THE ROMANCE OF OUR TREES 



"I have some hopes of the Horsechestnut though 

 most of them were blue moulded yet some seemed to 

 be pretty sound." J. Bartram. 



And finally, p. 252, London, August 4, 1763: "But 

 what delights me is, to hear that our Horse- 

 chestnut has flowered. I think it much excells the 

 Virginia, if the spikes of flowers are as large with 

 you as with us. To see a long avenue of these at 

 Hampton Court — of trees 50 feet high — being per- 

 fect pyramids of flowers from top to bottom, for all 

 the spikes of flowers are at the extremities — is one 

 of the grandest and most charming sights in the 

 world." P. Collinson. 



I have had some experience in sending seeds from 

 distant lands and consider the Horsechestnut among 

 the most difficult to transport safely. I marvel 

 that in those days of slow sailing ships it should have 

 been successfully done. From the lapse of time be- 

 tween Collinson's reply it may be inferred that more 

 than one consignment was sent. But sticking to it 

 does wonders, and to-day we benefit from these grand 

 old plant-lovers' successful efforts. I n this one accom- 

 plishment they made the American people their 

 debtors and such debts are pleasant to acknowledge 

 and to bear. 



So well known is the Horsechestnut that it seems 

 superfluous to attempt a description of the tree. 

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