26S 



The Garden Magazine, February, 1920 



In the early struggling days of this country its English 

 settlers found time to introduce many plants of esthetic 

 value as well as those of purely economic worth. But un- 

 fortunately dates are so often lacking that the exact history 

 of any given plant is seldom available. This is a great pity, 

 for though history in general as taught in schools may be as 

 "dry as dust," the salient historical facts appertaining to the 

 commonplace things of every day life and acquaintance are 

 rich in interest. And moreover their teaching is not without 

 its direct value in present day affairs. Our ancestors sought 

 food for the body and things of beauty to delight the soul, even 

 as we do to-day — and we enjoy the results of their labors. 



Furthermore it is our bounden duty to pass them on with 

 increasing worth, to the generations that succeed our im- 

 mediate own. Improved strains of wheat, pulse, or cotton, 

 of Roses and new flowers, of everything which increases the 

 food resources or ministers to the soul, have to-day, as they al- 

 ways have had and must ever have not only immediate but 

 progressive value to the human race — all of which may seem 

 to belong more to the realms of philosophy than to the matter 

 of the Horsechestnut, and yet the story of the tree is after 

 all the story of the triumph of the beautiful over more 

 sordid things. And it demonstrates anew the truism that 

 beauty is transcendental. 



Thanks to the letters published in 1849 by William Darling- 

 ton in his " Memorials of John Bartram and Humphrey Mar- 

 shall" the story of the introduction of the Horsechestnut 

 into America is on record. Thus, page 146: "London, Septem- 



TWO AND A HALF CENTURIES OLD 



And grown to giants are the two first Horsechestnuts planted 

 in Scotland which were set out in 1660. They are on the 

 estate of F. R. S. Balfour, Esq., Dawyck, Peebleshire, 

 and are probably the oldest of the species in cultivation 



ber 16, 1 74 1. — '1 have sent some Horsechestnuts which are 

 ripe earlier than usual; hope they will come fit for planting.' 

 P. Collinson." Page 175: "April 16th, 1746. 'I have some 

 hopes of the Horsechestnut though most of them were blue 

 moulded yet some seemed to be pretty sound.' J. Bartram"; 

 and finally p. 252: " London, August 4th 1763; 'But what de- 

 lights me is, to hear that our Horsechestnut has flowered. 1 

 think it much excels the Virginia, if the spikes of flowers are as 

 large with you as with us. To see a long avenue of these at 

 Hampton Court — of trees 50 feet high — being perfect pyra- 

 mids of flowers from top to bottom, for all the spikes of 

 flowers are at the extremities — is one of the grandest and most 

 charming sights in the world.' P. Collinson." 



I have had some experience in sending seeds frcm distant 

 lands and consider the Horsechestnut among the most diffi- 

 cult to transport safely. 1 marvel that in those days of slow 

 sailing ships it should have been successfully done. From 

 the lapse of time before Collinson's reply it may be inferred 

 that more than one consignment was sent. But sticking does 

 it ! And to-day we benefit from these grand old plant-lovers' 

 successful efforts. In this one accomplishment they made 

 the American people their debtors for all time — and such 

 debts are pleasant to acknowledge and to bear. 



So well-known is the Horsechestnut that it seems super- 

 fluous to attempt a description of the tree. It will grow well 

 on sandy or on calcareous soils but luxuriates in rich, cool 

 loam. Given plenty of room in park or on lawn it will exceed 

 a hundred feet in height and 20 feet in girth of trunk. Its 

 massive branches with their laterals form a splendid oval or 

 bell-shaped crown, and sweep the ground. In spring pyra- 

 mids of flowers full ten inches high are upthrust from the ends 

 of thousands of branches. No tree is more prodigal in its 

 wealth of blossoms and none more spectacularly beautiful. 

 The petals are erect and tend to curve backward, while 

 the stamens — seven in number — and the style are slightly 

 curved and projected forward and serve as a platform. for 

 bees — their chief visitors. On the face of the upper petal 

 are yellow spots which later turn red and are called honey- 

 guides. 



A closer inspection will reveal other curious and interesting 

 facts. In each thyrsoid inflorescence the upper flowers open 

 first and these are potentially male. The lower flowers are 

 perfect but the pistil matures first and is ready to receive the 

 pollen immediately the flowers open; the stamens in these 

 flowers are at first bent down below the style, later on they 

 move up to its level. We see here a provision for cross pol- 

 lination from the upper male flowers and if this fails self- 

 pollination is assured by the rising of the stamens in the 

 same flowers. 



The scent of the flowers is remotely like that of the Haw- 

 thorn and is not particularly pleasant. The bright green 

 leaves unfold slightly before the inflorescence appears and 

 are full grown when the flowers are wholly expanded. The 

 leaves are disposed in opposite pairs on the shoots and have a 

 long stout stalk, and the blade is of five to seven separate 

 leaflets radiating from a common base like fingers of the hand. 

 When they fall. in the autumn they leave prominent scars on 

 the shoots. The winter-buds are large, chestnut-brown and 

 covered with resinous scale leaves and contain next year's 

 shoots in an advanced state, including the flowers. If sliced 

 vertically all this may be clearly seen in winter. In spring 





