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The Trees of Great Britain and Ireland been the only hunting ground. To this was now added in striking contrast the resources of the North American forests. In the eighteenth century the practice of planting foreign trees became in some degree a fashion amongst wealthy landowners, though still mainly for ornament. This was due in large measure to the example of Archibald, third Duke of Argyll, who formed a large collection at Whitton. After his death in 1762 all that were removable were transferred to Kew, where an Arboretum had been commenced by the Princess Dowager of Wales. An intelligent taste for arboriculture was at any rate for a time firmly established. Those who care to trace its further history more in detail will find abundant information in Loudon's Arboretum et Fruticelum Britannicum, a work which, though published more than half a century ago, must always remain indispensable to any student of the subject. Parks and pleasure grounds throughout the country were stocked with specimens of new and interesting trees. And though often neglected and even forgotten, we now possess a wealth of examples which have attained adult development. Loudon catalogued with indefatigable industry every tree or shrub known to be tolerant of the climate of the British Isles. It might have been thought that this laborious undertaking would have excited a new interest in planting. But it began to languish with the beginning of the last century, and Loudon's labours from their very completeness, perhaps, deterred many from engag ing in an occupation where more than moderate success would seem costly and labori ous, and anything beyond almost unattainable. In 1845 a National Arboretum was projected at Kew, and commenced the following year on a plan prepared by W. A. Nesfield. The latter half of the last century saw a remarkable development of open-air horticulture. In so far as this included woody plants, it was limited to shrubs. Broad-leaved trees were little cared for. The rarer kinds were little in request, and those that were planted were too often drawn from the ill-named stock of some convenient nursery. The neglect was increased when conifers became a fashion. This led, no doubt, to many fine Pinetums being planted, the interest and importance of which will increase with age. But it led also to much unconsidered and scattered planting of trees which, attractive enough in a juvenile state, are often less sightly as they grow older, and can never blend with their broad-leaved neighbours into stately umbrageous masses. If the planting of broad-leaved trees as distinguished from conifers has for the moment fallen into neglect, we still inherit the results of the labours of our pre decessors. The British Isles for the last two centuries have, in fact, been the seat of an experiment in arboriculture without parallel elsewhere. And the very neglect into which tree-planting has fallen, paradoxical as it may seem, adds to the interest and value of the experiment. For the trees that have come down to us from the Preface past have been subjected to the least favourable conditions, and have had in effect to survive a somewhat rigorous process of natural selection. In taking stock of the results, the task which my friend Mr. Elwes has set him self differs, if I understand his intention rightly, somewhat widely from that which Loudon accomplished. That amounted to little more than a descriptive catalogue of every woody plant the cultivation of which had been attempted in this country. The present work aims at ascertaining the practical results. What are the most favourable conditions for the growth of each species ? What in turn are the most suited for different circumstances? And what, if any, profit can be derived from their cultivation on a large scale ? And to accomplish or even attempt such a task appears to me no small public service. The depreciation of the value of agricultural land has turned the thoughts of many landowners to the possibility of growing timber as a crop for profit. So far little attempt has been made to depart from tradition. Yet it cannot be doubted that there must be many trees suited to our climate whose commercial possibilities are still unascertained. Apart from the larger uses of timber its employment for minor industries is still little regarded among us. If but a single tree can be added to the list of those which can be profitably cultivated the labour spent on the quest will not be unrequited. KEW, Novenibcr 1 905. W. T. THISELTON-DYER. IX
CONTENTS PAGE DEDICATION ........ v PREFACE -........ vii CONTENTS .......... xi LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ......... xiii INTRODUCTION .......... xv FAGUS. THE NORTHERN BEECHFS ........ x COMMON BEECH .......... 6 AILANTHUS. TREE OF HEAVEN . . . . . . . . 2o SOPHORA ........... 36 ARAUCARIA ........... 4 3 GINKGO. MAIDENHAIR TREE . . . . . . . _ 55 LlRIODENDRON ..... .... 63 CHINESE TULIP TREE . . . . . . . . _ g, TULIP TREE . . ....... 65 PICEA. SPRUCE-FIRS . . . . . . . , . 75 SERVIAN SPRUCE .......... 78 BREWER'S SPRUCE . . . . . . . . . 82 AJAN SPRUCE .......... 85 HONDO SPRUCE .......... 89 MENZIES' SPRUCE ......... 92 TAXUS ........... 98 COMMON YEW . . . . . . _ _ .100 CRYPTOMERIA . . . . . . . . .127 PYRUS ........... 141 TRUE SERVICE . ..... . 146 xi
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Page 5 and 6: Trees of Great Britain Ireland BY H
Page 7: PREFACE THE United Kingdom offers a
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Page 29 and 30: SOPHORA Sophora, Linnaeus, Gen. PI.
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2OO The Trees of Great Britain and
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a 7" KSrJi «£^«~ **». . "" ^ '"
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INARCHED BP;ECH AT ASIIRIDGE TLATE
Page 117 and 118:
13KECII WOOD AT SLINHON A ru 6.
Page 119 and 120:
BEECH AT NEWBATTLE Pi .ATE 8.
Page 121 and 122:
I BEECH AT GORDON CASTLE TLAI-K 10.
Page 123 and 124:
KING BEECH AT KNOLE I'LAIE 12.
Page 125 and 126:
AILANTHUS AT BELTON PLATE 14.
Page 127 and 128:
SOI'HORA AT CAMBRIDGE PLATE 16.
Page 129 and 130:
ARAUCARIA FOREST IN CM ILK I'l.MT.
Page 131 and 132:
ARAUCARIAS AT BEAUFORT
Page 133 and 134:
MAIDENHAIR T liEK AT FKOGMOKF. PLAT
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TULIP TREE IN NORTH CAROLINA 1'LATE
Page 137 and 138:
TULIP TREE AT KILLERTON PLATE 26.
Page 139 and 140:
PLATE SERVIAN SPRUCE IN BOSNIA 28.
Page 141 and 142:
MENZIES' SPRUCE AT BEAUFORT PLATE 3
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YEW AVENUE AT MIDIIURST PLATE 32.
Page 145 and 146:
i '*m i t /n b &; y'JM i /Jk, - •
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•• *-' YEW AT WHITTIKGHAME PLAT
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CRYPTOMERIA FOREST IN NORTH JAPAN 1
Page 151 and 152:
CRYPTOMEKIAS AT IMAICHI I'l.ATE 40.
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CRYPTOMERIA AT HEMSTED PLATK 42.
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PYRUS. PLATE 44.
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SORB TREE AT ARLEV PLATE 46.
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SERVICE TREE AT RICKMANSWORTH >.mmm
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'^iji^m^^Jt^.^M. SERVICE TREE AT SY
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DECIDUOUS CYPRESS IN VIRGINIA PLATE
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DECIDUOUS CYPRESS AT SYON Tr.ATE 54
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GIANT THUYA IN VANCOUVER'S ISLAND P
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Plate 58 represents the trunk of wh
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j« WESTERN HEMLOCK GROWING ON FALL
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