Mar. 1892.] 



THE BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBUllGH. 



283 



annual results would show a gradual increase, but this is far 

 from being the case, as the following Table shows. 



Taking the 28 trees under observation for five years, their 

 best season was 1889, with an increase of 25'75, but 1890, 

 with 2475, was little inferior to it. 1888 was the worst year, 

 with 18*40, being 1-65 below the previous year, 6*35 below 

 the subsequent year, and 3"70 below the general average. 

 Taking in the additional seven trees for the last four years, 

 the results are confirmed, — 1888, the worst year, with 25'45, 

 being 9-00 below 1889, the best, with 34-45, or 5-55 below 

 the general average. 



In the season 1891, when the depression was com- 

 paratively slight, 23 of the 37 trees shared in it, but in 

 1888, when the maximum depression occurred, 31 of the 

 35 trees showed a smaller increase than in 1889. 



(2) Conifers. 



The introductory remarks regarding the Deciduous group 

 are applicable to this group also. 



a. Comparative Annual Rate of the Species. 



Thirty trees of 17 species of Coniferaa were under ob- 

 servation for five years, and another for three years only. 

 Unfortunately, as already remarked, the soil of the Botanic 

 Garden is not favourable to the growth of Conifeme. A 

 few species thrive very well in infancy and early youth, but 

 they are apt to fall off in vigour before or soon after reaching 

 middle life, and other species grow poorly from the be- 

 ginning, although they thrive well in other Scottish locali- 

 ties. As the results in the latter are of comparatively 

 little value, I have separated them in the Tables from the 

 more vigorous trees. In both Tables I give, as in the 

 Deciduous Class, only the best grower of the two or three of 

 each species under observation. 



* The above 28, with 7 added in 1888. 



