1886.] THE GIANT ABBOR-VITyE. 743 



shoot that is as thin and pliable as a whip handle. The brandies 

 are numerous, very irregularly arranged along the stem, and short 

 in proportion to tlie tree's height, the branch diameter of a 50-feet 

 specimen being usually but 12 feet at the widest part. They are 

 placed at right angles to the stem, or nearly so, and with up-curved 

 tips, very flexible, and covered with scale-like, finely-pointed leaves, 

 which are of a bright glossy green on the upper side, and distinctly 

 glaucous beneath. Cones clustered near the ends of the branches, 

 fully half an incli long, and resembling very closely those of the 

 common American arbor-vit;e. They are produced in great abund- 

 ance at Penrhyn, but usually only on the top half of the trees, 

 and when fully ripe impart, from their great quantity and light- 

 brown colour, a by-no-means uninteresting feature to the trees. 



Perhaps the finest examples of the growth of Thuia giijantca here 

 occur on deep, sandy, rather moist loam ; but I should say that as 

 regards choice of soil this tree is far from particular, for we have 

 also rapid-growing, well-furnished specimens on rocky dAbris, deep, 

 well-decayed vegetable matter, rough sandy soil, and in loam of a 

 rather stiff, plastic nature, thus showing that, unlike some other 

 conifers, the one in question is far from difficult to please in the way 

 of soil. As to exposure, it is also to a great extent indifferent, 

 although there is certainly a marked difference between trees grow- 

 ing in open, sheltered situations in the park and such as have been 

 planted out in bare, exposed places over the estate; but this, at least 

 on Penrhyn, is not to be wondered at, for although the park and 

 adjacent maritime grounds are fairly mild and sheltered, still the 

 plantations on other portions of the estate more inland suffer severely 

 at times from the long-continued south-western blasts to which we 

 are particularly susceptible. I do not say that in such situations 

 it will not thrive, and when circumstances are taken into considera- 

 tion thrive well, but what is meant to be understood is that in well- 

 sheltered places near the sea, the annual rate of growth is consider- 

 ably in advance of what it is when the tree is grown farther inland 

 and in exposed situations. 



In stiff, tenacious soils, such as approach clay in texture and that 

 are more or less impervious to moisture, we cannot say that this tree 

 progresses in a very satisfactory manner, or makes the long, clean 

 annual growth that is so characteristic of it when planted in almost 

 any other soil, not even excepting prepared peat bog. The average 

 annual rate of growth of twenty-four trees of Thuia gigantea, grow- 

 ing under ordinary conditions in the park here, is 22 inches ; but 

 even this is, I think, surpassed by young trees of 8 feet to 10 feet 

 growing in our home nursery. AVe may add that the largest speci- 

 men of this Tlnda at Penrhvn is Y2 feet in height, with a bole 



