Sept. 20th, 1884. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
41 
it is well watered, as in the Valley of the Homedale, 
at Eeigate, Dorking, Wotton, or in the Duke of 
Northumberland’s grounds at Albury. It is not an 
artist’s tree, and Gilpin sadly libelled it, as he did 
the Beech, which he described as an “ awkward ” 
and “unpleasing” tree, speaking of its “heaviness,” 
and adding, “what lightness it has disgusts.” With 
the same want of appreciation, he described the 
Horse Chestnut as “ a heavy, disagreeable tree,” 
though it may be useful, he admits, “ in thickening 
distant scenery.” We have, however, no other orna¬ 
mental tree with such handsome blossoms, and which 
grows so quickly and becomes so soon conspicuous. 
If only for its novelty the Horse Chestnut deserves 
regard, for we have nothing at all resembling it in 
arboriculture, no other such noble blossoming tree, 
no other tree with such magnificent racemes of 
flowers—in fact, no tree in the month of May with 
the same attractions. How we watch the grand 
present (and I doubt if any such tree at Enfield 
reaches 100 ft. now), the Nocton tree, 70 ft. high, is 
only large in the spread of its foliage, which covers a 
space 100 yds. in circumference, the immense branches 
being supported by numerous props, which give the 
tree the appearance of a Banyan. 
A great Horse Chestnut at Kedleston, Derbyshire, 
the seat of Lord Scarsdale, with a trunk 16 ft. in 
circumference and a head 62 ft. in diameter, was 
utterly wrecked by lightning soon after the family 
had been drinking tea beneath it, a noble family 
approaching within half-an-hour of extinction from 
the catastrophe. An early-leafing Horse Chestnut 
at the Tuileries was known as the “ Marronnier due 
20 Mars.” The great part of this tree bursts with us 
in April, and the flowers reach perfection at the end 
of May. Sometimes the first crop of flowers is fol¬ 
lowed by a second crop in April, an accident which 
may happen to any shrub or tree. A Lilac, for 
“THE BOTANICAL MAGAZINE.” 
The September number of The Botanical Magazine 
contains descriptions and illustrations of the following 
plants:— Philodendbon selloum (t. 6773). A large 
climber, with pinnatified shining leaves, 1-2 foot long. 
Spathe 1 foot long, dark green outside and pale yellow 
inside. Spadix pale yellow, equalling spathe, and 
diffusing a powerful aromatic odour, especially at 
night. Native of Brazil and Paraguay, in wet humid 
forests. First flowered in this country by Mr. W. H. 
Tillett, of Sprowston Lodge, in 1873.— Ceeeus pau- 
cispinus (t. 6774). A grotesque, spiny plant, 5 to 9 in. 
high. Flowers dark red with a brown tinge, anthers 
purple, and stigmas green. Grows on rocks and 
gravelly limestone hills, from the San Pedro to the 
mouth of the Pecos River, in the United States, bor¬ 
dering on Mexico. A specimen from Mr. Loder 
flowered at Kew in May of the present year.— Ibis 
THE HOKSE CHESTNUT : A FIXE SPECIMEN ON THE BANKS OF THE THAMES. 
pyramid of foliage after the appearance of the bright 
green leaf, drooping at first leaving the bud, and then 
at last, as the warmth increases, standing erect, with 
the early spikes of blossoms appearing among them. 
One’s spirits always rise in spring with the lifting of 
the Chestnut leaf 1 The tree has been compared to a 
“ Giant’s Nosegay,” a “ Gigantic Hyacinth,” a “ Brob- 
dig-nagian Lupine,” and an “immense chandelier,” 
the spikes of flowers rising out of the foliage like 
waxen tapers lighted. 
Horse Chestnuts were first planted largely by the 
introducers of Dutch gardening, who used them with 
great effect in the forming of avenues, as at Bushey 
Park. The trees at Chelsea College were young in 
the year 1700. They were planted early at Ham 
House, in Greenwich Park, in the Bishop of London’s 
gardens at Fulham, and at Syon House, where Loudon 
reported a tree 80 ft. high and 3 ft. 8 in. in the diameter 
of the trunk. Mr. Grigor says in Arboriculture that 
the largest Horse Chestnut in Britain is believed to 
be one at Nocton, in Lincolnshire, but as there are 
trees reported 100 ft. high, as at Enfield, past or 
instance, was cut to pieces by the wind of last 
September, which damaged the hop gardens so much, 
and its leaves were stripped off. At Christmas it was 
again in blossom, and it produced another abundant 
crop at the usual period last spring, or early summer. 
An autumn flowering Chestnut, however, does not 
ripen fruit. 
The light timber of the Horse Chestnut is worth 
little for most purposes, but is largely used in the 
making of packing-cases and by carvers and pattern¬ 
makers. Physiologists find that the early formation 
of plants in the bud is well shown in that big bundle 
of a bud which is produced by the Horse Chestnut, 
and one of the differences between a Horse Chestnut 
and a chestnut horse is, that one produces buds, 
while the other crops them if they are sweet. It is 
unfortunate that the fruit of this esculent tree is so 
bitter that few boys, if any, ever taste it twice. In 
regard to diet, boys are notorious for adhering to St. 
Paul’s advice to “ try all things,” and to some extent 
they accept his warning, and hold fast to that which 
is good.— E. E. 
tingitanum, Boiss. et Bcut. (t. 6775). This plant, which 
is perhaps better known as Xiphion tingitanum 
(Baker), has large lilac-purple flowers, with the 
outer segments paler, and with a bright yellow 
keel. It is a native of Tangiers, and conse¬ 
quently requires some protection in winter. It 
was discovered long ago, and has recently been 
imported by Mr. George Maw. The figure was made 
from a plant grown by Professor Michael Foster, 
which flowered in April last. Messrs. Elwes & Leicht- 
lin have also flowered it. Tab. 6776 represents a 
Palm, of which the name and description stands over 
to next month. Pentapteeygium sekpens, Klotzch. 
(t. 6777). A very pretty Indian Whortleberry sent 
from Darjeeling by Mr. Gammie. It grows in the 
humid forests of Sikkim and Bhotan from 3000 to 
8000 ft. elevation. It has a large tuberous rootstock, 
and pendulous branches, clothed with small ovate- 
lanceolate light green leaves. The flowers are axillary, 
with a green calyx and a pubescent, tubular, inflated, 
five-angled, bright red corolla. As grown in a basket 
it is a charming plant. 
