34G TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



highly desirable among hardy conifers. The stem is well clothed 

 ■with irregularly- arranged branches, which are short in proportion 

 to the height of the tree, the branch diameter of a specimen 50 

 feet high rarely exceeding 12 feet, thus giving the tree an easy 

 columnar habit that rarely fails to attract the attention of even 

 the most unobservant. 



The branches are placed at right angles to the stem, or nearly 

 so, with the tips curving upwards. They are very flexible, and 

 densely covered with scale-like finely-pointed leaves, which are of 

 a bright glossy green above, and glaucous beneath. The cones 

 are fully half an inch long, clustered near the ends of the branches, 

 and borne in greatest abundance on the top half of the trees. 

 When ripe in October and November, they impart, from their 

 great numbers and light brown colour, a by no means uninterest- 

 ing feature to the trees. So pliant is the leading shoot, that we 

 have frequently tied it in a knot, and, when released, it sprung 

 back to the original position without the least damage. This 

 pliability of the young wood renders accidents to the tree of rai-e 

 occurrence. During ten years' residence on an English estate, 

 where the Giant Arbor- Vitse was planted in great quantities, we 

 never knew an instance of this tree having suffered from the wind. 

 Even during the memorable " Tay Bridge gale," when nearly 

 every other species of tree was more or less maimed, this tree 

 stood unharmed. 



As a specimen on the lawn the Giant Arbor- Vitse will ever hold 

 a high position ; but to be shown off to perfection it requires a 

 background of darker-foliaged trees or shrubs, such as the yew, 

 holly, laurel, and others whose foliage is of a darker hue. Placed 

 along the outskirts of plantations, particularly of hardwood, it has 

 a telling effect, more especially where visible from the drives, and 

 where a bit of green in the winter landscape is of importance. 

 Unlike Thuja occidentalis, the foliage does not turn to a rusty 

 brown during the autumn and winter, but remains a bright and 

 pleasant green ; indeed, this is an unerring point of difference 

 between these two species of Arbor- Vitai. For filling up gaps 

 where other trees have been uprooted by the wind the Giant Arbor- 

 Vitae is peculiarly well adapted, by reason of the narrow spread of 

 its branches, this being a matter of much moment in the choice 

 of forest trees for filling up open spaces in woods and plantations. 

 We have used it largely for the purpose, and may say that for 

 planting where space is limited it is one of our most valuable 



