270 



The Garden Magazine, February, 1920 





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WINTER REVEALS THE LAYERING OF LOWER BRANCHES 



Even as it shows the tree's sturdy frame radiating from an approximate centre 

 very much as the leaflets radiate from a common base in the Horsechestnut leaf 



doubt which was not definitely removed until 1879 when 

 Theodor von Heldreich published a full account of its wild 

 habitats — the mountains of Thessaly, Epirus, and other parts 

 of northern Greece. In 1897 it was found growing wild 

 on precipices in the district of Janina in Albania, below the 

 lower limit of the coniferous belt. It is true nevertheless 

 that the Horsechestnut was introduced to cultivation in 

 Greece by the Turks, who planted them in and around the 

 towns. 



Quite naturally in a tree so long cultivated several varieties 

 have been detected and perpetuated 

 by vegetative propagation. Among 

 the most distinct are vars. pyramidalis, 

 umbraculifera, tortuosa, and pendula — 

 sufficiently described by their names. 

 A form with leaflets incised into narrow 

 lobes has been distinguished as var. 

 laciniata; another with short-stalked, 

 yellowish variegated leaves which sug- 

 gest a diseased condition ought to be 

 discountenanced. A variety with 

 double flowers (var. flore pleno) 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 connection with 

 this it is interesting that in 1822, near 

 Geneva, a Mr. A. M. Baumann disr 

 covered on an ordinary Horsechestnut 

 tree a single branch which bore double 

 flowers. This branch was propagated 

 by the Bollweiler Nursery in Alsace — 

 and is the source of all the plants of 

 the double-flowered form in cultiva- 

 tion. 



For no other tree is a day especially 



set apart in England as is Chestnut 

 Sunday for this famous exotic. Ac- 

 cording to seasons it is a rather mov- 

 able feast, but it usually comes be- 

 tween May 19th and May 26th. And 

 from London and its suburbs people 

 journey in thousands to bask in the 

 glory of the avenue of Chestnut trees 

 in Bushey Park on the banks of Father 

 Thames. The width of the avenue is 

 170 feet and its length about a mile. 

 It was planted by the celebrated archi- 

 tect, Sir Christopher Wren, in 1699. 

 There are one hundred and thirty- 

 seven trees on each side and they stand 

 42 feet apart in the line. A quarter of 

 a mile from the Hampton Court palace 

 end of the avenue a round pond 400 

 feet in diameter, with a noble fountain 

 in the centre, forces the Chestnut trees 

 from the straight line to a circle with 

 magnificent effect. Some of the larger 

 trees have died and are replaced by 

 younger, smaller ones, but the show 

 of blossoms is wonderful year after 

 year. The largest trees are fully 100 

 feet tall and from 10 to 20 feet in girth of trunk, with hand- 

 some crowns and branches sweeping the ground. 



THE tree is so common a feature of the landscape of the 

 British I sles that a majority of the people take it for granted 

 that it is a native tree. And though schoolboys are rarely 

 interested in trees — and I know of no tree other than the 

 Horsechestnut that the boys of my time took interest in 

 unless to satisfy their appetites — their enthusiasm for the 

 Horsechestnut is boundless and many a mile in England do 



THE SAME TREE IN MIDSUMMER 



Its height is something above 100 feet even as its spread is nearer to 160 feet than 

 to less and the dense leafage transforms its interior into an impenetrable sanctuary 



