CHAPTER III. 



CONIFERS AND SOILS. 



Many, in fact most coniferous trees will thrive in any soil of 

 fairly good quality, but it is likewise a well-known fact that 

 certain species will only succeed satisfactorily when planted 

 under peculiar conditions, whether as to soil or the amount of 

 dampness that is present in the ground. 



Thus Sciadopitys verticillata will only succeed when planted 

 in dampish peaty ground, or decomposed leaf soil, while Picea 

 sitchensis requires heavy retentive loam, it soon becoming 

 unhealthy when planted in that of a light and dry nature. 

 Again, Abies Pinsapo grows with unusual luxuriance when 

 planted on chalk or limestone, and the same remark applies 

 to A. cephalonica and A. nmnidica^ both of which do better on 

 chalk or limestone than they do in the loamy soils that are so 

 well adapted for many other species of Abies. P. Laricio 

 austriaca also succeeds best on chalky or calcareous soil. 



Finns Pinaster, P. halepensis, and P. rigida do best when 

 planted on pure sand on the sea coast ; whilst P. silvestris and 

 P. Laricio grow nowhere with greater vigour or produce more 

 valuable timber than when planted on rather poor or thin 

 gravelly soils. 



Again, Taxodium distichum, Tsuga canadensis, Picea nigra, 

 Citpressiis macrocarpa, C. Thyoides, and Thuya occidentalis will 

 thrive where the roots are at times, or constantly submerged, 

 and are therefore well suited for planting in damp or marshy 

 ground. In the following lists the principal coniferous trees 

 that have been found to succeed in the particular class of soil 

 with which they are associated will be arranged in alphabetical 

 order. 



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