THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, July 20, 1858. 
' ’ 246 
Loo, or Hatfield, and many other places where groups 
of noble trees abound, and let them study and reflect 
I' whether such sprinkling and dotting trees will ever 
produce such fine effects. 
The kinds of trees for grouping depend much upon 
the soil and situation. In high, dry soils, the Scotch 
Fir, the Beech, the Birch, the Mountain Elm, and the 
Mountain Ash, may be used with every prospect of 
success. In lower elevations, the Oak and the Ash, 
with some of the Pinus tribe, form fine groups. 
In planting them, I would advise each group to be 
of one kind, or very nearly so. An outside tree of a 
large group may be of a different sort, to give variety; 
and that outside tree should be next to an adjoining 
group of the same kind, which would give the idea 
that it had straggled from it. Some groups should 
have the tallest trees in the centre, and the outside, or 
points, should be lower, and branched to the ground. 
Other groups, by way of diverse character, should 
have the centre the lowest, so as to appear like two 
, groups united by low trees. In fact, the great aim of the 
planter should be, to have every group of as different 
character as possible from its neighbour. I never saw, 
in old parks or wild forest lands, two groups alike. 
The undulations of the ground, in the park, will 
| generally give the planter opportunities of placing his 
1 groups in good positions. The tongue of a piece of 
elevated ground is a good position for a group, or on 
the side of a rising ground will answer for one or more 
; admirably, especially if there is a mass of wood on the 
top ; only avoid all formality, not only in the number 
of trees in each group, but also the distance from each 
other, and the masses of which they are to seem a part 
in various points of view. T. Appleby. 
LARGE SPECIMEN'S OF THE PINUS — 
CAMELLIA IN OPEN GROUND. 
It is certainly much to be regretted that the public 
taste, which at one time was directed to the formation 
of an arboretum, should have abandoned that pursuit 
for one of its branches—the Pinetum. The late Mr. 
Loudon, who was a strong advocate for everything 
connected with arboriculture, certainly never expected, 
that the interest his labours created, in behalf of noble 
and important trees, would all subside into one 
channel—the culture of the Pinus. True, there is 
great demand for new and ornamental shrubs—both 
evergreen and deciduous ; but large trees are mostly 
neglected, and Pines are the order of the day. Now, 
it is far from my purpose to detract from the noble 
appearance some of these species have ; on the con¬ 
trary, I meant to describe some fine specimens I fell 
in with not long since, at a place, I believe, but little 
frequented of late years by lovers of such things, but 
which, in times long since gone by, had its share of 
; public attention, and, to all appearance deserved much 
’ commendation. 
At a short distance from the pretty little village of 
Bruschley, and but a very few miles from the fashion¬ 
able watering-place, Tunbridge Wells, a gentleman 
formed a collection of the Pinus and other things 
many years ago, following the impetus of an ardent 
admiration of everything that was ornamental in the 
vegetable world. His connections and acquisitions 
multiplied, until, like many other collections of a like 
nature, it merged into a nursery : and, I believe, the 
first large importation of French Roses found their 
way here, and were successfully cultivated for many 
years, until advanced years, and other causes, induced 
the worthy and enthusiastic proprietor to cease culti- 
a ating this queen of flowers for sale, as well as the 
other things for which his ground was remarkable. 
But, contemporaneously with the Rose, the Pinus was 
also attended to with sedulous care ; and each new 
species was added to the collection as soon as it could 
be got hold of. Doubtless, many of these were parted 
with, to the various collections which were forming at 
the time. But the worthy proprietor here kept some, 
from which, no doubt, he afterwards derived much 
pleasure, by witnessing the fine features they pre¬ 
sented, and, probably, no small share of honest pride, 
by knowing that neither prince nor peer could excel 
him in some of his specimen trees. Years rolled on, 
and the trees, which at one time were nursed so care¬ 
fully in tiny flower-pots, crept upwards by degrees, 
and eventually showed symptoms of competing with 
the native specimens, for healthy vigour, size, and the 
other points .which constitute a good tree. In the 
meantime, the worthy and enthusiastic cultivater was 
gathered to his fathers, and, the paternal care with 
which he guarded his favourites being gone, it at as 
determined to offer the collection for sale, which has 
been carried into effect. But my purpose is not to 
dilate on this subject, but merely to describe the 
features of some of the specimens as they stood on the 
ground : and those having trees of the same kind else¬ 
where, Avill be able to compare them with those here 
given. 
Picea nobilis. —About twenty-five feet high, as 
straight as a Spruce Fir, and Avell clothed all the 
way up. This is, certainly, the finest tree of the kind 
I ever saA\ r ; its rich glaucous hue gave it a pleasing ap¬ 
pearance against Pinus insignis, and other kinds Avhich 
were near it. 
Picea Cephalonica. —About twenty feet high, with 
a fine, rapid-growing leader. This species seems to be 
more dense in habit, near the ground, than it is higher 
up. This plant, however, shoAVS that it is not the squat, 
low, thickset tree, we often see it in other places, but 
promising to be as tall as a Silver Fir. 
Picea Pinsapo. —About sixteen feet high; some¬ 
what like the last in feature and general character. 
Cupressus sempervirens. —About thirty feet high. 
Tall, upright, and not top heavy, as often seen. 
Abies Douglasii. — About forty feet high, and 
from forty to fifty feet in diameter, a splendid specimen; 
bearing cones in abundance, from which numerous 
plants haA r ebeen raised. This was, certainly, the most 
remarkable plant in the place, its principal branches 
being carried out nearly at right angles to the stem; 
but the branchlets from these gracefully reclined on 
each side, not like the Silver Fir, which presents 
boughs perfectly flat, or nearly so. Many of these 
limbs were clothed with foliage of the deepest green, 
nearly to the centre, and the limbs Avere not so thickly 
planted on the tree as to hide their shape. Altogether, 
this is a most interesting tree, unlike any other that I 
am acquainted AA r ith, and, at this place, seemed to grow 
as rapidly as any tree ought to do. There were many 
other fine specimens of A. Douglasii, but none of 
them so large as the one described. 
Pinus excelsa.— About twenty-five feet high. This 
Avas very good, but the size is not remarkable, and I 
do not think the situation exactly suited it. I mention 
this here, as many errors are made by planting this 
class of plants indiscriminately on the same spoL 
Pinus insignis. —About forty feet high, densely 
clothed to the ground ; foliage of a rich green, and 
branches much inclined to turn upwards. This is not 
larger than specimens of this kind arc often met Avith, 
one here being quite as large,—but it is a fine tree, 
and deserving of general cultivation ; and the number 
of trees that were growing around it, of all ages, showed 
liOAVAvell they Avere adapted to the soil and situation. 
Araucaria imbricata. —About thirty feet high, and 
straight as an arrow ; and how many more thirty feets 
