fell a victim about that time to the axe of 

 "improvement." Each was a cruel case of what Miss 

 Mitford well calls "tree murder." Such trees cannot be 

 replaced in less than three generations ; the sycamore at 

 Mr. Nevill's is already over a hundred years old; so near 

 to Manchester, it will probably be impossible ever to see 

 the like of them again; let us hope, then, that what remain 

 will be cherished. Cut them down when they become 

 ruinous, if you will, though nothing makes a more 

 beautiful ornament of true pleasure-grounds than the 

 torso of an ancient tree from which the living glory has 

 departed, but spare them as long as vigorous life 

 endures. So numerous are the lilacs, laburnums, chest- 

 nuts, thorns, both white and red, and other gay-blossomed 

 contributors to this charming arboretum, that from the 

 end of May till the middle of June the road is one long 

 flower-show. Before these commence their gala, there 

 are the apple and pear trees; earlier yet the silver 



