White Knights we found in excellent order; and we spent two days in examining the trees with Mr. Ward. We were here confirmed in certain opinions respecting the identity of species belonging to the genus Cratï¾µgus, which we had entertained from observing the plants in the Horticultural Society's Garden and at Messrs. Loddiges. C. prunifolia, C. hybrida, C. arbutifolia, C. ovalifolia, C. elliptica, C. salicifolia, C. splendens, and C. lucida, are all decidedly mere varieties of C. Crus-galli. Some of these names, indeed, are mere synonymes. A number of trees, which appear very distinct in their foliage when in a young state in the nurseries, acquire so great a sameness after they have been planted thirty or forty years, as to show that they are mere varieties: this we found to be particularly the case with some varieties of the lime tree, which are certainly very distinct in the Horticultural Society's Garden, but which, at White Knight's, seem all to be included in Tilia europï¾µa parvifolia, T. e. grandifolia, T. americana, and T. a. pubescens. The smooth and the rough American limes appear to become quite the same after a certain age. The Swedish and British junipers, also, appear here to be decidedly the same. But we should fill the whole Number, if we were to detail all the observations which we made on trees at this place. We shall therefore conclude with one remark, which is, that, as there is no particular arrangement followed in planting the trees at White Knights, it is much to be regretted that those species which grow naturally in damp situations were not placed in the lowest parts of the ground; because, in such a dry season as the present, where peat earth plants occur on rising grounds, they are burnt up: this was particularly the case at White Knights, with the deciduous magnolias, the Cornus florida, and the rhododendrons, azaleas, &c. On the other hand, the marshy ground adjoining of the great pond is planted with the commoner forest trees, and with pines, firs, and junipers, all of which grow best in dry soils. Such errors in the progress of an art are unavoidable; but it is the duty of the rising generation, to turn to account the mistakes of their predecessors. It is also much to be regretted, that the indigenous and common trees at White Knights are not thinned out from among the exotics: for, in a few years, a great number of the latter will be destroyed by them. We have no sympathy with that indiscriminate love of trees which would plant anything and everything, and would cut down nothing; leaving the stronger, which, of course, are the common indigenous sorts, to destroy the more choice ones, which are always the weakest. Whatever is artificial requires the continual superintendence of art.
