56 
over its roots, and he had no doubt that this liberal treatment 
helped its growth very materially. The same method of treatment 
is carried out here with all the finest Conifers that may benefit by it. 
Dropmore also boasts of the largest Chilian Pine, Araucaria 
imbricata, in this country, and probably in the northern hemi- 
sphere. It is the king of the glade in which it stands, and 
commands universal admiration,- not only on account of its un- 
rivalled height, but also for its handsome symmetrical proportions, 
the wavy regularity of its branches, and the fresh green colour of 
its sharp-pointed leaves. Planted in 1830, it has attained a height 
of about 70 feet, girths 8 feet 3 inches at 3 feet up, and sweeps 
the ground with its luxuriant branches in a circle of 38 feet in 
diameter. It is growing on the filled-up site of an old gravel pit, 
and consequently enjoys a good depth of soil, which is occasionally 
top-dressed with rich clayey loam. It stands about 30 yards from 
a small lake, and from the moist nature of the spot it does not 
suffer from drought. The tree is the male variety, and produces 
catkins freely. The male Araucaria is a faster and more robust 
grower at Dropmore than the female or cone-bearing tree. As 
an example of this, Mr Herrin pointed to a group of Araucarias, 
all planted at the same time fifty years ago, in which a vigorous 
male tree about 50 feet in height was seen towering to fully a 
dozen of feet above the female trees. 
A group of about a dozen fine trees of the Araucaria, that were 
growing near the great tree on the same kind of gravelly soil, 
were very much admired. They averaged about 60 feet in height, 
and were bearing cones freely. It was stated by Mr Herrin that 
the cones ripened on this group of trees three years ago, and that 
about half-a-dozen bushels of seeds were gathered from them. 
One of the finest Deodar Cedars in Britain, which was planted 
in 1840, is now a splendid tree 72 feet high, with a stem girth 
of 9 feet 9 inches at 3 feet up, and a spread of branches 
47 feet in diameter. A very beautiful variety of this is Cedrus 
Deodara argenfea, a grand specimen of which was shown to 
us glistening in the sunshine like a tree of frosted silver, 84 feet 
high and 10 feet in girth, forming a splendid contrast with the 
more sombre foliaged Conifers near it. It was mentioned that the 
finest Deodar at Dropmore was destroyed by lightning in 1881. 
It girthed 12 feet 3 inches, and was believed to be the largest in 
the country. Boards 38 inches wide were cut from the trunk. A 
very handsome specimen of Cedrus atlantica was seen in perfect 
