STNOrSIS OF PINES. 343 



they are occasionally injured by spring frosl.s : in sliaded and norllicrn 

 exposures tliey appear quite hardy, i^ nifira, Ficea, and Meiiziesii 

 afford the best timber: F. nigra and Picea, whh some others, form 

 ornamental hedges, and wlien planted thickly, and topped down to 

 four or five feet from the ground, afford excellent cover for game. 



PiN'U's. — Group 4. Larix, Larches. 



(Cones small and erect. Leaves in bundles, annual.) 



Gl. P. Dahurica, low tree. 68. P. Larix flore rubro. 



•62. P. Icptolepis, tree. 69. P. pendula. 



63. P. Ledebourii, tree. 70. P. Russica. 



64. P. pendula, 60-100 ft. 71, P. repens. 



65. P. microcarpa, 100 ft. 1)1. P. Sibirica. 



66. P. Larix, 100 ft. 73. P. Griffithiana, 40-60 ft. 



67. P. flore albo. 



The Larches are all deciduous trees. They, are not highly ornamen- 

 tal in themselves; yet they impart considerai)le variety to scenery. P. 

 Larix pendula is a graceful tree ; and P. pe/ulula, with its few straggling 

 drooping branches, has a somewhat curious aspect. The foliage is 

 mostly of a hght-green ; in 65 it is more vivid than in the others. The 

 Larches succeed best in an open, porous soil, wliere there is a good 

 natural drainage ; iu such situations, and wiUi a moist atmosphere, they 

 are often extremely luxuriant. On close retentive subsoils they do not 

 thrive. P. microcarpa will grow vigi)rously in more swampy soils than 

 any of the others. The common larch is the most valuable exotic tim- 

 ber-tree which we have ; and, in favorable circumstances, will attain to 

 perfection at even higher altitudes tlian the Scotch Fir does. 



PiNus. — Group 5. Cednis. 

 (Cones large, erect Leaves in bundles, perennial.) 



74. P. Deodara, 100-150 ft. 77. P. Atlantica, 80-100 ft 



75. P. robusta. 78. P. Cednis, 60-80 ft. 



76. P. viridis. 79. P. argentea. . 



The whole of this group have a pyramidal form when young, but 

 acquire a broad head in mature age. The Deodar, when full grown, is 

 said to have a wide roof-like head, witli spreading brancht-s and weep- 

 ing branchlets. The Cedans of Atlas and Lebanon have both a strongly 

 marked and characteristic fcnin, in whicli the jjrimai-y branches assume 

 an ascending position, and the socondary branches .a horizoiital and 

 tabulated arrangement Occasionally the old frees retain tlieir early 

 pyramidal habit, the lcs.ser branches still becoming horizontal. The 

 foliage of the common cedar is of a dark green ; 76 of a light vivid 



