52 



HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF TREES. PART I. 



From the commencement of the seventeenth century to 1 636, 

 during the reign of James I., and part of that of Charles I., 

 twenty-six plants were introduced ; all, except four, in the year 

 1629. The reason why so many appear in this year is, that it 

 is the date of the first edition of Parkinson's Paradisi in Sole, 

 &c., in which they were first enumerated. The only introducers 

 mentioned are, Mr. Serjeant Newdigate ; John de Franqueville, 

 a merchant in London, from whose care, Parkinson says, " is 

 sprung the greatest store of rare plants that is now flourishing in 

 this kingdom ; " Wilmot, and Parkinson. Among the plants in- 

 troduced during this period are some of considerable interest ; 

 the silver fir by Serjeant Newdigate, the gum cistus, the horse- 

 chestnut, the five-leaved ivy, the common laurel, the pyracantha, 

 the red mulberry, the black walnut, and that most important 

 tree, the larch : the introducers of the last eight valuable plants 

 are unknown. Five of the articles are from North America, 

 one from Asia, and the rest from different parts of the continent 

 of Europe. Evelyn states that " at Harefield Park, in the county 

 of Middlesex, belonging to Mr. Serjeant Newdigate, there are 

 two Spanish or silver firs, that being planted there in the year 

 1603, at two years' growth from the seed, are now (1679) become 

 goodly masts. The biggest of them, from the ground to the 

 upper bough, is 81 ft., though forked on the top; which has not 

 a little impeded its growth. The girt, or circumference, below, 

 is 13 ft.; and the length, so far as it is timber, that is to 6 in. 

 square, is 73 ft. ; in the middle it is 17 in. square; amounting by 

 calculation to 146 ft. of good timber. The other tree is indeed 

 not altogether so large, by reason of its standing near the bouse 

 when it was burned about 40 years since, when one side of the 

 tree was scorched." [Silva^ edit. 1706.) 



In 1640 (still during the reign of Charles I.), twenty- three 

 plants were introduced. The authority is Parkinson's Hei-bal, 

 or Theatre of Plants, published in that year. The introducers 

 were, Parkinson, Tradescant, and Tradescant junior. Among 

 the articles were, the RobinzV/ Pseud-^cacia, the azarole, the 

 Persian lilac, the occidental plane, and the deciduous cypress. 

 Seven are from North America, and the rest from different 

 parts of Europe. 



lu the year 1656 (in the time of Cromwell), sixteen plants 

 were introduced, the authority for which is the Catalogue of 

 Tradescaiif s Museum, published in that year. Among the arti- 

 cles are, ^^cer riibrum, the evergreen honeysuckle, the nettle 

 tree, and the grey walnut. 



From 1658 to 1683 (Charles II.), nine plants were introduced, 

 by Edward Morgan, John Rea, Bishop Compton, Evelyn, and 

 the Earl of Norfolk. Among these are, the Pistacia Zentiscus, 



