81 
September, therefore it is necessary for collectors of seeds to be at 
work during the first three weeks of that month. There appears to 
be some difficulty in obtaining seeds through the usual channels, and 
most of the importations which’ have been made were by private 
enterprise. Though the trees at Kew bear cones freely, they 
invariably fail to perfect their seeds. 
LL, occidentalis could be tried either as a pure plantation or as a 
mixture in the same way as the common larch. The latter method 
of culture would probably be the more successful one. . 
Tue Western Hemiock Spruce (Tsuga Mertensiana, Carr.). 
This appears to be the most suitable of the several N. American 
hemlock spruces for trying under forest conditions in the British 
Isles for in America it grows to a larger size and produces better 
timber than 7’. canadensis, Carr., the hemlock spruce of N. E. 
America, and is hardier than the mountain hemlock, 7’. Pattoniana, 
Engelm. of California, 
_ Its distribution extends from South-eastern Alaska to San 
Francisco. It is said to be most abundant in Washington. 
Oregon and British Columbia; its largest proportions being 
attained in the humid atmosphere of the coast region from sea 
level to an altitude of 2000 feet. Where the more favourable 
conditions prevail, it sometimes attains a height of 200 feet with a | 
girth of 10 feet. Hough says that towards the more northeriy 
parts of its habitat it grows to a larger size than any other forest 
tree, and he also describes it as the largest representative of the genus. 
The wood is described as “light, rather hard, tough, close- 
grained, susceptible of a good polish, of a pale, yellowish-brown 
colour with lighter sap-wood” (Hough, American Woods,. ix. 
No. 223, pp. 50-51). It is said to be easily worked, stronger and 
more durable than eastern hemlock, and to be used to a considerable — 
extent for house-building and general construction purposes, though 
it suffers to some extent on account of the bad reputation the eastern 
species has obtained for coarseness. In addition to the timber being 
valuable for lumber, it makes good pulp for paper-making, and the 
bark is rich in tannin. The bark has been used by the North 
American Indians for making into a coarse kind of bread. A 
specimen of this bread is to be seen in Museum No. 3 at Kew, and 
an account of the nutritive character of the bark may be found 
in Sargent’s “ Silva of North America,” xi. 
he species grows well as an ornamental specimen in many parts 
of the British Isles, and it is being tried as a forest tree in a few 
ate In the “ Transactions of the Royal Scottish Aboricultural 
Society,” xx. 1997, pp. 101-2, there is a Report on “ Experimental 
Plots at Novar,” by Clive Marriott, and 7. Mertensiana is one of 
the trees dealt with. Two plots, edch one acre in extent, had been 
planted, one with the hemlock spruce and larch in equal proportions, 
and the other with pure hemlock spruce. In neither case had the 
Tsuga done well except where a certain amount of shelter was 
afforded, and the opinion expressed was, that it ought only to be 
planted in those places where it can have a considerable amount of 
protection. Compared with Douglas fir grown on another plot, it 
was a decidedly inferior tree. The plots had been planted from 
three to five years when the report was drawn up. : 
