174 ON THE ABIES ALBERTIANA, 



apart, while those on Mertensiana are found to be unusually 

 close together. 



Named in memory of the late lamented Prince Consort, and 

 in recognition of his skill and zeal in forming the fine collection 

 of coniferous plants at Osborne, this pine, on its extended intro- 

 duction from British Columbia by Mr Brown in 1861, at once 

 became a popular favourite with pine growers. It has not, 

 however, been as yet mdely planted for profit ; but its great 

 beauty and graceful habit have secured for it a place in ahnost 

 every ornamental collection m Britain. It has proved itself 

 quite hardy in most situations, and is not particular as to soil or 

 exposure. It appears, like all the other species and varieties of 

 the spruce family, to thrive most luxuriantly when planted in a 

 cool moist soil, Ijut succeeds very well also on peat bog. Some 

 of the finest specimens to be met with in this country are grow- 

 ing in soil of a deep loamy nature, on a gTavelly porous subsoil. 

 Eeference to the table appended to this paper will give details 

 of the progress of some thriving examples throughout various 

 parts of Scotland, and particulars of their conditions. There 

 can be no doubt that A. Alhertiana is quite hardy in this 

 country ; and it is owing to the scarcity of seeds during the 

 early years of its first discovery in 1851 that taller specimens 

 are scarce in Scotland, the majority of' those now to be found in 

 most situations being the produce of those importations in 

 quantity sent by Mr Bro^vn of the British Columbian Expedi- 

 tion in 1861 and 1862. It does not appear to be injuriously 

 afl'ected by extreme elevation in tliis country, after the 3'oung 

 plants are thoroughly acchmatised, for it is found at Hafodunos, 

 in Abergele, Denbighshire, thriving admirably at an altitude of 

 from 700 to 800 feet above sea-level ; and on the Kihnun Estate, 

 in Argyleshire, it is making rapid growths in all situations, at 

 altitudes varying from 10 to 500 feet. In this locaUty it does 

 not seem to like the strong cutting winds which prevail from 

 west and north-west ; and in situations exposed to these points 

 its gTo^vth is less rapid, and its slender top shoot is liable some- 

 times to be snapped over. The plan adopted on tliis well- 

 managed estate, in planting this and other varieties of the newer 

 coniferae, is to establish the young plants during theii' infancy 

 in seedling rows in a home nursery, whence they are afterwards 

 removed, M'ith a little soil adhering to their rootlets, and planted 

 into pits on the hill-sides previously prepared for them, and into 

 which, if the situation be very stony and rocky, some good soil 

 has been put. This plan is, however, open to the objection that, 

 in situations not adapted for it, a rapid or forced growth is in- 

 duced, rendering the trees, in sites open to the prevailing winds, 

 liable to lose their leading shoots of yoimg wood. At Hawkstone 

 Park, North Shropshire, at an elevation of 1000 feet, this and 



