xin COLLINSON'S GARDEN AT MILL HILL 173 



which, alas, he lost at times by the hands of shameless 

 robbers. He lived at Mill Hill for the last twenty years 

 of his life, watching the growth of his trees, and the un- 

 folding of his flowers, letting his spirit move along nature's 

 ways, and taking a simple delight in the beautiful works 

 of the Author of all things. 



The site of Collinson's house and garden is now 

 occupied by the large buildings and playing fields of 

 Mill Hill School, which has attained a place of eminence 

 among the schools of England, and is now under the able 

 guidance of Sir John D. McClure. Old Peter Collinson 

 is regarded as the genius loci, one of the hostels being 

 named Collinson House ; and his portrait, some pieces 

 of furniture, and an oil-painting by Renton of his ancient 

 dwelling are carefully preserved. Many of his trees still 

 grace the borders of the fields and garden ; some are 

 decrepit in the extreme of age. Two Portugal laurels 

 have so propagated themselves by layers, with numerous 

 younger stems, as to form a grove or arbour covering 

 5000 square feet : this is said to be a unique specimen 

 in Britain. One of the most beautiful of his trees is a 

 variegated holly still in the perfection of its growth ; 

 it was noted by London in 1835 as a very handsome tree, 

 and though it is not large, there seems no reason to doubt 

 that it is the same, and that in its graceful form and 

 golden foliage, unhurt by 150 winters, we behold one of 

 the gems of Collinson's garden. 1 



1 Loudon examined Collinson's trees in 1835 when they were from seventy 

 to ninety years old. His measurements may be compared with some made 

 in 1914, for which the author is indebted to his friend, Henry Harris of Mill 

 Hill. The deciduous cypress sent by Bartram from the cedar swamps of the 

 South still puts forth its beautiful feathered foliage and raises its curious 

 " knees " ; it was in 1835 ij ft. in diameter, and 48 ft. high : the girth is 

 now 8 ft. at 3 ft. from the ground, and it is perhaps a little higher : it has 

 been damaged by gales. The two trunks of the hemlock spruce, probably 

 the original tree introduced by Collinson, were each about i ft. in diameter 

 and 50 ft. high : they are scarcely altered in size to-day, as though this tree 

 had previously attained its full growth ; its rich and drooping foliage is still 

 green. The golden holly covered a space 18 ft. across, now 24 ft., and it is 

 24 ft. high. The trunk of the fine oriental plane was i ft. thick at i ft. 

 height, now n ft. in girth; height 40 ft., little altered; spread now 76 ft. 

 A holm oak has now a girth of 12 ft. at 2 ft. height : its spread was 35 ft., 

 now 50 ft. There are some cedars planted according to tradition by 

 Linnaeus ; seventy years ago the tradition attached to an upright cypress ; 

 but it is unlikely that Linnasus ever came to Mill Hill. The boles of two 



