CHAP. JII. 



CONTINENT OF EUROPE. 



163 



The promenade of the Isle of Barques, at Geneva, at the exit of the Rhone, 

 has several fine hornbeams ; the largest of which was, in 1831, 8 ft. in circum- 

 ference at 3 ft. above the soil. In the same year, a lime tree in the country 

 seat of Vieusseaux, at Chatelaine, had a trunk 18 ft. iin. in circumference. 

 Two elms situated at Pre-l'E'veque were, in 1833, at 3 ft. from the ground, 

 17 ft. in circLunference. The largest beeches in the country were situated 

 at the entrance to the Abbey de Pommers sous Saleve. One of them was, in 

 1833, at 2 ft. from the ground, 15 ft. 6 in. in circumference, and the other 

 15 ft. 4 in. 



Among the foreign trees we may notice the horsechestnut of Mr. Charles 

 Martin at Molagnore. It passes for one of the most ancient in the country, 

 and is 13 ft. 3 in. in circumference, with a top which projects very far over the 

 adjacent road. The park at Ferney does not present any remarkable exotic 

 tree; but they show an elm, planted by Voltaire in 1763, of which the trunk, 

 in 1831, was 6 ft. 4 in. in circumference at 4 ft. from the ground. Since that 

 time the tree has been so ill-treated by visitors, who have stripped olF portions 

 of its bark as a memorial of the great poet of Ferney, that it has been found 

 necessary to surround it with stakes. The park of Bossiere, near Geneva, has 

 some fine trees, and had, a few ye^rs since, some Cytisus alpinus {Scotch la- 

 burnums] which were nearly 40 ft. nigh. The finest of these trees perished 

 some years ago, but the remainder are still well worth visiting. 



Near to Geneva, the country seat which presents the greatest number of 

 old exotic trees is the residence of M. Gaussen, at Bourdigny : it is there 

 that grows the female salisburia, the only old specimen in Europe. M. De 

 Candolle having discovered the sex of this plant, by observing that it bore 

 fruit, about the year 1818, hastened to send cuttings and grafts of it to all 

 the principal gardens in Europe. He published some remarks on it in the 

 Bibliotheque Universclle, vol, vii. p. 38. The precise epoch of its being 

 planted is unknown. The former proprietor of Bourdigny, M. Gaussen of 

 Chapeaurouge, was a zealous amateur, who exerted himself to procure 

 foreign seeds, and generally obtained his plants of foreign trees from England. 

 He began his plantations in the year 1767, and he continued planting during 

 30 years. The female salisburia, when measured in April, 1835, at 1 ft. 10 in. 

 from the ground, was precisely 4 ft. in circumference. The head was de- 

 pressed, and did not reach higher than 12 ft. or loft.; but it .spread out, late- 

 rally, to such an extent as to cover a space 25 ft. in diameter. 



This tree is perfectly healthy, and produces fruit (poiyimes) every year; 

 which, however, do not contain any fertile seeds, because there is no male tree 

 in the innnediate neighbourhood. M. Gaussen has latterly grafted some male 

 branches on his tree, but the grafts have not taken. The only male salisburia 

 which grows in the neighbourhood of Geneva, is three leagues from the female 

 one, at Philosophes, the seat of M. Alexandre Prevost, formerly Swiss 

 consul in England. This tree is 2ft. Sin. in circumference, and its habit of 

 growth resembles that of the specimen at Bourdigny. If the grafts do not 

 ultimately succeed, branches of the male plant, in flowei', may be brought to 

 fructify the female plant, in the same manner as the caprification of the date 

 palms is effected in Egypt. 



In the same country seat belonging to M. Gaussen, there are, also, a cork 

 tree, the trunk of which is above 3 ft. 4 in. in circumference, at 3 ft. from the 

 ground; a female A''eg«nf/o/raxinifdlium, which is 3ft. Sin. in circumference at 

 4 ft. from the ground, and at least 40 ft. high ; a t/uniperus virginiana, 3 ft. 2 in. 

 9 lines in girt ; a beautiful chionanthus, some fine platanuses, and other well- 

 grown trees. 



The celebrated De Saussure planted several exotic trees on his terrace in 

 the town of Geneva; and persons passing along the Rue de la Corraturie 

 may remark the fine effect produced on this terrace by an old catalpa and a 

 Jiiglans nigra. 



The oldest Taxodium di.stiehum in the neighbourhood of Geneva is not 

 more than 30 vears old; it exists on the grounds of M. Rigot, at Varembe 



o 3 



