358 



PARKS AND PLEASURE-GROUNDS. 



and the thouglit occurred tliat it would be a fine thing 

 to have a broad ride bordered with oaks in the sunny 

 expanse of a wide park or in the open glades of a shel- 

 tered forest. We are assured that a quercetum^ an 

 aceretum^ and various other analogous collections^, might 

 be formed, possessing great value in themselves^ and 

 imparting a decided character to a place which_, from its 

 limited extent or other circumstances, might be natu- 

 rally uninteresting. 



The Puietum is unquestionably the most important of 

 all the special collections of trees, whether as a member 

 of a general arboretum or as planted by itself; and 

 accordingly it is deservedly receiving increasing atten- 

 tion throughout the country. Erom the low banks of 

 the Thames to the subalpine slopes of the Grampians, 

 it is year after year more frequently planted. This very 

 interesting collection of trees is composed of the natural 

 families of pine, cypress, yew, and other kindred races, 

 or what, in popular, though not very accurate language, 

 are called Conifers. At present there are in cultivation 

 about twenty hardy genera, 'and nearly 280 distinct 

 species and varieties, which, with the exception of about 

 fifteen, are evergreen. From a fourth to a third of the 

 whole may be considered sub-hardy in many localities. 

 A number of them are shrubs; but the most are tall 

 trees, even in this country, and in their native habitats 

 some attain a prodigious altitude. Deducting the low 

 and bushy sorts, there still remain a sufficient number, 

 when one of a species or variety in the extensive genera, 

 and one or two in the smaller are employed, especially 

 if well arranged in generic and subdivisional order, to 

 furnish an evergreen arboretum of several acres, room 

 being allowed for the full development of the trees. 



