PINETUM BRITANNICUM. 
Mississippi more than 57,000 years ago, and that ten subterranean forests, extending over a period of 
100,000 years, had already existed there anterior to these evidences of man’s existence. 
As to the age of individual trees, that also must be very great If we find specimens entombed by the 
constantly recurring deposits of the Mississippi, in the height of their growth, of such ages as those above 
mentioned, it may be expected that those which have not been prematurely entombed, but allowed to finish 
their natural term of years, must have achieved a still greater longevity. The tree that Montezuma knew 
—the tree under which Cortes rested after the terrible slaughter of the Noche triste , or that at Santa Maria 
de Tula, in Oaxaca, must be much older than any of the Louisiana trees. These are, no doubt, specimens 
of the Taxodmm Montezuma , or the Mexican variety of the Taxodium distichum, and we shall refer more 
precisely to their age and size when we come to that sub-species. 
Properties and Uses .—These are very much the same as those of the Red Wood of California, 
♦ .... , , 
Sequoia sempervirens , which is the most valued timber in California, and the most useful in the Southern 
States. A special good property of both is splitting up straight, so as to serve for planks without the use 
of a saw. In the Taxodmm , Michaux says, they split off in a direction parallel to the concentric circles ; 
but as these are so large, the shingles split off are nearly flat; and it is the same with the Sequoia . 
The colour of the timber of both is also alike. Michaux says—“ The wood of the Cypress is fine 
grained, and, after being for some time exposed to the light, of a reddish colourand in speaking of 
the Sequoia sempervirens , Dr Bigelow says — “ The wood resembles the Cedar ” (that is, pf uniperus 
virginiana ) “ a good deal in lightness and susceptibility of polish, but it is of a slightly darker shade of 
red. In the rural districts along the coast, farmers use it for making fencing rails ; and it is almost 
certain to excite incredulity to state the number of rails that can be made from a single tree. They 
are counted by thousands, as we count them by hundreds in the Eastern States” (Bigelow, “Pacific 
Railroad Reports,” vol. iv. p. 24). The timber has also great durability, being almost incorruptible 
even in water. It is also elastic as well as strong. 
A resin of an agreeable odour and a red colour, of the clearness and colour of raspberry juice, exudes 
from the Taxodium distichum. It is similar to the red or claret-coloured resin exuded by the Sequoias. 
Ctilture. —This tree is pretty extensively distributed, chiefly in the South of England, where it does 
fairly well. There should be some trees upwards of 200 years old, for it was introduced into England by 
Tradescant prior to 1640. Parkinson, writing in that year, stated that “its seeds were brought by Master 
Tradescant from Virginia and sown here, and do spring very bravely.” (Parkinson, “ Theol.,” p. 1477.) 
It is of the produce of this sowing, doubtless, that a tree is mentioned by Miller as growing in Tradescant’s 
garden in South Lambeth, near Vauxhall. “ It is upwards of 30 feet high,” he says, “ and of considerable 
bulk ; and though in a common yard at present, where no care is taken of it; but, on the contrary, many 
hooks are driven into the trunk to fasten cords thereto for drying clothes, yet the tree is in great health and 
vigour, but has not produced any fruit as yet, which may be occasioned by want of moisture.” 
The finest trees with which we are acquainted, are those at Syon House, a seat of the Duke of Nor¬ 
thumberland, near Brentford. Loudon, in his “ Arboretum,” gives a portrait of one of them, a very graceful 
tree. Although he does not specially mention its dimensions, he speaks of the trees, generally, as being between 
60 and 70 feet high. That was in 1854, and since then they have grown considerably. The tallest tree 
growing there now [1876] is 105 feet high, with a girth of trunk of 12 feet, 2 feet from the ground. Another 
tree is 84 feet high ; girth, 14 feet; spread of branches, 43 feet; which is probably that figured by Loudon. 
It grows by the side of the lake, and is very remarkable for the number of knees or roots that grow out of 
the ground. These extend fully 30 yards from the trunk of the tree, and are of various and curious forms, 
and some are 18 inches high. The next best specimens that we know of, are two that are growing in a tiny 
little island in the middle of a small stream called the Colne, that drives the flour mills at Uxbridge. The 
island 
