152 THE ESSEX NATURALIST
Cypress. There are many species and types of cypress
that add colour and variety to the Essex countryside, but
the two most important ones are undoubtedly the Monterey
cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa) and Lawson's cypress
(C. Lawsoniana). The former excels by the seaside,
standing salt spray and gales, and in sheltered places will
grow up to 60 feet in height. It is a very quick grower,
increasing in height by over a yard per year. Lawson's
cypress is, with all its varieties, the most popular conifer
for gardens. Considering the first tree was not introduced
into England until 1854, it is amazing how many fine trees
of this species are to be found in the county, and specimens
up to 50 feet high are quite frequently seen.
TREE PRESERVATION ORDERS
The County of Essex was one of the first local authorities
to realise the importance of retaining some of the best trees
which we have inherited from the past, and in 1932 the
Essex County Council Act was passed so that outstanding
trees growing in private gardens, parklands, copse or wood-
land can be preserved for the benefit of all. From 1933 until
the present day, 1,247 trees have been preserved under this
Act. In many cases they were registered in order to save
them from being felled, whilst in other cases they were
registered as being outstanding specimens of their type or
ideally situated from an amenity aspect. Trees registered
in this way include not only ash, oak, beech and pine, but
also the more ornamental types such as horse chestnut, cedar
and cypress, and in addition there are quite a number of
the more unusual trees, which include Liriodendron,
Taxodium distichum, Wellingtonia, Alnus glutinosa im-
perialis, etc. Short-lived trees such as silver birch and small
ornamental trees such as cherry and crab, have not, as a
rule, been included, and the trees must be at least three
feet in girth and 30 feet high before they are registered.
These rules have, in many cases, emphasised the retention
of very large mature and over-mature trees, whilst young
saplings with a potentially much longer life growing nearby
have been ignored. The trees, when registered, cannot be