202 LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 



" makes this natural fir above four times the 

 " age of the planted one." 



It is to be regretted that the author of the 

 above observations, which were written in 

 1775, had not followed up this investigation 

 by such experiments as might, by this time, 

 have thrown a clearer light upon this interest- 

 ing subject. The result of my own inquiries 

 amongst persons conversant with extensive 

 planting is, that the Scotch fir, properly so 

 called, is no longer propagated ; but that the 

 tree now bearing that name was originally 

 imported from America ; and the reason 

 assigned for its universal adoption is, that the 

 real tree gives out its seed with difficulty, 

 while that of the substitute is easily pro- 

 cured. 



This idea appears to me to derive some 

 confirmation from a passage in the letter we 

 have just quoted, where the writer says, " In 

 " order to raise plantations of the Scotch fir, 

 " let the cones be orathered in the month of 

 " February, or March, from, thriving young 

 " trees, as the old ones are not easily acces- 

 " sible, nor so productive of seed. These are 

 " to be exposed to the heat of the sun thinly 

 " spread on any kind of coarse canvass, taking 



