August 2, 1864, ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



89 



its presence is courted at times, perhaps, -ween good taste 

 might even question its being in character with other 

 things ; but these cases are comparatively few, as there are 

 few places where it may not be appropriately admitted. 

 Perhaps one of the principal objections to its use as an 

 ornamental feature is where it cannot be had in sufficient 

 quantity to keep itself clear. Muddy impure water is at all 

 times objectionable, but it is questionable whether the plan 

 of removing and destroying everything of a vegetable kind 

 that exists in water is good ; on the contrary, stagnant water 

 is rendered more pure by the vegetation which is supported 

 by it. Many a pond in an undisturbed corner is entirely 

 covered over with duckweed, presenting a pale green sur- 

 face completely hiding the water, and yet no hurtful effluvia 

 arise. Nature in this case, as in many others when she is 

 not hindered by officious hands, provides the antidote as 

 well as the poison ; and it is not until the ditch, pond, or 

 watercourse is disturbed that any noxious vapours are dif- 

 fused. A rank coarse herbage of other plants often accom- 

 plishes the same object, the rankness and vigour being in 

 proportion with the quantity and quality of the food ; so 

 that our country friends living near stagnant pools have 

 less cause to be alarmed in summer than they may expect. 

 The vapours arising from wet, marshy, undrained land are 

 quite different. The more exposed sheets of water are to 

 the action of the winds the purer and better they will he, 

 the moving mass being less likely to pass into a state of 

 inqiurity than when it is less agitated. In'many places of 

 note the most important feature is water, and in some the 

 duties water is made to perform differ in reality but little 

 from those of the modern flower-bed — witness the beautiful 

 form that ponds have been made to take in the exquisite 

 grounds attached to the ruins of Fountains Abbey, at 

 Studley Park, Yorkshire. • 



Water may be considered scarcely less necessary than 

 trees and shrubs in a complete place, and I advise all who 

 can command its services to do so ere the many water com- 

 panies and others using it appropriate it to themselves. 

 The present age seems as prolific in its demands for running 

 streams and their diversion as that of the engineer Brindley. 

 To make the most of such streams behoves the landscape 

 " gardener. 



Water as an agent in the hands of the man of taste may 

 he a suitable subject for another article. — J. Robson. 



THE WANT OF VARIETY AMONG TREES 

 AND SHRUBS IN PLEASURE GROUNDS 



AND OKNAMENTAL PLANTATIONS. 



This want, as noticed by Mr. George Gordon in your 

 pages, is a most interesting subject, and one that requires 

 more attention. How many plantations are formed with- 

 out due regard being paid to displaying the natural cha- 

 racters of the trees. The planter cannot obtain much in- 

 formation at our nurseries relative to the best mode of 

 employing the various species. The whole subject is one 

 that requires much study and practice, and no man has 

 had more practice as a planter of ornamental trees than 

 Mr, Gordon, and no collection can be found in this country 

 equal to that in the Horticultural Society's Chiswick garden, 

 the growth of about thirty years. That collection is worth 

 going a long way to see by those contemplating planting 

 for ornamental effect. 



A few days since I walked through the Chiswick Gardens 

 with Mr. Gordon for the purpose of getting all the infor- 

 mation I could about trees and planting, as I was about 

 starting for the north of Ireland and north of England 

 to lay out plantations for autumn planting, and I send 

 you the description of the fine Acer macrophyllum in the 

 arboretum at Chiswick, which he has forwarded me in answer 

 to a query. At the same time I must inform those who 

 go there without a guide to look up into the body of the tree 

 for the label, otherwise, although the tree is distinct in 

 character, they might have some trouble to find it. 



I cannot conclude without expressing the regret I felt at 

 observing the neglected state of the Chiswick arboretum. — 

 Joseph Newton, 30, Eastbourne Terrace, Hyde Parle. 



" Acer macrophyllttjm:. — In its native country the Colum- 

 bia Maple forms a very large deciduous tree, exclusively 



confined to the woody mountainous regions along the sea- 

 coast, between 40° and 50° north latitude, and to the rocky 

 base along the great rapids of the Columbia river in North- 

 west America. 



" It was first introduced into Europe by the Horticultural 

 Society's collector, Mr. Douglas, in the year 1827, and who 

 stated at the time that it was one of the finest and most 

 graceful trees in the country where it grew, varying from 

 40 to 90 feet in height, and from 6 to 16 feet in circum- 

 ference in the trunk. Mr. Douglas also prophetically added 

 that, * it would at some future time constitute one of the 

 finest and most ornamental forest trees in England.' 



" The Columbia Maple is one of the most rapid-growing 

 trees we have, as the fine specimen in the Chiswick arbo- 

 retum proves. It was planted in the spring of 1828, and in 

 seven years attained a height of 25 feet ; while in 1845, or 

 ten years later, it was 50 feet high, and now (1864), little 

 short of SO feet. 



" The branches are numerous, wide-spreading, rather stout 

 and straight, with the bark on the young trees very smooth 

 and green, while that on the old ones is rough and brown. 

 The leaves are sometimes nearly 1 foot broad, very smooth, 

 of a bright glossy green, which in the autumn dies off to a 

 yellowish-brown colour before the leaves fall. The flowers 

 are produced in long, dense, finger-like spikes in April and 

 May, just as the young leaves are beginning to unfold, and 

 are of a yellow colour, and very fragrant. The wood is soft, 

 beautifully veined, and in the specimens of the timber sent 

 home from the banks of the Columbia scarcely inferior in 

 beauty to the finest satin wood. 



"The tree is perfectly hardy, and grows well in all soils 

 and situations, and should find a home in every park and 

 pleasure ground in the kingdom. — George Gordon." 



THE LATE JAMES EINLAYSON AND THE 



PAISLEY FLORIST CLUB. 



Since the publication of your May Number, the oldest 

 florist in the West of Scotland has been removed by death. 

 The late James Einlayson, of Paisley, was in some respects 

 a representative man, and a few words respecting him will 

 no doubt be acceptable to your readers, many of whom knew 

 him well. His simple and blameless life, as well as his devo- 

 tion to the improvement and cultivation of florists' flowers 

 over a long life of eighty years, are sufficient warrant for 

 recording a brief tribute to his memory, and the horti- 

 cultural journal of the district in which he resided would 

 seem to be the most fitting place. He was hale and hearty, 

 and keenly enjoyed his occupation among his plants and 

 flowers, till death struck him down suddenly in the midst 

 of his work, at the ripe age of eighty years. He was bend- 

 ing over his favourite flowers when he died. His old florist 

 friends who knew him intimately, and with whom he had 

 many a tough competition and tougher argument, will feel 

 his loss keenly, and none more so than Mr. William Robb, 

 who has himself reached the same age, and Mr. John Water- 

 son who are now the two oldest florists in Paisley, and 

 perhaps in Scotland. The trio belonged to the " Paisley 

 Florist Club " in its early days, and many are the droll re- 

 miniscencies they could tell concerning it. The deceased 

 Mr. Finlayson's father was Secretary of this Club, which 

 was in existence as far back as 1782 ; indeed flower shows 

 were held in Paisley previous to that date. Its origin 

 however, cannot be traced, the earliest record-book having 

 been burnt, for what seems to us the strange reason that 

 the box of the Club would not contain the whole of the books 

 and papers, and the old minute-book was destroyed to make 

 room for books that were considered of more importance. 

 Dr. Carswell, who first introduced the Carnation to the 

 Paisley florists, was for many years a leading member of the 

 Club, as was also Mr. Sharp, who has long rested with his 

 fathers, and who was in his day a most successful florist. 

 These departed worthies have left many pleasant memories 

 in the minds of the few remaining old florists, who were at 

 that time young men. Dr. Carswell seems to have been of 

 a kindly, genial disposition, with a good deal of droll 

 humour, which frequently found vent at the meetings of the 

 Club. He did not like dressing flowers for competition — 

 which, by the way, we had not thought to be such an ancient 



