118 EIGHTH REPORT — 1838. 



present few in number ; and too little information about them is pos- 

 sessed to warrant any conjectures as to their worth. 4. Those in the 

 Himalaya range are also few, and for the most part little known. Some 

 of them may probably become naturalized in this country. The Abies 

 Webbiana is a gigantic tree, but has not perfectly stood the last winter. 

 Abies 3Iorinda stood the winter very well. Both species are propagated 

 by cuttings. 5. The European series is the most valuable. In this group 

 the quality of the species is, as nearly as possible, in a direct ratio to 

 the ability of the tree to resist cold ; all the best species being found 

 in an extreme northern latitude, or in an equivalent situation on moun- 

 tains in the south ; no valuable species at all being found on the 

 shores of the Mediterranean or the Baltic. The highest place in the 

 European series is assigned to the Pimis cembra and P. uncinata, both 

 of which grow in their respective Alpine and Pyrenean forests, above 

 the P. sylvestris, or Scotch fir, and both excel it in the quality of the 

 timber. The Pijius sylvestris is next, and its range is from the Arctic 

 circle to the Sierra da Guadarama, in Spain. The next tree in the 

 series may be considered P. Laricio, which grows in the mountains of 

 Corsica, at rather a higher elevation, and in lat. 43°, and does not de- 

 scend to the level of the Mediterranean. With this, both in latitude 

 and elevation, is associated P. Hispanica, although in most respects it 

 differs from other pines. Its range is from 39° to 43° N. lat., at the 

 foot of the highest Pyrenees. These two species form about a middle 

 zone in the European pinal vegetation, and their timber is found to 

 occupy about a middle rank in quality, being superior to those below, 

 and inferior to those above it in its range. The next species is Pinus 

 pinaster, whose northern habitat is the Sierra da Guadarama, and 

 ranges immediately under Piniis sylvestris ; it is not so good a tree 

 as might be supposed from its range, as it grows in sultry valleys and 

 situations unfavourable for the production of timber. The Pinus pinea 

 (Stone pine) has a timber neai-ly allied to the P. pinaster, its most 

 northern habitat being in Old Castile, where it occurs in great quan- 

 tity; and although it reaches a medium altitude, it is, like the last, 

 found growing on sultry flats, as those of Andalusia, &c. The last of 

 this series is the Pinus Halepensis, of which three varieties are known, 

 which clothe the shores of the Mediterranean, on both sides, through- 

 out its whole extent. 



The species of Abies do not admit of the same extended observation, 

 the series being less in number and extent. The European species are 

 certainly inferior to those of Pinus. The A. excelsa is the hardiest, and 

 resists a damp soil probably better than Pinus sylvestris. The A.pec- 

 tinata is found much further south than the last, which extends no fur- 

 ther than Savoy, whilst this is found in the Pyrenees and Navarre, and 

 a variety has been observed in Cephalonia ; and no doubt great use 

 could be made of it in our own culture. The larch, although in some 

 respects an anomaly in the genus, follows the same rules. Its southern 

 site is the highest part of the Apennines in Piedmont, and its northward 

 range is very great, but is never found at a low elevation. The Pinus 

 atcstriaca probably belongs to this group, but the author knows little of 



