CHAP. III. 



CONTINENT OF EUROPE. 



169 



the brothers Pednardi, near Cremona. In 1785 great additions were made 

 to the foreign trees and shrubs of the north of Ital^^, by Count Louis Cas- 

 tigUone, who undertook a voyage to North America, and brought home a 

 great number of seeds, which he sowed at Mozzate, afterwards distributing 

 the plants over all Italy. In 1811 farther additions were made to the foreign 

 trees and shrubs of Lombai-dy, by M. Villaresi, then director of the gardens 

 of Monza; and in 1814 still further additions were made by the present 

 viceroy. In consequence of these introductions, there are now, in the park 

 and gardens at Monza, many fine specunens of exotic trees. Magnolia 

 conspicua flowers every year, and ripens abundance of seed. M. grandiflora, 

 at 60 years old, is 36 ft. high ; and, though in a very unfavourable situation, 

 viz. a" dry soil and a warm sunny exposure, it flowers and seeds freely. 

 There are above 230 of these trees in the plantations of the park, besides 

 numerous plants of all the other species. The tuhp tree has attained the 

 height of 70 ft. in 29 years, flowering and seeding every year. Aildntus glan- 

 dulosa, 29 years planted, is 60 ft. high ; and Roblnk Pseud-Jcacia, of the 

 the same age, is 75 ft. high, with a trunk 2 ft. in diameter, and branches 

 covering a space of 120 ft. in circumference. There are many other fine trees 

 in the gi-ounds at Monza, details respecting which will be found in the Gar- 

 de?ier^s Magazine, vol. xi. p. 639. 



In the garden of Count Mellerio, at Brianza, near Milan, the ikfelia 

 Azedardch, 26 years planted,' is 40 ft. high, and flowers and seeds freely every 

 year. This beautiful tree is one of the greatest ornaments of the public 

 promenades of the south of Italy ; but there ai-e very few parts of Lombardy 

 where it attains so large a size as at Brianza. 



In the year 1832, the Abbe Belese made a tour through the northern part of 

 Italy, chiefly to inspect the gardens ; and he noticed, among other trees and 

 shrubs, the following : — Near Milan, at Soma, he saw a cypress of great 

 antiquity, which girted 20 ft., and was 70 ft. high, though it had, for many 

 years, lost its leading shoot ; popular tradition says that it was planted pre- 

 viously to the birth of Christ; and the Abbe Belese's brother assured 

 him, that there was an ancient chronicle in Milan, which proves that this 

 tree existed in the time of Julius Caesar, B.C. 42. In the botanic garden 

 at Padua, the abbe found two trees of Magn6h'« grandiflora, which had 

 been planted 90 years, soon after the introduction of the tree into Europe ; 

 they were GO ft. high, with trunks 4ft. in diameter; they were sown by the 

 director of the garden, Farsetti, in 1742. There are in this garden, a salis- 

 buria, 60 ft. high; two trees of Lagerstroe'mw Indica, of 40 ft. high, which 

 ripen seed every year ; the common red-flowered althea frutex, 50 ft. high, 

 and which, on the 8th of August, 1832, was so covered with blossoms as to 

 resemble one immense flower of the double red camellia. Quercus /"lex is 

 here 100 ft. high; 5'alix annularis, 40 ft.; Z/ycium japonicura, 25 ft.; ylcacia 

 farnesiana, 60 ft., the flowers of which perfumed the air for a great distance 

 round; the date palm, 25ft.; Aralia spinosa, 25ft.; Cerasus semperflorens, 

 bearing fruit and flowers at the same time, 50 ft.; Fitex yfgnus-castus, 

 140 years planted, and 35ft. high; Tecoma stans, 30 ft.; 5'milax Sarsapanlla, 

 60 ft."; Nicotiawa glauca, a magnificent tree-like specimen; Cfesalpinza Sap- 

 pmi, 15 ft.; ChamEeVops humilis, 25 ft.; Asmma triloba, 20ft., and covered 

 with excellent ripe fruit ; Ackc\a. Julibiissin, 60 ft.; Liriodendron Tuliplfera, 

 80 ft.; Sterculia /^latanifdlia, 40 ft. : Casuariua distyla, 15 ft.; and a number 

 of others, which will be found recorded in the Annates de la Societe d'Horti- 

 cidture de Paris, torn. 12e, p. 68. 



In the Isola Bella there are a great many exotic trees and shrubs of very 

 luxuriant growth. Among these are, an immense oleander, numerous trees 

 of JLaurus nobilis, of great growth ; and a hydrangea, 10 ft. in diameter, and 

 8 ft. high, planted in peat soil, and covered with deep blue flowers. In 

 this, and in other of the Borromean islands, the Agave americana stamls the 

 open air, and flowers freely. On the whole, though there are several tropical 

 trees that will not live in the open air in the north of Italy generally, yet 



