270 



Dr Christison on the 



[SESS. LII. 



length of its neighbour's, and many blisters, some exuding 

 turpentine, ha\ang formed on the bark. Increase in girth 

 almost ceased, and in 1881 it was cut down. 



No. 31 has not been so unfortunate, although it has lost 

 much of its early vigour and beauty, the foliage having 

 thinned considerably, the stem being much blistered, without 

 however exuding turpentine, the top shoot having been lost 

 in 1880, and the girth-increase being materially dimini.shed. 

 In 1878 this was very nearly an inch and a half; it suffered 

 no material diminution" in 1879, and in 1880 rose again to an 

 inch and a half, but in 1881 it fell to 0-90, in 1883 to 0-80, 

 its lowest point, and in the last four years has averaged only 

 a little above an inch. The annual range has varied between 

 1"40 and 0'80, considerably under the average. In spring 

 1879 this tree was 18 feet 10 inches high, and it is now 26 

 feet 8 inches, representing an annual rate of about lOi inches. 



An Abies ndbilis was measured in 1878, and noted as the 

 oldest of its species in the garden. It was 3 feet 2 inches 

 in girth and 45 feet high. But it had become unhealthy- 

 looking the previous year. In 1878 its girth increased only 

 015, and in 1879 it was cut down. 



*Cuprcssus Lawsoniana. — This Craigiehall cypress has 

 grown pretty steadily at the average of 0"85, the annual range 

 being small — between 1'15 and 0"70. It has always looked 

 healthy, and its girth-increase probably did not decline in the 

 bad years, the maximum indeed happening in one of these, 

 1880. But as it was not measured in 1878, we do not 

 know the rate before the bad seasons set in. 



