84 Notice of the A^bies cephalonica. 



would pay all the expenses of taking care of it, as firewood sells enormously 

 dear at Argostoli." {Colonies, &c., p. 283.) 



" It has been said that * it is useless to take any pains to protect this forest, 

 as there is scarcely a tree in it worth the trouble ;' but this is the very reason 

 why it should be protected, to prevent the trees from being injured as they 

 have hitherto been, and to allow them to attain a timber-like size." {Ibid.) 



ITislory. As far as we have been able to discover, no botanist has yet 

 noticed this tree. We were once inclined to conjecture that it might be the 

 ^'bies orientalis of Tournefort, notwithstanding the discrepancy between the 

 description and the Cephalonian plant ; but, having examined the specimen of 

 J'bies orientalis in Mr. Lambert's herbarium, we are satisfied that the latter 

 is a variety of the common spruce fir. The merit of introducing A. cephalonica 

 into England entirely belongs to General Napier, who, from his work. The 

 Colonies, and also from a pamphlet by him, entitled, Alemoir on the Roads of 

 Cephaloiiia, seems to possess an enthusiastic attachment to the island, and an 

 ardent desire for its improvement. He was particularly anxious that this forest 

 ridge should be enclosed so as to exclude the goats, and to allow the trees to 

 grow up and become timber; and, when he was governor, made many remon- 

 strances on the subject to Sir Frederick Adam, the chief commissioner, but 

 without effect. In 1824, in compliance with a request of Henry L. Long, 

 Esq., of Hampton Lodge, near Farnham, who was desirous of knowing the 

 species of fir described by the ancient writers as the j)euke and the elate. 

 Colonel Napier sent a packet of seeds of the Cephalonian fir to England. The 

 seeds were without the cones, and were sent to the care of the colonel's sister. 

 Lady Bunbury. The packet was duly forwarded to Hampton Lodge ; but 

 some seeds having dropped from it. Lady Bunbury gave these seeds to Charles 

 Hoare, Esq., of Luscoinbe. Mr. Richard Saunders, the woodreeve, at Lus- 

 combe, in a letter dated November, 1837, informs us that he recollects receiving 

 the seeds from' General George Napier, about thirteen years since; and 

 " hearing that the general had obtained them from his brother, at that time 

 governor of Cefalonia." " The seeds," he adds, " were of the largest size. I 

 raised twelve plants from them, four of which I lost, when young, by damp and 

 frost, having planted them out in the open ground at the age of two years only. 

 Three of the plants raised were given to Mr. Pince of the Exeter Nursery, 

 and one to Mr, Pontey of the Plymouth Nursery. The other four plants are 

 remaining at Luscombe, flourishing exceedingly well, and never having had 

 any protection during the winter, since they were planted in the open air. The 

 largest of the plants at Luscombe is 3 ft. 10 in. high, and the branches cover a 

 space 'i ft. 3 in. in diameter. All tbe plants are very thickly furnished with 

 side branches quite close to the ground, forming, at a distance, very hand- 

 some green bushes. — R. S. Luscombe, Nov. 6, 1837." It thus appears that 

 the yf^bies cephalonica was introduced into England by General Charles James 

 Napier in 1824-, though it was never heard of in any public collection, or in 

 the nurseries, till within the last two or three years. 



The plant sent to the Plymouth Nursery was, in 1837, sold to the Duke of 

 Bedford for 25 guineas. Two of those sent to the Exeter Nursery were sold 

 to the Rev. Theodore Williams of Hendon Rectory, for about the same sum 

 each ; and the third is retained as a stock plant to propagate from. 



The seeds sent to Hampton Lodge were safely received, and vegetated 

 without difficulty. Mr. Long, in a letter dated Dec. 3. 1837, says : — "I lost a 

 great number of plants by spring frosts and by rabbits, owing to want of care 

 whilst I was on the Continent. I have only three plants left ; and they are in 

 full vigour, and have made shoots, during the past summer, from G in. to 7 in. in 

 length." The tallest plant is 3 ft. high, and the breadth of space covered by 

 its branches is 4 ft. in diameter. " I gave some plants to Lord Orford, for his 

 pinarium at Wolterton, in Norfolk ; some to Lord King, for his collection at 

 Ockiiam Park, Surrey ; two to Robert Mangles, Esq., of Sunninghill ; three 

 I have planted out myself; and the remainder I gave this year to Mr. Penny, 

 the nursery-gardener at Milford." We are thus enabled to account for all 

 the plants raised from the seeds sent home by General Napier. 



