PROPAGATING CONIFERS 205 



to have been planted by the great statesman, 

 William Pitt, when he owned the property. But 

 at many other places, as well as Holwood, the 

 Lebanon Cedar has reproduced itself from naturally 

 sown seed. 



I have only noticed one instance of any of the 

 species of Abies other than A. pectinata growing 

 naturally from seed, and that was in the case of 

 A. Nordmanniana at Penrhyn Castle, in Wales. 

 The tree had produced an unusual quantity of 

 cones, containing good, fertile seeds ; many of these 

 germinated freely on the ground where shed, and 

 were carefully lifted and taken to the home nursery, 

 where they grew into fine specimens. In a gravelly 

 woodland where the Cluster Pine [P. Pinaster) was 

 the main crop, I have seen several self-so\\Ti trees 

 spring up, but these, curiously enough, were always 

 lank and weak of growth. 



In Ireland, near the shores of Lough Neagh, 

 young specimens of the Lawson C3^press and 

 Douglas Fir may be seen growing on the sloping 

 banks of the ditches that were opened for the 

 drainage of the bog-lands ; these, of course, were 

 the produce of trees that had been planted in an 

 adjoining wood. The common Silver Fir in certain 

 places reproduces its kind, so does the Larch, 

 while plentifully enough, seedling Scotch Pines 

 spring up wherever the conditions of soil are at 

 all favourable. Both the Yew and Juniper grow 

 freely from self-sown seeds, but here again the 

 conditions of soil play an important part. Around 

 an old specimen of the upright or Irish Yew I 

 have seen numbers of seedling plants — not all 

 true, for a large percentage revert to the species. 



