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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 6

Arboretum

Arboretum.

Whilst the loss of old trees in this piece of ground, by decay and the winter gales, goes on as usual, the plantations of young ones are flourishing, and have, in some places, attained a height of 15 to 20 feet. Still there is a great deal to be done both in removal of old trees and the planting of new; and as the plantations of the latter require digging twice a year, it is obvious that the keeping of the sylvan scenery of the Arboretum will ever entail a heavy cost, quite irrespective of the labour which must be bestowed upon the collections that are interspersed amongst the more openly timbered parts, and occupy the open spaces.

The most extensive of the young plantations is that along the river side, extending from the Brentford Ferry Gate to opposite Sion House, which was made in 1862 with the object of hiding the town of Brent-ford. It occupied the ground which had already been devoted to the collection of elms, walnuts, hickories, and a portion of that devoted to oaks, and contained 8,750 trees, besides shrubs in large quantities to act as nurses to the young trees. Owing to the badness of the soil and to the exposure to the west and southwest, this plantation made very slow growth for the first 10 years, since which period it has been more rapid, and the elms especially have, in many cases, assumed a very handsome appearance. From time to time this plantation had been thinned here and there, and in 1868 an avenue parallel to the river was cut through it; but it was not till the present year that it was taken in hand as a final measure, when all the trees that interfered with those best worth keeping, together with the old shrubs, have been removed. During this clearing, many of the specimen elms and oaks which had been buried in the plantation have been exposed; of these the elms, being grafts in many cases, had, with a few exceptions, either dwindled or perished, but the oaks had greatly improved, and the Quercetum by the river, to which large additions of species are being yearly made, is already an important feature. The specimens will be provided with hanging wooden labels, giving their names and native countries.

The oak collection has been further extended by the transplantation of many species and varieties (whose roots were cut for the purpose last year (see 1877 Report, p. 13) to the sides of the paths from the nursery beds in which they were brought forward; these also have been provided with conspicuous labels.

The collection of beeches, chest-nuts, hornbeams, &c. will have to be disposed of next year in a similar manner.

The collection of poplars along the path leading to the south from that which goes to the Brentford Gate has been much enlarged and improved by contributions of rare and new kinds, especially from Messrs. Van Volxen of Brussels and Booth of Hamburgh, gentlemen whose liberality to this establishment has been continuous for many years. To these and to Messrs. Lee of Hammersmith, Osborne of Fulham, and other firms whose names are recorded on p. 19, I have to tender my sincere acknowledgments for many contributions and much public-spirited support.

The beds of Rosaceæ to the west of the Pagoda Avenue have been supplied with fresh soil, thinned of shrubs, which had been planted amongst them as nurses, and improved in various ways.

A collection of varieties of ivy has been made by the curved walks page 9 leading up to the King William Temple on the south side.

A bed for the collection of Clematis has been made on the west side of the small garden near the Temple of Minden.

New beds for the heaths and allied plants (Ericaceæ) in the ground to the west of King William's Temple have been finished and filled with specimens for the most part generously presented by the leading nurserymen.