i68 LONDON TREES 



young Elme trees in the places of such as are decayed, 

 at the discretion of Mr. Bacon and Mr. Wilbraham, 

 so that the charges thereof do not exceed the sum of 

 seventy pounds.' 



Mr. Bacon kept just within bounds, for on April 

 29, 1600, 60 6s. 8d. was paid * for money disbursed 

 about garnishing of the walkes.' 



It is generally recorded that Bacon planted the 

 famous Catalpa which occupies an almost central 

 position in these gardens, and the tree is well known 

 as ' Bacon's Catalpa.' References to the history and 

 introduction of the Catalpa, however, seem to point 

 out that the tree was first described in 1731 by Catesby, 

 and again by the same writer in his ' Trees of North 

 America ' in 1770. The Catalpa is described and 

 figured in the Botanical Magazine, 1808, where it 

 says ' the plant has been long an inhabitant of our 

 gardens, being introduced by the same botanist 

 (Catesby) about the year 1728. It bears the smoke 

 of large towns better than most trees ; the largest 

 specimen we have ever seen grows in the garden 

 belonging to the Society of Gray's Inn.' 



There are other trees of large size, some of historic 

 interest, in the grounds of Gray's Inn. The Planes 

 are amongst the finest in London, the largest being 

 known as the ' Wallace ' tree, though others are of 

 equal height, but not approaching this one in girth 

 of stem. The curiously buttressed stem of the 

 Wallace tree girths 12 feet at a yard from the ground, 

 and having been allowed ample room for development 

 the branch spread extends to 75 feet. Two of the 

 Plane trees died in 1918. 



The original or Bacon's Catalpa is a half-prostrate 

 tree, the main stem for about 9 feet in length being 



