1640 The Trees of Great Britain and Ireland 



This species was introduced, shortly after its discovery, into Kew Gardens, 

 where a tree ' lived for many years, being the first Australian tree that was cultivated 

 in the open air in England. It was cut almost to the ground by cold in several 

 severe winters ; but as often, sent up from the base one or more stems, which grew 

 to be 10 to 20 ft. in height. It died only three or four years ago. (A. H.) 



Remarkable Trees 



The most remarkable plantation of Eucalyptus that we know of in England, 

 was made by the late John Bateman, Esq., of Brightlingsea Hall, Essex, who 

 raised seeds of E. Gunnii, which ^ were sent to him from southern Argentina in 

 1887, by Mr. Shennan, who had naturalised there the Tasmanian E. Gunnii. 

 Planted in an exposed situation in light sandy soil within a mile of the estuary 

 of the Colne, some of the trees (Plate 362) have now attained a height of 40 to 

 50 ft. with a girth of 3 or 4 ft., and are quite uninjured by wind or frost, the 

 lowest temperature recorded for the locality being 5° Fahr. When I saw them 

 on 9th December 1906, some were in full flower, and many were covered with 

 capsules of different ages. Mr. Bateman told me that they ripened seed every year, 

 which he sowed in the open ground in April. The seedlings attain a height of about 

 a foot in the first year, and 3 to 6 ft. in the second year. A self-sown seedling 

 growing behind the coach-house was about 12 ft. high at three years old. Mr. 

 Bateman found the tree somewhat difficult to transplant, and preferred to do this in 

 September after a heavy rain. This species also seems to like a wet soil ; and a 

 great number of seeds had germinated in the gutter of the coach-house. Though 

 the value of the timber ^ is as yet unproved in England, this tree might be used for 

 planting marsh land on the coast, where, owing to its evergreen character, it would 

 afford excellent shelter to other trees. Seedlings from these trees, though showing 

 no variation in their botanical characters, have varied considerably in their hardiness 

 at Colesborne. Some were killed to the ground by a frost in December 1904, and 

 grew again from the root ; whilst others were little affected. 



Mr. Bateman informed me that this species grows equally well on sandy 

 upland, on loam, or on heavy marshy clay soil, if trenched. The trees do badly, 

 if they have not moisture at the roots, at least till they are well established ; 

 or if they are planted in sheltered corners under the shade of other trees ; or if 

 planted close to a wall ; or if nibbled by rabbits, hares, or stock. They can be 

 safely planted up to the ist May. At Brightlingsea, bees swarm on the flowers 

 which are produced from May to January; but those opening after 15th September 

 set no fruit. 



1 Cf. Hemsley, in Gard. Chron. ii. 784, fig. 150 (1887). Smith, Records of Kew Gardens, 265 (1880), states that it was 

 20 ft. high in 1863. Smith calls it E. polyanthtmos, the erroneous name by which this specimen was known for many years 

 at Kew. 



2 Cf. Bateman in Gard. Chron. xxv. 202 (1899). In an article, which he wrote in The Garden, Ixi. no (1902), he 

 states however that he received the seed from the extreme south of Tasmania in 1887, and planted out sixty seedlings in the 

 autumn of the same year. These, when five years old, were 15 ft. high and produced flowers and seed. 



3 The timber, according to Mr. Bateman, who used it for posts and rails, is very heavy. The wood of E. Gunnii is of 

 no value in Tasmania, owing to its small size ; and that of the allied species, E. acervula, seems to be little used except for 

 firewood. 



