110 



HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF TREES. 



PART T. 



At Tollymore Park, in the county of Down, planted by the 

 Earl of Clanbrassill, and now the seat of the Earl of Roden, there 

 are some very fine trees. The soil and situation, the first ridge 

 of the Mourne Mountains, appear to be particularly suited to the 

 larch and silver fir. From a considerable number, of almost 

 equal magnitude, measured for us by desire of Lord Roden, we 

 select one silver fir, planted 60 years ago, which is 84 ft. high; 

 the diameter, at 1 ft. from the ground, 5 ft. 2 in. ; at 10 ft, 4 ft. ; 

 and at 24 ft., 3ft. 3 in.; it is beautifully and evenly clothed with 

 branches, the lower tiers of which are pendent to tlie ground, 

 and the circumference of the space which they cover is 160 ft. 

 The larch of Tollymore Park is in much estimation for its great 

 tenacity, and it supplies masts of from 50 ft. to 60 ft. in length. 

 As a selection from a great number, we take one tree, which, at 

 80 years of age, is 84 ft. high ; the diameter, at 1 ft. from the 

 ground, 2 ft. 8 in.; and 10 ft. from the ground, 2 ft. 3 in.: 

 another tree, at 60 years of age, is 66 ft. high ; the diameter, 

 at 1 ft. from the ground, being 3 ft.; and at 10ft., 2ft. Sin. 

 Among numerous fine specimens of shrubs introduced by the 

 late Lord Clanbrassill, there is a i^hododendron ponticum, which, 

 at 50 years of age, is 10 ft. high, and covers, with its unbroken 

 mass of foliage, a space the circumference of which is 90 ft. 

 The larch at Tollymore Park is grown on the side of a steep 

 hill facing the north, on a stiff gravelly substratum, which corre- 

 sponds with the natural situation in which the larch is found in 

 Switzerland, as stated by Decandolle in the Quarterly Journal of 

 Agriculture, vol. v. p. 403.; and with the situations in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Dunkeld, where the best larch is grown by the 

 Duke of Athol, as stated in the account of these plantations 

 in the Transactions of the Highhmd Societi/ of Scotland., vol. xi. 

 p. 165. to p. 219. Monteath, the Scotch forester, we are informed 

 by Lord Roden, and also by another correspondent, considers the 

 Tollymore larch as very superior in quality to the generality of 

 the Scotch or Welch larch. Lord Roden states that he uses it 

 for all purposes whatever, and that for forming utensils it is 

 found an excellent substitute for ash. The trees are generally 

 felled at the age of 70 years. The rhododendrons are scattered 

 through the woods ; they are found fully as hardy as the com- 

 mon laurel, and many of them have attained a large size. There 

 are many specimens of j£h\es excelsa var. Clanbrassillmwa, but 

 none of them remarkable. 



At Dundalk, also the property of the Earl of Roden, there is 

 a Magnolm acuminata 27 ft. high ; the circumference of the 

 stem, at 1 ft. from the ground, is 5 ft.; and at 3 ft. from the 

 ground, 4 ft. 6 in. ; and the branches cover a space measuring 

 84 ft. in circumference. There is an oak in the park 60 ft. high; 

 the circumference of the trunk, at 1 ft. from the ground, is 15 ft.; 



