HORSE-CHESTNUT TREE. HIPPOCASTINEE. ESCULUS. HEPTANDRIA MONOGYNIA. Esculus, from esca, food. It was formerly named Castanea equina, from the similitude of the fruit to that of the common chestnut, and from its being eaten by horses. Hippocastanum has the same signification: this was formerly the generic name: now it is only the specific name for the common Horse-Chestnut. French, the common kind, marronier; the others, pavia: Italian, the common kind, castagno d'India; the other sorts, ippocastano. THE common Horse-Chestnut (Esculus hippocastanum) is generally considered as one of the most ornamental trees in our plantations. The branches of this tree, when it stands singly, are disposed in a beautiful form; the large palmated leaves, which are composed of seven leaflets, gradually decreasing in size from the middle one to the outer ones; and their elegant drooping position, contrasted by the large upright pyramidal thyrsus of flowers, variegated towards the centre with yellow or red, are truly magnificent. "For in its honour prodigal nature weaves HOWITT'S Forest Minstrel. 1 The capsule, or seed-vessel, is divided into three cells, in which lie the nuts, two of which are generally sacrificed to the welfare of their third companion; these nuts are no less beautiful, when fresh, than is the tree that bears them: many of these nuts have the appearance of the most elegantly veined and finely polished mahogany. Martyn remarks, that this tree has not of late been so much planted in avenues and walks as formerly, on account of the early falling of the leaves, which makes a litter under them, even from July till they all have fallen; but notwithstanding this inconvenience, says he, the tree has great merit, for it affords a noble shade very early; and during the time of flowering, no tree has more beauty. Another inconvenience attending this noble tree is, that it does not well resist violent and stormy winds; yet it looks best when standing apart, where the branches have room to spread. The blossoms appear in May, or, as the poet will have it, in June; and continue in beauty a month or more. "In June that chestnut shot its blossomed spires As if some sylvan deity had hung Its dim umbrageousness with votive wreaths." D. M. MOIR.* Mr. Gilpin is no great admirer of this tree; indeed he rather quarrels with all large-leaved trees. "It forms its foliage," says he, "generally in a round mass, with little appearance of those breaks which contribute to give an airiness and lightness, at least a richness and variety, to the whole mass of foliage. This tree, however, is * See Time's Telescope for 1825, p. 258. chiefly admired for its flower, which in itself is beautiful; but the whole tree together in flower is a glaring object, totally inharmonious and unpicturesque. In some situations, indeed, and among a profusion of other wood, a single Horse-Chestnut or two in bloom may be beautiful. As it forms an admirable shade, it may be of use, too, in thickening distant scenery, or in screening an object near at hand for there is no species of foliage, however heavy, nor any species of bloom, however glaring, which may not be brought, by some proper contrast, to produce a good effect *." Dr. Aikin says, " its introduction here has been solely owing to its beauty; in which, at the flowering season, it certainly excels every other tree that bears our climate." Evelyn, and his editor, Dr. Hunter, speak highly of its singular beauty. "I wish we did more universally cultivate the HorseChestnut," says Evelyn; "which being easily increased from layers, grows into a goodly standard, and bears a most glorious flower, even in our cold country.” "The Horse-Chestnut," observes Dr. Hunter," is a tree of singular beauty; the leaves are large, fine, and palmated, and appear very early in the spring. It is naturally uniform in its growth, always forming its head into a regular parabola. In the spring it produces long spikes of rich and beautiful flowers." The timber is not very valuable: it is reckoned very good for subterraneous water-pipes, for fuel, and for turnery-ware, for which Dr. Hunter informs us that it is valued in the north at sixpence a foot. Sheep, deer, and hogs feed greedily upon the nuts; and * Gilpin's Forest Scenery, i. 61. When boiled, poultry are fed with them. In Turkey they are ground and mixed with the provender of horses; which, according to Evelyn, is the origin of their name. these nuts decay, they turn to a kind of jelly, which has been found a good substitute for soap in washing. The bark of the tree is used in tanning leather. The Horse-Chestnut is of very quick growth: Martyn mentions some raised from the nut, that, at twelve or fourteen years of age, would shade several chairs under their branches; being also covered with flowers. The Horse-Chestnut was brought from the northern parts of Asia into Europe, about the year 1550; about eight years later it was introduced into Vienna, from whence it migrated to France and Italy; but to us it came directly from the Levant. Gerarde, in his Herbal, speaks of it only as a foreign tree; in Johnson's edition of that work, he says, "Horse-Chestnut groweth in Italy, and in sundry places of the east countries; it is now growing with Mr. Tradescant, at South Lambeth." Parkinson says, 66 our Christian world first had the knowledge of it from Constantinople." He places it as a fruit-tree in his orchard, with the walnut and mulberry; and how little it was then known (1629) may be learned by his describing the fruit as sweet-flavoured, roasted and eaten as the common chestnut. This tree is perhaps as unsightly in the winter, when destitute of leaves, as it is beautiful in full verdure; the branches appear clumsy and faggot-like: at the ends of the branches, before the leaves shoot out, the buds become very turgid and large; from thence they sprout forth, and in three or four weeks the shoot is full grown; after that time it increases, indeed, in size and strength, but not in length. These shoots are sometimes a foot and a half long, and the leaves in this space of time are fully expanded. No sooner have the flowers fallen than the buds begin to form for the succeeding year; they continue swelling till autumn, at which season they are covered with a thick tenacious juice, which defends the tender buds from the frost and rain of winter. Upon the first return of warmth in the spring, this juice melts and runs off, leaving the bud at liberty to open. The buds being always formed at the extremity of the branches, plainly indicates that they must not be shortened, as the shoots for the ensuing year would so be entirely cut off. There are varieties of this tree in the nurseries, both with gold and with silver-striped leaves. The scarlet Horse-Chestnut, Esculus pavia, grows about twenty feet high; it does not spread its branches to any great extent: the leaves are of a light green, opposite, and on long red foot-stalks. The flowers grow at the ends of the branches, also upon long and naked foot-stalks, each sustaining four or five flowers: they are much smaller than in the common species, wholly red, tubulous, without any brim; they blow in June, and are sometimes succeeded by fruit; but it seldom comes to maturity in England. This tree is from Brazil, Carolina, and Florida; Japan, and several parts of the East; and was cultivated here in 1712. 66 Thunberg observed by the road-side near Copenhagen, many fine avenues of Horse-Chestnut trees, the trunks of which had been wreathed, when young, into a spiral form at the bottom *." Thunberg's Travels, vol. i. page 3. |