Leaves sessile or very shortly petiolate, angulate or flat, with 



1-2 lateral resin canals. Cones often large and pendulous ; 



scales persistent ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 18. Picea. 



Leaves petiolate, flat, with a central resin canal. Cones small 



and pendulous ; scales persistent ... ... 19. Tsuga. 



Leaves flat, with two lateral resin canals. Staminate flowers 



solitary or umbellate. Cones pendulous (or erect) ; scales 



persistent ... ... .. ... 20. Abietia.* 



Leaves flat, rarely angulate, with two lateral resin canals. 



Cones large and erect ; scales deciduous ... 21. Abies. 



Personally, I am very fond of Conifers, and it is a matter of regret to me 

 that the Sydney climate is not suitable to many which possess aromatic 

 foliage, whose refreshing odour appears to be best developed in cold countries. 

 At the same time, Conifers should be grown in this State in very much greater 

 variety than at present. Pinus insignis is grown by tens of thousands, and 

 it is admittedly a useful tree, but growers should be willing to give greater 

 variety to their plantings ; and, to meet this, our nurserymen are willing to 

 meet a demand. It is with the twofold view of stimulating a desire for the 

 cultivation of Conifers in New South Wales, and of presenting the modern 

 nomenclature for an over-named family of plants, that this imperfect sketch 

 has been prepared. 



Only those Conifers likely to flourish in some part or other of New South 

 Wales have been included. But acclimatisation work is full of surprises 

 and I hope many surprises, as far as Conifers are concerned, are in store for 

 us in New South Wales. 



Many Conifers will be grown purely for ornamental purposes, as specimen 

 trees. These will be given plenty of room, in order that their branches may 

 spread out, and that each individual plant may live its life without dominance 

 or interference by any other vegetation. 



* For shelter belts the trees will be planted rather thickly. In planting for 

 timber, the trees ate planted in regular rows at a distance apart determined 

 by the situation and the nature of the tree, in order that lateral branches, 

 which produce the "knots" of timber, particularly objectionable in the 

 Coniferse, which yield the timber most generally known as "Pine" of one sort 

 or another, may be eliminated, may atrophy during the struggle of the 

 forest after the light. 



I have had a good deal of difficulty In getting suitable photographic illus- 

 trations ; I intend to publish others as I receive them. Will correspondents 

 help and will they send me photographs of well grown trees whether Conifers 

 or not for succeeding chapters ? 



I am desirous of keeping a record of the introduced Conifers which nourish 

 in various parts of this State. I shall, therefore, esteem it a great favour if 

 correspondents will favour me with twigs (bearing cones, if possible) of any 

 Conifers in their districts, with particulars as to size of shrub or tree, and a 

 statement as to suitability for a particular climate and soil. 



* Should be Pseudotsuya, for reasons stated later in the series. Keteleeria is, in the 

 opinion of some authorities, a distinct genus. 



