OCTOBER. bl5 



PINUS CRAIGIANA. 



Description. —Leaves in threes, 4i inches long, thin, and fine. Sheath l-3d 

 inch long, fine, smooth, and tightly fitting. Cones light brown, 3 to 3J 

 inches long, and nearly 2 inches across, and about 6 inches in circumference 

 at the broadest part— oblong, elliptical. There is a little difference between 

 the scales on the outer and inner side — those on the outer side being rather 

 more developed, but it is not very marked. Scales an inch long, with a 

 strongly marked apophysis. The medial line crosses the exposed part of the 

 scale within a third of the top. A pretty strong short-hooked umbo, after 

 making a short curve towards the base, points to the tip of the cone. Seeds 

 winged, l-8th of an inch in length. Spermoderm speckled, ^yings 5-8ths 

 of an inch in length, and nearly 3-8ths of an inch across, pale fawn colour, 

 darker at the tip, and with purplish brown streaks running longitudinally. 

 There is a small rounded purple-tipped tract l-8th of an inch in length at 

 the base and back of the scale. 



It differs from the preceding species (P. Beardsleyi) in having the 

 prickle of the scale pointing towards the tip, instead of the base. The 

 prickle, too, is strong and firm in Craigiana ; in Beardsleyi it is small 

 and weak. The apophysis, or excrescence, on the exposed part of the 

 scale is smaller in point of space, but more prominent in Craigiana 

 than in Beardsleyi, which has the exposed part somewhat flat, while in 

 Craigiana the upper part projects over the lower. The wing of the 

 seed of Craigiana is shorter and relatively broader. The seed is nearly 

 twice the size of that of Beardsleyi, although the cones are about the 

 same size. The leaf of Craigiana is finer than that of Beardsleyi, and 

 not so long. The sheath of the leaf is finer, and considerably longer. 

 Craigiana was found on the same mountains as Beardsleyi, but growing 

 lower down, and below it again appeared Benthamiana. It spreads its 

 branches wider from the stem than Benthamiana, and sheds its seed a 

 month later. The Messrs. Murray have dedicated this handsome Pine 

 to Sir W. Gibson Craig, Bart., of Riccarton, whose enthusiasm, they 

 justly remark, has done so much to promote the cultivation and intro- 

 duction of new Pine trees ; and who, in particular, was one of those 

 who chiefly conduced to I\Ir. William Murray's undertaking the 

 expedition of which this Pine forms part of the fi'uits. — From the 

 Scottish Gardener. 



SCOTTISH PANSY SOCIETY. 



This Society held its autumn meeting at Glasgow, on the 12th of Sep- 

 tember, and was the first Exhibition the Society had held at this period 

 of the year, and there seems to be a difference of opinion as to the pro- 

 priety of an Autumn Show, as the " Edinbro' folk " maintain they 

 have a much drier situation than the Glasgow growers have, and con- 

 sequently cannot get so good a bloom with summer growth. We 

 believe the West ol Scotland growers have an advantage here ; still, do 

 the Edinburgh growers bring all their skill to bear on the occasion ? 

 Have the flowers now to be seen about Edinburgh been the result of 

 superior cultivation ? We say. No ; and believe much more could be 

 done towards producing a fine autumnal flower, by using a stiffer soil. 



