Scientific American Supplement, No. 417, December 29, 1883Various
Science
Scientific American Supplement, No. 417, December 29, 1883
Various
Science -- Periodicals
"Having left Ispahan, in order to explore the province of Ghilan, he
found this tree in the forests which he traversed before arriving
at Recht, a town situated on the Caspian Sea. In this town he had
opportunities of remarking the use made of the wood, and of judging how
highly it was appreciated by the inhabitants." The first tree introduced
into Europe appears to have been planted by M. Lemonnier, Professor of
Botany in the Jardin des Plautes, etc., in his garden near Versailles.
This garden was destroyed in 1820, and the dimensions of the tree
when it was cut down were as follows: Height 70 feet, trunk 7 feet in
circumference at 5 feet from the ground. The bole of the trunk was 20
feet in length and of nearly uniform thickness; and the proportion of
heart-wood to sap-wood was about three quarters of its diameter. This
tree was about fifty years old, but was still in a growing state and in
vigorous health. The oldest tree existing in France at the time of the
publication of Loudon's great work, was one in the Jardin des Plantes,
which in 1831 was about 60 feet high. It was planted in 1786 (when a
sucker of four years old), about the same time as the limes which form
the grand avenue called the Allee de Buffon. "There is, however, a much
larger Zelkowa on an estate of M. le Comte de Dijon, an enthusiastic
planter of exotic trees, at Podenas, near Nerac, in the department of
the Lot et Garonne. This fine tree was planted in 1789, and on the 20th
of January, 1831. it measured nearly 80 feet high, and the trunk was
nearly 3 feet in diameter at 3 feet from the ground." A drawing of this
tree, made by the count in the autumn of that year, was lent to Loudon
by Michaux, and the engraving prepared from that sketch (on a scale of 1
inch to 12 feet) is herewith reproduced. At Kew the largest tree is one
near the herbarium (a larger one had to be cut down when the herbarium
was enlarged some years ago, and a section of the trunk is exhibited
in Museum No. 3). Its present dimensions are: height, 62 feet;
circumference of stem at 1 foot from the ground, 9 feet 8 inches; ditto
at ground level, 10 feet; Height of stem from ground to branches, 7
feet; diameter of head, 46 feet. The general habit of the tree is quite
that as represented in the engraving of the specimen at Podenas. The
measurements of the large tree at Syon House were, in 1834, according to
Loudon: Height, 54 feet; circumference of of stem, 6 feet 9 inches;
and diameter of head, 34 feet; the present dimensions, for which I am
indebted to Mr. Woodbridge, are: Height, 76 feet; girth of trunk at 2½
feet from ground, 10 feet; spread of branches, 36 feet.
[Illustration: FLOWERS AND FRUIT OF ZELKOVA CRENATA (_Planera
Richardi_).]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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