CONIFERS COLLECTED IN UPPER CALIFORNIA. 211 



The plants for the third succession must be selected from 

 those cut down in September ; they sliould be introduced into 

 the forcing-house in April along with the others ; they should 

 not be shifted then, but stopped back, and when they have broken 

 they should be shifted, and afterwards treated in all respects as 

 the former lots. 



The soil which I use for my plants consists of equal portions 

 of rich friable loam, leaf-mould, and well-decomposed cow-dung, 

 mixed with coarse silver sand and lime rubbish to the amount of 

 about one-eighth of the whole : these should be well incorporated 

 with a spade, but not sifted. For large plants especially ample 

 drainage is essential — say a few oyster-shells, and over these 

 an inch in thickness of the rough siftings of old lime rubbish, 

 then a layer of flaky hot-bed manure. I would here remark 

 that during their earlier stages of growth, the soil should not 

 be of so forcing or heavy a character as for more advanced 

 plants ; I mean it should contain more sand and less dung. 



The stronger growing sorts of Pelargonium most suitable for 

 the above rotation are, the Slirubland Superb, Ibrahim Pacha, 

 Royalist, Tarn O'Shanter, and Eclipse. 



The best dwarfs are. Phenomenon, Brompton Hero, and Tom 

 Thumb ; the latter variety requires a much larger proportion 

 of cow-dun^- and leaf-mould, to grow it well, than any of the 

 other sorts, and it is the only one with which I am acquainted 

 that will bear forcing. They should be stopped once or twice 

 during their earlier stages of growth, which will cause them to 

 assume a more dv/arf and bushy habit, but they must not be 

 stop2ied before their flowers, like the large growing sorts. 



XXV. — Notes upon some newly -introduced Conifers collected 

 by Mr. Hartiveq in Upper California. By George Gordon, 

 A.L.S. 



It has been known for some years past, from dried specimens 

 and other memoranda brought home by the late Dr. Coulter, 

 that several very desirable firs were to be found growing on the 

 mountains of Upper California, some of which were of gigantic 

 stature and well suited for the climate of England ; and as Mr. 

 Hartweg, when in the service of the Society as collector in that 

 country, succeeded in procuring good seeds and specimens of 

 most of them, which he brought with him on his return to 

 England in June, 1848; and as a large quantity of the same 

 have now been distributed to the Fellows of the Society, either 

 in seeds or young plants, some account of the different kinds 

 may be found serviceable, particularly as the names under which 



VOL. IV. Q 



