HARDY CONIFEROUS TREES 153 



rich green in colour. In this country there are 

 considerable differences in the length and colour 

 of foHage in different trees, due mainly, I have 

 noticed, to the soil and situation in which the 

 particular specimens are growing. The cones, 

 which are produced in groups up to seven and 

 eight, are 3 inches long by i| inches wide, and 

 with the scales terminating in small sharp-hooked 

 spines. The tree is useful for growing on poor 

 sandy or gravelly soils where only a very limited 

 number of species could subsist. 



P. SABINIANA, Douglas. Digger Pine, Cali- 

 fornia. 1832. — This species can hardly be said 

 to be quite hardy, the healthiest and best-grown 

 specimens occurring either in Ireland or on the 

 south or west coast of England. It is a beautiful 

 tree, but wears a bare and naked appearance, 

 from the fact of the foliage being mostly in tufts 

 at the branch tips. The peculiarly graceful manner 

 in which the tufts of leaves are arranged rarely 

 fails to attract notice, for they grow almost upright 

 for several inches, and then with the easiest grace 

 fall backwards and outwards almost in a circle 

 from the point where they originated, and for 

 sometimes 10 inches in length. This imparts a 

 weeping and airy appearance to the tree that is 

 by no means readily explained, the foliage being 

 of a rich bluish green hue. The cones are justly 

 remarkable, for in the home-grown specimens now 

 before me they are not unlike large, fuUy ripe pine- 

 apples both in size and shape. Each cone is 8 inches 

 long by fully 6 inches diameter at widest part, 

 hard as yew wood, and the scales terminating in 

 hooked points. The}^ are of a Ught brown colour, 



