192 ON THE ALTITUDE AND APPEARANCE 01 



with what we have ascertained regarding the progress of the tree in 

 this country. Although it will thrive in almost any soil and exposure, 

 and will withstand severe frosts like that of 1860-61 with little and 

 only temporary damage, yet the progress made by specimens placed 

 in favourable circumstances as to soil, subsoil, and shelter, are most 

 apparent. In deep loamy soil, with a subsoil tending to stiff clay, 

 unlike many of the coniferous family, the "U'ellingtonia thrives best ; 

 and in any soil, if only the subsoil be damp and retentive of moisture, 

 it will succeed admirably even in an exposed situation in Scotland. 

 The spring winds of Afarch and April singe and brown its foliage 

 occasionally, and the warm sunshine during the day and chilly frosty 

 nights of May retard and blight its development of young shoots ; 

 but all these impediments it overcomes, and plants of 20 to 30 feet 

 in height, which in many places in April and May in any ordinary 

 year present a very brown and withered aspect, will be found by the 

 month of July quite vigorous and healthy in appearance, and to 

 have entirely shaken off their sickly aspect of the spring time. 



We are perhaps too apt, in considering the merits of such an 

 acquisition as the "Wellingtonia, as regards ultimate utility, to be 

 carried away by our admiration of its handsome pyramidal form, 

 hardiness, and beautiful foliage and habit, and to overlook its pros- 

 pective value as a Umber-producing tree. As yet few individual 

 specimens have been cut down in this country, and these only from 

 accidental circumstances, and hence there have been few opportunities 

 hitherto of judging of its likelihood of becoming a valuable timber 

 tree. If, however, we judge so far by appearances, and compare the 

 characteristics of the "Wellingtonia in habit and growth with our 

 ideal of what a first-rate timber tree should be, we shall find that it 

 possesses these points in singular eminence. "We have hardihood, 

 large development of trunk and stem, rapidity of growth, straight- 

 ness of habit, smallness of branch shoots starting from the stem, all 

 combined ; and, it may be added, in so far as experience has 

 hitherto found from a few examples which have been tried from 

 home-grown trees, apparent durability of timber. The wood is light, 

 tough, rather coarse in the grain, but very easily wrought, and not 

 unlike the wood of the poplar, or saugh, or white cedar. In its 

 older and more matured stages of growth, the value and texture of 

 the wood will be found to be much improved, and to present a 

 closer and finer grain. 



The soil and climate of Ireland seem to be peculiarly well adapted 

 for the Wellingtonia, and many instances might be recorded of very 



