112 



HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF TREES. 



PART i. 



parts of the world, many rare and useful plants, which he endea- 

 voured to naturalise in this climate, by placing them in a soil 

 and situation as near as possible to that to which they had been 

 accustomed. By this means there is now growing in his garden 

 in the open air, a wonderful and curious collection of plants 

 from India, China, North and South America, Siberia, &C.5 

 which were formerly kept in the green-house, or even hot-house. 

 All the trees at Cranmore, except the chestnuts and oaks, were 

 raised from seed planted by Mr. Templeton himself, and so 

 great a variety of the natives of the forest, has perhaps never 

 before been collected in so small a place." {Mag. Nat. H.^ i. 405.) 

 Mr. Templeton corresponded with all the principal botanists of 

 his time, and discovered several new plants in Ireland; among 

 others the Z?6sa hibernica, and Orobanche rubra. The dimensions 

 of some of the more remarkable trees and shrubs at Cranmore 

 have been kindly sent to us by Mrs. Templeton. Among these 

 are, a sweet chestnut, 60 ft. high, with a trunk 15 ft. in circum- 

 ference at one foot from the ground (the tree from which the 

 place takes its name) ; Pinus Cembra^ 24 ft. high; Pinus Banks- 

 idna, 11 ft. high; Pinus Mug/w, 11 ft. high; and ^^bies cana- 

 densis, 16 ft. high. There are, an A^cer rubrum, SO ft. high ; a 

 liquidambar, 15 ft. high; a Swedish juniper, 18ft. high; and a 

 Ptelea trifoliata, 26 ft. high. The first ivhododendron maximum 

 introduced into Ireland is supposed to have been one planted 

 here, which attained a very great size, but died about three 

 years ago. There is one still existing, which is 9^ ft. high, and 

 the circumference of the space covered by its branches is 37 ft. 



In the History of the County of Domi, published in 1745 

 (p. 60.), speaking of Bangor, the author says, " the gardens are 

 filled with noble evergreens of a great size, cut in various 

 shapes, among which is an evergreen oak, which, though it 

 grows as a shrub in most other places, is here a tall tree, and of 

 considerable girtli." At the same place there is now (1835) a 

 very large mulberry tree, which is very uncommon in Ireland. 

 There was also one about the same size at Castle Ward. At 

 Spring Vale, in the same county, is a very large cork tree, which 

 is now in a state of decay. 



At Castle Ward, the seat of Viscount Bangor, is a flower- 

 ing ash (O'rnus europse'a), 30 ft, high, and 6 ft. 4 in. in girt 

 at 7 ft. from the ground ; it flowers frequently, but not every 

 year. There are, also, an evergreen oak, with a trunk 9 ft. 6 in. 

 in girt at 2 ft. from the ground, and 8 ft. 4 in. at 10 ft. from 

 the ground ; an arbutus, 5 ft. in girt at 2 ft. from the ground ; 

 and a pinaster, 60 ft. high, and 8 ft. 10 in. in circumference at 

 6 ft. from the ground : these trees are all close to a small bay 

 or arm of the sea. There are, also, a silver fir, 66 ft. high, 8 ft. 

 5 in. in girt, which it carries up to 30 ft.; a cedar of Lebanon, 



