76 Con'ifcrcE at Elvaston Castle, Derbyshire, 



over the newly cut tubers of the potato : but it is in preparing 

 the food of the plant, or in rendering manure into a soluble food 

 for the plant, that their greatest benefits are to be found. The 

 different constituents of plants (starch, sugar, mucilage, and 

 lignine or fibrine,) are all composed of various proportions of 

 carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. The water absorbed by the 

 root yields hydrogen and oxygen ; and carbon being the only 

 substance thus wanted, it has been tried to afford it, by exhibit- 

 ing to the spongioles of the root carbonic acid gas in its pure state; 

 but its quantity has been always found undiminished, until mixed 

 up with alkalies into a saponaceous matter, in somewhat of the 

 proportions found to exist in manures of the kinds most beneficial 

 to plants. {Kilmanicck Journal, April 6.) 



Art. IV. List of the Species and Varieties of Coniferous Plants in 

 the Pinetum at Elvaston Castle, the Seat of the Earl of Harrington, 

 in Derbyshire. Communicated by Mr. Barrox, Head Gardener 

 there. 



The enclosed is a list of the pines, &c., in the Earl of Har- 

 rington's collection at Elvaston Casde, which I send you by 

 His Lordship's desire'; and it may not be out of place to observe, 

 that, although His Lordship cannot boast of large specimens 

 generally, in consequence of the short time that has elapsed 

 since he commenced collecting, still he possesses some of the 

 finest in the kingdom ; and, in point of numbers, I believe, the 

 very best in Britain. 



Taxa ce^. Qf jjjjg j.g^^^ varying from 



Taxus baccata Arb. Brit., figs. 1983. to 8 in. to 8 ft. in height. 



1991., and plates. T. bac. fastigiata Arb. Brit., figs, 



erecta. 1981, 1982., and plate, 



foliis variegatis. This variety fas. fol. var. This variety 



seems to be scarce in the originated with us, about 



country, and but little no- two years ago. 



ticed, notwithstanding the canadensis. 



striking beauty and charac- nucifera. 



ter which it gives to a coriensis. This species I had 



place when contrasted with from Mr. Knight ; and it, per- 



a sombre background. This haps, is coriacen. [Podocar- 



variety seems to be stunted pus coriaceus Arb. Brit., &<f. 



and unhealthy in appear- 1998.] 



ance wherever I have seen mucronata. 



it, except at Elvaston Podocarpus elongatus Arb. Brit., fig. 



Castle, where it makes 1997. 



shoots upwards of a foot macrophyllus. 



in one season, and where, /ieriifolius. 



after having been planted niicifer. 



for a short time, its leaves latifolius Arb. Brit., fig. 1995. 



become of a brilliant gold Salisbun'a odiantifolia Arb. Brit., fi<rs. 



colour. We have hundreds 1992, 1993., and plates. 



