744 THE GIANT ARBOR-VIT^.. [April 



girthing at 3 feet and 5 feet, 4 feet 9 inches and 4 feet 7 inches 

 i-espectively, and a diameter of spread of branches covering 13 feet. 

 There are, however, several of about the same size, but I believe the 

 one whose dimensions are here given to be about the best. The 

 trunk is in every instance remarkably straight and clean, and covered 

 with thin, smooth, but somewhat scaly brownish-black bark. I 

 have never known even one instance in which this tree has suffered 

 from the effects of the wind ; even during the memorable " Tay 

 Bridge gale," when nearly every other species was more or less 

 maimed, the Ihv.ia (jigantea stood unharmed, and passed through 

 the trying ordeal without loss of either branch or leader — indeed, 

 at the time its immunity from harm was the source of comment on 

 several occasions. The leading shoot is so plastic that I have 

 on more than one occasion tied it in a knot without effecting the 

 least damage, and when released, it springs back to the original 

 position in a manner that is quite surprising. 



The nursery management of Thuia (jigantea is of the simplest 

 ■description ; indeed, I know of no conifer that is more readily raised 

 from seed, transplants with greater safety, or gives less trouble in 

 the way of pruning or training. Ample space, it may, however, be 

 well to say, should at all times be allowed it whilst in the nursery 

 ]x)rders, and oft-transplanting, as witli other trees, induces the 

 formation of numerous rootlets ; therefore to have nice, bushy, well- 

 rooted plants, the two requisites alone are plenty of room and 

 I'requent removals. As it grows very rapidly, this Thuia can be 

 planted out permanently when of a few years' growth; but although 

 such a course is well enough suited for general forest planting, we 

 find it a good plan, when the tree is wanted for decorative purposes, 

 to keep it in the nursery till a height of say 8 feet or 10 feet is 

 attained, at which size it transplants with perfect safety. 



By way of experiment, we, three years ago, planted a small piece 

 of ground with Thuia gigantea at 24 feet apart, the intervening 

 spaces being filled up with larch, Scotch fir, and some hard-woods 

 for removal at an early date. The standards were from 5 feet to 

 feet high at time of planting, bushy, and well rooted, so that they 

 started away vigorously during the following spring; but the position 

 of the ground being somewhat exposed has naturally retarded growth 

 to some extent compared with what the trees previously formed 

 whilst in the nursery ground. So far, however, they look well, but 

 it is yet premature to speak with any amount of certainty regarding 

 their value for withstanding the rather adverse influences of both 

 soil and exposure to which they have been subjected. Where 

 planted amongst the general run of forest trees, they certainly augur 

 well, and in several cases where rather confined spaces have been 



