34 
grows to the height of one hundred and fifty feet, with a diameter 
of eight or ten feet. It yields a great deal of valuable resin,. 
which is closely like that which is found in a fossilized form in 
districts where the tree no longer grows. Amber is the fossil resin 
of an extinct pine, and there is no doubt that the good state of 
preservation of some coniferous wood is due to the resin it contains, 
and does not the protective nature of their resin account for the 
hardiness of the Conifers as a family? The common Cypress 
(Cupressus sempervirens) is famous not only for its size, but for the 
great age it attains. Its timber is rarely attacked by insects, and 
is so durable that it lasts hundreds of years. An Italian specimen 
of great size was looked upon as a veteran as long as six hundred 
years ago. The ‘“‘ Monkey tree’’ of Chili is peculiar among Coni- - 
fers, if only on account of its broad sharp leaves, which are ‘ too 
much of a good thing” for the monkeys, for they cannot climb the 
tree. Hence the native name of it means ‘‘monkey puzzle.’”” 
Botanists call it Avaucaria imbricata. It has the staminate 
flowers on one tree, and the fertile flowers on another, like our 
willows. This cone-bearing tree reaches a height of one hundred 
feet, and furnishes a large supply of edible seeds, much prized by 
the natives. The largest tree in Japan is a conifer called Cryp- 
tomeria japonica. It reaches a hundred and twenty feet in height,. 
and forms the chief part of many forests. The cones are in shape 
and size like marbles, but rather prickly, and the wood, like that 
of many other trees of the order, is not only of a rich colour, but 
very fragrant. The common Larch must not be forgotten, for it is. 
one of the most valuable of trees. The Weymouth pine (Pinus 
stvobus ) 18 a great handsome tree, with silvery leaves. The giant. 
(or sugar) pine towers up three hundred feet, and is of large. 
diameter. It yields a clear exudation, with a sugary taste, and 
has cones from twelve inches to eighteen inches long. A tall and 
showy tree is the Virginian juniper, or pencil cedar, so called 
because its rich-coloured fragrant wood is very largely used for 
pencils, or cedar pencils, as we often call them. Several other 
pines, by which is meant true pines, as distinct from spruce firs 
and silver firs, must be almost passed over, although they are 
stately trees and of very great value. Their names are suggestive— 
Pinus australis, pinus canariensis, pinus excelsa, pinus insignis, pinus longi- 
folia, pinus muricata, pinus pinaster, the huge pinus ponderosa, and the: 
Corsican pine, pinus laricio. A variety of this last is called the 
Austrian pine, which is largely planted on the Lower Road,andis a 
good tree for such a situation. In the spring the whitish shoots 
contrast well with the rich green of the old leaves, and the trees. 
are handsome so long as they are left alone. Their branches are- 
in tiers or whorls, which give them -a very regular appearance; 
