THE HORSECHESTNUT 



nanced. A variety with double flowers (var. flore- 

 pleno), however, has merit since the flowers last 

 longer than those of the type, and as it bears no fruit 

 it may be planted where the type is objectionable. 

 In 1822, near Geneva, a Mr. A. M. Baumann dis- 

 covered on an ordinary Hqrsechestnut-tree a single 

 branch which bore double flowers. This branch 

 was propagated by the Bollweiler Nursery in Alsace, 

 and this is the source of all the plants of the double- 

 flowered variety in cultivation. 



Of the other Horsechestnuts in the world it is not 

 my intention to tell. A Chinese species is planted 

 sparingly in temple grounds in Peking. The Japa- 

 nese species grows to as large a size and is no less 

 beautiful than the convnon species. Several of the 

 eastern American species have coloured flowers 

 from yellow to orange and dark red. Also, there are 

 hybrids between the American and Grecian species 

 and two of these (carnea and Briotii) are strikingly 

 beautiful. But my theme concerns the Common 

 Horsechestnut, the favourite of the schoolboy, one 

 of the most accommodating of all trees, hardy, quick- 

 growing, floriferous; perhaps the handsomest of all 

 the trees of the north temperate regions, familiar 

 to all, a tree of beauty, a joy to behold — Aesculus 

 Hippocastanum L. 



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