CHAP. II. BRITISH ISLANDS. 117 



wood, the late intelligent curator. The arboretum, which was 

 laid out and planted by him in 1798-9, does him lasting ho- 

 nour." Of the Pinus Pattasidna, there are two fine specimens, 

 the largest 40 ft. high, with a trunk 2 ft. in diameter at 1 ft. from 

 the ground, which are probably the best to be met with in 

 Britain or Ireland. What is remarkable in British nurseries, 

 though common in French ones, there is a Pinus Cembra, which 

 was grafted on a Scotch pine about 20 years ago, and now 

 forms a fine tree. The garden contains 30 statute acres ; it 

 is described and engraved in Dr. Walsh's History of Dublin,, 

 and, on the whole, is not only the largest in Europe, but the 

 most comprehensive in its plan. Since the death of Mr. Under- 

 wood, in 1834, it has been put under the curatorship of Mr. 

 Niven, one of the most scientific gardeners and active-minded 

 men in the profession. Mr. Niven's plan for the improvement 

 and future management of the Glasnevin Garden is intended to 

 include, not merely the extension of the arrangements of plants 

 botanically, but also an agricultural and horticultural selection 

 of hardy fruits and vegetables, for the purpose of following up 

 the important subject of improving, by crossing, the best existing 

 varieties of such fruits and vegetables. 



Subsect. 5. Of the Foreign Trees and Shrubs introduced into Britain 

 in the 19M Century. 



During that portion of the nineteenth century which has now 

 (1835) elapsed, the taste for foreign trees and shrubs has con- 

 siderably increased among planters; and the number of new 

 species and varieties that have been introduced, is proportionately 

 greater than at any former period. Botanic gardens and arbo- 

 retums have also become more general, and the variety intro- 

 duced into shrubberies and ornamental plantations, though still 

 not so great as it might be, bears some relation to the general 

 improvement. The establishment of the Horticultural Society 

 of London in the early part of the century, has had a material 

 influence in spreading a taste for every department of gardening, 

 not only in Britain, but throughout the civilised world. The 

 interest, however, which belongs to this century, is greatly 

 diminished to the present generation of readers, from the circum- 

 stance of the greater part of it being within their recollection. 

 For this reason we shall limit ourselves to giving a short com- 

 parative view of the species of trees and shrubs which have been 

 introduced, and a slight notice of the principal arboretums which 

 have been formed ; taking, as our authority for the date of the 

 introduction of the trees and shrubs, our Hortas Britannicus. 



In the first decade of the nineteenth century, viz., from 1801 

 to 1810 inclusive, ninety-four trees and shrubs were introduced : 



