264 THE FLORIST. 



son's Nonpareil receiving from the judges of the Horticultural Society 

 a Silver Knightian Medal, to mark, of course, its superior merits : this 

 in June. We next see, in July, Kitley's Carolina Superb, and 

 Underhill's Sir Harry, selected as entitled to their second distinctive 

 mark, the Silver Banksian ; the judges at the same time rejecting (for 

 what reasons they do not inform us) Ward's Omer Pacha, which an 

 equally competent authority a few days before had pronounced worthy 

 a medal. Now if any value attaches to these awards, as stamping the 

 merits of the respective fruits, they \Nall stand as follows : — Scarlet 

 Nonpareil, first class ; Carolina Superb and Sir Harry, second class ; 

 Omer Pacha, not noticed. These awards, mind, are made by the 

 judges of a society whose officers think they are doing everything 

 necessary to promote the raising of new fruits, and are stamping them 

 with a value proportionate to their merits ; and yet the evidence of all 

 the gardening world besides shows the above distinguishing marks to 

 be contradictory, so far as the real merits of the respective fruits are 

 concerned. After the above, who will be bold enough to say a Pomo- 

 ogical Society is not wanted ? 



DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF HARDY CONIFERS.— No. IX. 



XVII. TAXODIUM SEMPERVIRENS — THE BASTARD CEDAR. 



The Bastard Cedar is a native of various parts of California, from 

 which it was introduced to St. Petersburgh, and from thence to Eng- 

 land, in 1843 ; it is found abundantly on the mountain ranges of 

 Santa Cruz, situate 50 or 60 miles from Monterey. The late Pro- 

 fessor Endlicher considered it identical with the large trees noticed by 

 Douglas in the Califomian forests, which, however, is not the case ; 

 and the discovery lately of the immense Welhngtonia shows this latter 

 likewise to be distinct, as a comparison of the branches and cones of it 

 with those of our subject proves. The Taxodium, however, forms a 

 rival in size to the Wellington Cedar, for Mr. Hartweg informs us that 

 those discovered by him averaged 200 feet in height, with trunks from 

 18 to 24 feet in circumference, quite straight and clear of branches to 

 the height of 60 or 70 feet ; and one of this species is described as 

 being 270 feet high, with a trunk 55 feet in circumference. That the 

 Bastard Cedar attains both a great size and age, we may infer by there 

 being a slab of the wood of this tree at St. Petersburgh 15 feet in 

 diameter, marked with annual rings denoting a growth of upwards of 

 1000 years. 



Taxodium sempervirens, or Sequoia gigantea, as Endlicher calls it 

 (evidently through mistake), is an evergreen tree, with numerous 

 branches, small in coniparison with the trunk, and arranged alter- 

 nately. These take an horizontal and oflen pendulous direction, and 

 are furnished with numerous small branchlets. The cones are borne 

 on the ends of the brai^chlets solitary, no larger than a hazel nut^ and 

 with persistent scales. Leaves alternate, flat, narrow, half an inch or 



