RED CEDARS— Nine l^ed Cedars {Jimiperus virgini'ana) are growing 

 ill tlir area tovt'riHi by the f)lan. Washington certainly knew the value 

 of this conifrr. for it is one of the conniiori trees in the Potomac Valley, 

 and in tiie last entry inliis Diary relating to trees, dated March 8. 1796, 

 he says: "On Saturday last the dead C-edars in my shrubberies were 

 replaced by live ones just taken up." This is the only mention of the 

 lied Cedar in the Diary. Of the Cedars now at Mount Vernon, No. 53, 

 which is the only one on the Serpentine Walk, may have been planted 

 by Washington, altiiough it is only 45 feet tall with a trunk 1 foot 4 

 inches in diameter; if planted by him it might well have been a much 

 larger tree. The otiier Cedars are Nos. 3. 4, 5, 16, 17. IS, 19 and 134. 

 No. 3 is 36 feet tail with a trunk 12 inches in diameter; No. 4 is 30 feet tall 

 with a trunk 13 inches in diameter; No. 5 is 38 feet tall with a trunk 15 

 inches in diameter; No. 16 is 33 feet tall with a trunk S inches in diameter; 

 No. 17 is 38 feet tall with a trunk 9 inches in diameter; No. 18 is 47 feet 

 tall with a trunk 14 inches in diameter, and No. 19 is 44 feet tall with a 

 trunk 16 inches in diameter. No. 134, which is on the East Lawn near 

 the Deer Park fence, is 40 feet tall with a trunk 11 inches in diameter. 

 Judging by the size and position of these trees, I believe that they sprang 

 up naturally sometime after the death of Washington. 



WHITE PINES — Washington makes many references in his Diary to 

 the planting of Pine-trees, but they probably all refer to the common 

 Pine of the Mount Vernon region {Pinus virginiana). He says nothing 

 of the White Pine (Pinus Slrobus) with which he must have become 

 familiar during his journeys to the west, and there is no evidence that 

 he ever planted this tree. There are now, however, three young White 

 Pines growing at Mount Vernon, Nos. 28, 81 and 112. The first is near 

 the Schoolroom and is now 12 inches tall. No. 112 is on the East Lawn 

 and is 23 feet tall with a trunk 7 inches in diameter, and No. 81. on the 

 west border of the Bowling Green, is 10 inches tall. 



BOX — On the west side of the BowUng Green near the entrance to 

 the Kitchen Garden are three handsome and healthy Box-trees (Biixus 

 sempervirens) . No. 66 stands nearly opposite the gate of the Kitchen 

 Garden; it is 21 feet tall and well furnished with gracefully drooping 

 branches. This is one of the handsomest and most interesting trees at 

 Mount Vernon. Nos. 77 and 80 are 17 and 22 feet taU and are healthy, 

 handsome trees. These three trees were probably planted by Washington. 



APPLES AND PEARS— In the Kitchen Garden are now standing 

 one Apple-tree (No. 71) 45 feet tall with a trunk 2 feet 2 inches in diameter, 

 and three Pear-trees; of these No. 10 is 39 feet tall with a trunk 1 foot 5 

 inches in diameter; No. 72 is 40 feet tall with a trunk 1 foot 7 inches in 

 diameter, and No. 73 is 35 feet tall with a trunk 1 foot 5 inches in diam- 

 eter. These three Pear-trees may be of \\ ashington's time, but the 

 Apple-tree was probably planted later. 



12 



