ioo LONDON TREES 



tree, which stood fully 70 feet high, and within a few 

 feet of the building, the health of the patient was 

 restored, and there has been no recurrence of the evil. 

 Other occupants of the house were in no way incon- 

 venienced. 



Several workmen engaged in pruning Plane trees 

 in Regent's Park in 1920 had to be treated by a 

 medical officer for throat affection. 



Though home-grown timber is rarely obtained 

 in sufficient quantity to become a market commodity, 

 yet it is of considerable importance commercially, and 

 quite equal in quality to that imported from abroad. 

 For coach building it is largely employed, also for 

 turnery work, in the making of pianofortes, and for 

 bridges, the toughness and strength of the wood 

 causing the pins to be securely held in position. The 

 wood is yellowish-white, firm, even of texture, and 

 comparatively light, the specific gravity when seasoned 

 being 0*58. It is valuable as firewood, burning clearly 

 and emitting a great heat. The chief value of the 

 Plane in this country is for planting in smoky 

 localities. 



The Western Plane (P. occidentalis), though much 

 less common than the Eastern species, is to be found in 

 considerable numbers throughout London, and to say 

 that it has not reached the flowering stage in this 

 country is not supported by facts. 



Fruiting specimens from trees at Westminster 

 were forwarded last summer to the authorities at 

 Kew, who sent them to Dr. Henry for examination. 

 Near the entrance to the house on Blackheath of 

 Messrs. Johnson and Phillips there is a well- developed 

 specimen from which seedling trees were raised in 

 Greenwich Park five and twenty years ago. The 



