268 General Notices. 



by a tabular statement of the age, grovvlh, and condition of the different 

 species. This report was introduced to the meeting by Professor Balfour, 

 who, before reading it, made some observations on the structure of Conif- 

 erae, as regards their woody tissue, leaves, cones, and male catkins, fer- 

 tilization, and germination ; and illustrated his remarks by a series of mag- 

 nified drawings by the microscope, as well as by specimens of living plants 

 and cones. There are only three British species of cone-bearing plants — 

 the common Scotch fir, yew, and juniper ; all the rest now in cultivation in 

 the open air have been introduced from difl'erent countries of Europe, from 

 Mexico and other parts of North America, from Chili, the Himalayas, 

 Japan, China, &c. The fact was mentioned of some species producing 

 cones, but no perfect seeds. It would appear that trees, when young, some- 

 times bear cones without producing male catkins ; the formation of pollen 

 seeming to require that the trees should be in a fully developed state. 

 These remarks were illustrated by specimens of the cones of Abies Doug- 

 lasii, in which all the ovules were abortive, the tree not having borne male 

 flowers. The divisions of the natural order were then noticed, and End- 

 licher's work on the Coniferas was recommended. Attention was chiefly 

 directed to the section Abietinse, including genera in which the scales were 

 two-seeded, and those in which the scales were one-seeded. Under the 

 former subdivision are found — Pinus, with leaves in twos, threes, fours, 

 and fives, and a thickened apex of scales; Abies, leaves solitary, [i. e., 

 coming off singly,) flat, no thickened apex of scales, which are deciduous, 

 (i. e., fall off clearly ;) Picea, leaves solitary, four-cornered, no thickened 

 apex of scales, which are persistent, (i. e., remain long attached;) Larix 

 (Larch) and Cedrus (Cedar,) scales without thickened apex, clustered 

 leaves, which, in the former, are annual, in the latter permanent. The 

 Professor stated that Ballindalloch Castle stands about 470 feet above the 

 level of the sea, in a sheltered situation, favorable for the growth of all 

 kinds of trees. The pinetum was commenced in 1831. The soil — a loam, 

 one to three feet deep, incumbent on gravel — was trenched, levelled, and 

 planted with common Scotch fir, as nurses for the rarer trees which have 

 since been, from time to time, added to the collection. The cultivation of 

 these having been attended with varied results. Sir John had communicated 

 to the Society the report before the meeting, with the view of adding to 

 the information at present possessed with regard to the kinds of foreign 

 Coniferaj most suitable for the climate of this country. The Professor 

 called the attention of the meeting more particularly to the statements in 

 the report in reference to the following trees : — Pinus excelsa, planted in 

 1836, several of which were making rapid progress, dead, cause unknown ; 

 Uncinati, 1836, hardy, handsome, eleven feet high; Pyrenaica, 1836, 

 twelve feet high, hardy, and handsome ; Banksiana, 1830, seven and a half 

 feet high, stunted, unsatisfactory, but quite hardy ; Inops, 1832, six feet, 

 quite unsuited to climate; Ualepensis and Pinea, both repeatedly tried, 

 always destroyed by frost ; Cembra, 1832, sixteen feet, handsome, suc- 

 ceeds on the hills wherever tried ; Ponderosa, 1832, thirteen feet, uninjured 

 by frost, but subject to the attack of a beetle which enters the young shoot 



