o 
ARBORETUM NOTES. 143 
CONIFPERA: 
observed in the large tree first mentioned; but Abis | 
Douglasii 
in a much less degree. The bark of the young 
branches is very smooth, of a silvery grey colour ; 
that of the old trunk much and deeply cracked, 
with something of a cork-like look, but not corky 
to the touch. 
The leaf-buds are of a_ bright reddish-brown 
colour, very smooth and neatly formed, ovoid and 
pointed, composed of numerous thin and closely 
imbricated scales. There are several other trees 
of the kind in various parts of the grounds and 
park, but none very fine, though all grow well for 
some years after planting. The large tree first 
planted bears cones in abundance, and has done so 
regularly for many years past. Some of the 
younger trees in small plantations in the park 
also bear fruit freely. The cones with their long 
trident-shaped sharp-pointed bracts, projecting 
beyond the scales, have a very distinct and 
peculiar character, well represented in a woodcut 
in the Penny Cyclopedia (art. Abies). 
Dr. Lindley believed that the Douglas Fir 
would prove a valuable tree in cultivation for 
timber; but experience has not confirmed this 
supposition. A fine trunk of this Fir, 150 feet 
high, sent some years ago from British Columbia 
now stands as a flag-staff in Kew Gardens 
