avenue at Luton Park, in which most of the trees are good specimens, but unless the soil is good and uniform throughout, and the trees are selected with great care, I should not recommend this tree for avenues.
By far the best avenue of this tree that I have seen is one near Wellington College, which was planted in the year 1869 by the late John Walter, Esq., of Bear Wood, Berks, on a light, sandy soil which, however, seems to have suited the trees remarkably well, and on which the symmetry of their tops and uniformity of the growth is remarkable. It is about 1200 yards long, running about north and south, and is 25 yards in width. The trees are planted at 18 yards apart, which is about the right distance for this tree. The average height of the trees is 75 to 80 feet, and the largest that I measured on the west side near the top was 87 feet by 21 feet. Plate 198, taken specially for this work, gives a very good impression of its appear- ance. Mr. C. E. Salmon tells me that there is another avenue of this tree which was planted in 1871 by the late Mr. J. Walter in front of Bear Wood House.
At Aston Clinton, Bucks, the residence of Lady A. de Rothschild, there is a group of closely planted Wellingtonias with tall clean stems, tapering only slightly, and carrying timber size to 50 or 60 feet. The ground, which is a circular area 120 feet in diameter, is covered with decayed leaves and is free from herbaceous vegetation. On it there are seventy-two trees in all, ranging in height from 60 to 75 feet, and in girth from 4 feet 4 inches to 8 feet 2 inches at 6 feet from the ground, above the swollen base. This clump was planted in 1869, according to Mr. W. H. Warren, who has kindly sent us a photograph, reproduced in Plate 197. This beautiful grove, which was seen by Henry in 1906, shows how well the tree succeeds when planted densely on good land.
At Brickendon Grange, Hertford, the property of John Trotter, Esq., in a wood, composed of a mixture of common spruce, Wellingtonia, Cupressus macrocarpa, Abies Lowiana, and Pinus ponderosa, all planted at the same time, in 1861, the comparative girths of trees, measured by Mr. H. Clinton Baker, in December 1907, without selection, at 5 feet from the ground, are as follows:—
- Wellingtonia: 3 feet, 5 feet, 5 feet, 5 feet 2 inches, 5 feet 3 inches, 5 feet 10 inches.
- Cupressus macrocarpa: 4 feet, 4 feet 2 inches, 4 feet 8 inches, 4 feet 9 inches, 5 feet 3 inches, 5 feet 6 inches, 5 feet 7 inches, 5 feet 10 inches, 5 feet 10 inches.
- Abies Lowiana: 4 feet, 4 feet 10 inches.
- Pinus ponderosa: 5 feet 2 inches, 5 feet 3 inches.
- Common Spruce: 2 feet 2 inches, 2 feet 5 inches, 2 feet 6 inches, 2 feet 7 inches, 2 feet 8 inches, 2 feet 8 inches, 2 feet 10 inches, 3 feet 1 inch, 3 feet 3 inches.
Sir John Stirling Maxwell sends me the following measurements of some Wellingtonias planted in 1864 or 1865 at Cloverley Hall, Shropshire, the seat of Capt. Heywood Lonsdale, in mixture with spruce and larch.
