56 



grown in this country and are so decorative and so capable of 

 being turned to advantage that it is impossible to overlook them. 

 The Mediterranean Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) yields 

 timber of so durable a character that it is recorded that the doors 

 of the original basilica of St. Peter at Rome erected in the fourth 

 century were perfectly sound in the sixteenth century. This 

 cypress is hardy only in the southern counties. A handsome tree, 

 probably the best in England, is growing on the lawn at Heron 

 Court. It measures 6oft. with a girth of 5ft. In what is known 

 as the Italian walk there are several other trees, one of a somewhat 

 spreading habit. A common cypress in and around Bournemouth 

 is Lawson's Cypress. There are more than forty named varieties 

 showing a wide diversity in size, shape and colour. The Monterey 

 Cypress (C. macrocarpa) is also very common. It varies in habit 

 from an erect to a rather wide-spreading tree. The latter is some- 

 times known as C. Lambertiana. Both forms grow side by side 

 on the lawn at Cuffnells, near Lyndhurst. The prevalence of the 

 species in Bournemouth may be illustrated by the fact that between 

 the Boscombe Gardens and Lansdowne at least fifty trees of the 

 Monterey Cypress are seen dotted about in gardens on both sides 

 of Christchurch Road and its immediate vicinity. 



Some of the finest Monterey Cypresses are growing at 

 Hadden's Hill, the residence of Mr. F. G. Hopkins, J. P. The 

 tallest measures 74ft. in height with a girth of 9ft. At Kingston 

 Lacy Park there were several trees over 50ft. with a girth of 7ft. 

 6in. At Cuffnells a fine Monterey Cypress measures 100ft. in 

 height with a girth of 14ft. A beautiful tree is the Himalayan 

 Cypress (C. torulosa). There is a fine avenue of this at Cuffnells 

 raised from se*ed brought from India by Mr. C. Harland in i860. 

 It consists of nine trees on each side of a walk. They are very 

 regular in habit and measure about 45ft. by 4|ft. They bore 

 fruit in 1907. There are some specimens of the Japanese Sawara 

 Cypress (C. pisifera) in gardens here as well as of the handsome 

 Nootka Sound Cypress (C. Nootkatensis). There is a small avenue 

 of the latter at Hadden's Hill. 



This is a convenient opportunity to mention a striking looking 

 tree known as the Incense Cedar (Libocedrus decurrens). It grows 

 quite erect and forms a tail well-formed column admirably adapted 

 for a group or avenue. A very fine tree about 70ft. high, and quite 

 columnar, is growing at Frogmore. A well-grown tree was 

 noticed on the occasion of a visit of the members of the Society 

 to the gardens at Somerley, the seat of the Earl of Normanton, 

 in 1912. 



Another interesting tree is the Japanese Cedar (Cryptomeria). 

 This is quite distinct from any other hardy tree. Although one of 

 the great timber trees of the world it has not proved successful 

 in this country although under favourable conditions it ranges 

 from 60ft. to 80ft. in height. One of the best specimens I have 

 seen in this neighbourhood is growing at Charborough Park. It 

 measures 57ft. by 6ft. 9m. The largest in England is at Hemp- 



