HARDY CONIFEROUS TREES 125 



hooked prickle. The finest specimens that I have 

 seen are growing in peaty soil in the open portion 

 of a woodland in Ireland and at Kew. 



P. Cembra, LinncBus. Swiss Stone Pine. Moun- 

 tains of Central Europe, Siberia. 1746. — This is a 

 beautiful tree of neat growth, perfect hardihood, 

 and one that succeeds in many soils and situations. 

 There is a good deal of difference in the habit of 

 various trees, some being of upright growth and 

 others more spreading, but the usual type has the 

 branches short in proportion to the height, some- 

 what tortuous, and decidedly erect and appressed. 

 Usually the leaves are five in a sheath, though some- 

 times four or six, stout and flexible, serrated at the 

 margins, and nearly 3 inches long. Cones erect, 

 of a beautiful bluish purple when of full growth 

 but before becoming ripe, and varying much in 

 size, but usually from 3 inches to 4 inches long, 

 and about half that in diameter, with large wing- 

 less seeds. The most suitable soil is that of a 

 deep rich loam on a porous subsoil, but the tree 

 is indifferent in that respect, for many fine speci- 

 mens are to be found on gravelly and sandy loam 

 if not too hot and dry, as also on chalky soils. 



Although British-grown timber is excellent in 

 quality, yet the rate of growth of the tree is too 

 slow in this country for it to be used at all exten- 

 sively for afforesting purposes. For a full account 

 of Pinus Cembra and the variety, illustrated, see 

 article of mine in Woods and Forests^ March 1885. 



P. Cembra pumila (Kamtschatka and the 

 Kurile Islands) is of small, compact, and neat 

 growth, as usually seen in cultivation, and the 

 foliage is more silvery than in the type. The 



