Prunus 1555 



local, occurring according to Willkomm on the north slope of Montseny, near 

 Barcelona, and in a few woods in Navarre. (A. H.) 



The Portugal laurel is stated by Alton to have been introduced into the Oxford 

 Botanic Garden in 1648 ; and Loudon says that this tree survived until 1828, when 

 it was cut down, the trunk being nearly 2 ft. in diameter ; but CoUinson ^ states that 

 it was first brought to England in 1719 by Fairchild, the famous nurseryman at 

 Hoxton. 



Though the Portugal laurel is hardy in the greater part of England, it is 

 liable to be severely injured, and sometimes killed to the ground in very severe 

 winters, and grows best in the south and west of England, especially near the sea. 

 It ripens fruit in most seasons, and is easy to raise from seed ; and though an 

 ornamental tree of some merit, is not so popular now as it formerly was. 



The oldest living tree that I know of is one at Mill Hill, where it was probably 

 planted by Peter Collinson about 160 years ago, and is now decaying. It had five 

 stems over 4 ft. in girth. At Fyne Court, Somersetshire, Mr. Batten,- quoting 

 Dr. Prior, says that Portugal laurels of enormous size were formerly seen with their 

 boughs bending to the ground and rooting, and an upright trunk grew from the 

 arch thus formed. Henry saw at Belvoir Castle, in 1907, a well- shaped tree, 

 40 ft. in height, and 6 ft. in girth; and another at Leonardslee in 1910, 45 ft. 

 by 4 ft. 3 in. 



In Scotland it is hardy as far north as Banffshire, and grows to a very large size 

 at Gordon Castle. At Moncrieffe, Hunter^ mentions a specimen which in 1883 

 covered an area 186 ft. round, though cut back on one side, but I did not see this 

 when I visited the place in 1907. At Biel, the seat of Mrs. Hamilton Ogilvy in 

 East Lothian, I saw a very fine tree in 191 1, with a clean trunk, 4 ft. 8 in. in girth. 

 Bean* saw a specimen at Ochtertyre in 1907, which was 30 ft. high, with a spread 

 of foliage 50 ft. in diameter ; and there are two trees at Raith, with short stems, 

 nearly 2 ft. in diameter. 



In Ireland we have not noted any remarkable for their size, but, as a rule, it 

 grows luxuriantly. 



The Portugal laurel, though rarely planted in Germany, where it is supposed 

 not to be hardy, has borne at Karlsruhe - 16° C. of frost in winter; and produces 

 flowers and fruit every year at Mainau.^ 



The wood, as shown by a fine specimen in the Earl of Yarborough's 

 exhibit at Lincoln in 1907, resembles that of the cherry in colour, and shows 

 well-marked medullary rays which make it very ornamental. It seems well fitted 

 for small cabinet work. ("• J. E.) 



> DiUwyn, Hortus Collinson. Ii (1843). " Trans. Eng. Arb. Soc. ii. p. 221 (189S). 



3 Woods, Forests, and Estates of Perthshire, 136 (1883). * Card. Chron. xli. 168 (1907). 



5 Mitt. Deut. Dend. Ges. 1907, p. 258. 



