THE PINE AND FIR FAMILY. 257 



able. This was vigorous, of good habit, and bore a profusion 

 of rich orange flowers, the ray florets tipped with scarlet. In 

 habit and foliage this hybrid resembled the female parent, and 

 the influence of the male parent was shown by the size and 

 colour of the flowers. During the summer and autumn this 

 new seedling flowered freely ; but only a few fertile seeds were 

 obtainable, and these, sown in 1867, produced seventeen plants, 

 all distinct from each other some, however, resembling the 

 male, and others the female parent. Four of these were very 

 distinct, and more beautiful in form and colour than either 

 parent, and these were selected as seed-bearers; and in 1868 a 

 numerous progeny was obtained, and ten or twelve of the best 

 are far superior to anything seen in this genus before, the flowers 

 being large, finely shaped, and of variable and very beautiful 

 colours. 



In 1875 Messrs Haage & Schmidt, the celebrated seed- 

 growers of Erfurt, Prussia, sent out a new double hybrid Zinnia 

 obtained by crossing the above-named species. This new 

 hybrid is named Z. Darwinii, and four of the most distinct 

 forms have been selected for distribution viz., Z. Darwinii 

 major, bearing large, double, self-coloured flowers, two inches 

 across ; Z. Darwinii vittata, bearing striped flowers ; Z. Dar- 

 winii, bearing double cone-shaped flowers ; and Z. pyramidalis 

 vittata. In colour the flowers of all these varieties vary much, 

 the principal shades being orange, yellow, scarlet, crimson, 

 rosy-purple, white, yellow with white, purple, or crimson flakes, 

 &c. This race is quite distinct from the numerous beautiful 

 seminal forms of Z. elegans (see 'Gard. Chron.,' 1875, p. 782). 



THE PINE AND FIR FAMILY (Conifers). 



This is an important family of evergreen or deciduous 

 trees, represented in northern or temperate countries by 

 Abies (Firs), Pinus (Pines), Cedrus (Cedars), Juniperus (Juni- 

 pers), Taxus (Yews), and others; while in Australasia and 

 South America these hardy kinds are replaced by Araucaria, 

 Eutassa, Dammara, Dacrydium, and Podocarpus. From an eco- 

 nomic point of view many species are valuable as furnishing 

 timber, resin, oil, pitch, and turpentine ; while as ornamental 

 trees or shrubs they add considerable beauty to our garden 

 landscapes. The fibres of coniferous woods are curiously 

 pitted, and form interesting microscopic objects. Among the 

 finest ornamental kinds found in gardens, we may name Abies 



