HORSE-CHESNUT. 33 



floral beauty, which exceeds that of any other tree of 

 equal size, its massive and luxuriant foliage contrasts well 

 with that of trees of a more airy form and character, thus 

 producing that breadth of light and shade which gives such 

 value to landscape scenery. Gilpin, we are aware, has 

 called it a heavy and disagreeable tree, and such it often 

 may be deemed, considered individually, and merely in 

 regard to picturesque beauty, though we have seen Horse- 

 chesnuts when old, assume, even as individual trees, a pic- 

 turesque form and appearance ; in a young state we allow 

 that it is a stiff and formal plant, without those breaks in 

 the foliage and outline which are necessary to produce pic- 

 turesque effect, but when fully grown, and with the dimen- 

 sions it attains in a suitable soil and situation, it is, if not a 

 picturesque, at least a gorgeous and magnificent vegetable 

 production, especially when clothed, as Sir T. D. Lauder 

 so well describes it, " in all the richness of its heavy velvet 

 drapery embroidered over with millions of silver flowers." 

 As the wood of the Horse-chesnut is of an inferior quality, 

 and only used for purposes of minor importance, it is rarely 

 planted in mixed plantations, or where profit is the object ; 

 and even were its wood of more general application we 

 would not recommend it as a secondary or nurse, where 

 another kind of timber was intended to form the ultimate 

 crop, as it soon interferes with the growth of its neigh- 

 bours, and occupies too much room for such a purpose. 



The wood is white and very soft, and, according to 

 Loudon, loses much of its weight in drying, as when first 

 cut it weighs from sixty to sixty-two pounds per cubic 

 foot, and is reduced by drying to thirty-five or thirty- 

 seven pounds. It answers for packing-cases, boarding, and 

 other interior work, but is unfit for any purpose where it 

 is to be exposed to the open air, or subject to be alter- 



D 



