268 



Dr Christison on the 



Pinus excelsa. 



[SESS. Lir. 



No. 24 was noted in 1878 as having " numerous branches 

 from the ground," but grew only 0'35 in that year. After 

 the second severe winter, when 18 inches of the top shoot 

 died, the increase was only 0'05. Since then its increase 

 has been low, though not much less than in 1878. It is now 

 short and stunted, well clothed below but poor above, and 

 without a top shoot. No. 26 has done better. It is upright 

 and handsome, although rather scraggy. Perhaps it has got 

 a new lease of life, as its average increase for the first six 

 years was onlyO'34, and for the last four amounted to 0'67. 

 The inferiority of No. 24 is shown also by the upward 

 growth, which was only from 22 feet 9 inches in 1879 to 23 

 feet 1 inch in 1887, or at the rate of under half an inch a 

 year; wliile No. 26 grew as follows: — 



Height, 3rd June 1879, 25 feet 1 inch. 



3nth April 1881, 26 „ 7 „ aver., 1879-80, 9 in. 

 January 1888, 29 „ 1 „ „ 1881-87, 4-3 in. 

 Average, 1879-87, 5-3 inches. 



It would not be safe to make any general deductions from 

 the results in these trees, as their growtli has been so erratic. 

 The weakest of them, however. No. 24, suffered a much more 

 severe fall in girth-increase from the first depression than 

 No. 26; botli evidently escaped in 1883, and were not appre- 

 ciably affected in 1887. 



Finus Laricio. — This Corsican pine [Table, p. 269] was 

 severely afl'ected in its girth-increase by the trying season of 

 1879, when the amount fell from 0"40 to O'lO, ])ut it recovered 

 ill the following year, and has grown very steadily since 

 at an average of nearly half an inch, with the exception of 

 1883, when the rate fell to O'SO. It is now 5 feet 8 inches 

 ill girth, and is one of the largest pines in the garden. In 



