THE PINE SUB-FAMILY. 235 



An excellent specimen in the Evans arboretum, at 

 Radnor, is now 10 or 12 feet in height, and perfectly satis- 

 factory. It stands, ho \vever, in a very favorable situa- 

 tion, being on the southern declivity of a thickly wooded 

 hill, and therefore protected from the cold, high winds. 

 The best specimen we have ever seen was growing in our 

 own collection, but very mysteriously died on the approach 

 of warm weather two or three years since. This fine plant 

 was about 8 feet high, and had been exposed in the open 

 ground for several years, with a slight covering during the 

 winter. The situation was exceedingly bleak and unsuit- 

 able, but younger plants in other portions of our ground 

 remained uninjured. 



The great drawback to the culture of this tree is in its 

 luxuriant growth, which, in rich soils, is liable to be of a 

 succulent nature, and therefore unable to survive the 

 winter. We must, however, give it the credit of being 

 quite as reliable as the majority of the so-called uncertain 

 Conifers. 



The Cunninghamia, when planted singly on a lawn, 

 presents one of the most agreeable objects imaginable, 

 the main body of the tree being as straight as an arrow, 

 with the branches diverging horizontally in regular whorls 

 or verticils, and the branchlets produced in two rows, 

 which droop very gracefully. The foliage is of a peculiar 

 bright glossy green, that is quite unusual and particularly 

 pleasing. Its near resemblance to the Araucarias, a genus 

 which we are debarred from enjoying fully, is also an 

 additional incentive for endeavoring to cultivate this splen- 

 did tree. 



In Fortune's description of the trees of China, he men- 

 tions the Cunninghamia as follows : " The sides of the 

 mountains here were clothed with dense woods of the 

 Lance-leaved Pine, ( Cunninghamia lanceolata.} This 

 was the first time I had seen this Fir tree of sufficient size 

 to render it of value for timber. Many of the specimens 



