between London and Cheshunt. 511 



embraced by the wood of the pine, as to give the idea of its being united with 

 it in the manner of a graft, which every one knows is impossible. This is 

 one of those cases that occasionally occur, in which reason is more to be de- 

 pended on than matter of fact, or what appears to be fact. There are very large 

 Scotch pines, one with a curiously twisted trunk ; silver and spruce firs ; and 

 some hemlock spruces. A plant of Ligiistrum liicidum was 15 ft. high before 

 it was killed down to within 6 ft. of the ground by the criterion winter. 

 There is a fine specimen of Platanus orientalis, 55 ft. high, with a head 

 170 ft. in circumference, which, as compared with others of P. occidentals in 

 the same grounds, shows conspicuously the greatly superior beauty of the 

 former tree. It is somewhere remarked by Dr. Lindley, that, while there are 

 scores of the occidental plane planted in Hyde Park and the Regent's Park, there 

 is not one to be seen of the Platanus orientalis, though the latter is not only a 

 much handsomer tree than the former,but much hardier. A stranger to this sub- 

 ject will naturally ask what can be the reason that the handsomer and hardier 

 tree is not preferred to the less handsome and less hardy one. The answer is, 

 that the one tree is propagated as easily as the willow, by cuttings, while the 

 other requires to be raised by layers, or from seed. Hence the one species 

 abounds in the nurseries, and is cheap; and the other is comparatively scarce, and 

 of double the price. Another reason why the occidental plane is more planted 

 than the oriental one is, that it grows much faster. Though we have said much 

 on the beauty of the oriental plane in our Arboretum Britannicum, yet we do 

 not consider it superfluous to make these remarks, and to add to them the 

 suggestion which we have before made in this Magazine, of heading down 

 occidental planes, and grafting them standard high, or as high as may be con- 

 venient, with oriental ones. We wish we could see this done in Hyde Park 

 and Kensington Gardens. Among other specimens which we noticed at 

 Arno's Grove were, a Crataegus orientalis upwards of 20 ft. high, with a fine 

 spreading head; a Pyrus Aronia, forming an immense bush, 12 ft. high, and 

 40 ft. round ; and a common berberry 96 ft. round, which is covered with fruit 

 every year. We also noticed several magnolias, and among others a good 

 plant of M. macrophylla. Against the wall, near the conservatory, is a plant 

 of Lagerstrce^rma indica, which has stood out a number of years without any 

 protection whatever. Here is also a tree of Magnolia grandiflora covering 

 the gable end of a house at least 30 ft. high ; besides a number of other 

 conservative wall plants, which the rapid glance that we took of the place did 

 not permit us to note down. In the hot-house we found a fine plant of Pas- 

 siflora YLerbextidna, covered with both flowers and fruit. 



Minchenden House, a seat of the Duke of Buckingham's, is now on sale. 

 We were obligingly permitted to enter the grounds from Arno's Grove, which 

 they adjoin. A fine broad gravel walk leads some distance along the margin 

 of the New River, and thence ascends through a shrubbery plantation to the 

 lawn front of the house. This is a most agreeable walk from the proximity of 

 the river, and the picturesque grouping of the trees on both sides of it. Though 

 the place has been evidently much neglected for many years, enough remains 

 to show that it was planted with more than common care, 40 or 50 years 

 ago. The house is a plain brick building, in a situation equally elevated with 

 the house in Arno's Grove, but with the view in front much more confined. 

 The side scenery, however, consists of noble oak woods, and the distant view 

 is so completely rural, that we do not recollect to have seen in it a single house 

 or building. Altogether, it is a place of much natural and fortuitous beauty, 

 but ruined by neglect, and by bad arrangements immediately in the vicinity 

 of the house. Near the family chapel stands the famous Chandos oak, an 

 engraving of which, with the dimensions as given by Strutt, will be found in 

 our Arb.Brit., vol. iii. p. 1763. The tree continues to grow so luxuriantly, that 

 our present estimate makes it about 80 ft. high, instead of 60 ft., which it was, 

 when measured for Mr. Strutt about 20 years ago ; and the diameter of the 

 head we found to be 1 1 9 ft. The trunk we measured with a line, and found it 

 5 ft. in diameter at 4 ft. from the ground. This oak, like most of the others 



