ISO CONIFERS 



Atlas cedar (Cedrus Atlantica), which Mr. William Robinson 

 believes is only a geographical variation of the cedar of Lebanon 

 and not a distinct species. In the young state, the African cedar 

 has an upright leader, while that of the Lebanon cedar is nodding. 

 The leaves of the former are generally less than an inch long and 

 thicker than broad, while those of the latter are an inch or more 

 long and broader than thick. But their landscape effects are 

 identical (see plate 61). 



At the home of Major Rogers, Sevenoaks, Kent, I saw a 

 cedar of Lebanon practically one hundred feet high which was 

 planted in 1815. At Enfield I paced under one about two 

 hundred and fifty years old which had a spread of over one 

 hundred feet. 



"No finer things than the cedars can be within the view of 

 the flower garden," says William Robinson, "but they should 

 never be planted near the house, or their great branches will darken 

 it and in small flower gardens they are sure to be in the way." 



OUR EQUIVALENTS FOR THEIR SPRUCES 



Another conifer that will grow a hundred feet in a century is 

 the Douglas spruce. Indeed, I saw one at Dropmore, one' hundred 

 and seventeen feet high, with a spread of one hundred feet, which 

 came from the first lot of seeds brought to England in the winter 

 of 1827-28. This is the only hundred-foot conifer I have ever 

 seen that has retained its symmetry. It is a perfect pyramid, 

 the lower branches being all present and resting on the ground. 

 And Mr. Elwes says, "It is a baby to some I know." 



The Douglas spruce (see plate 62) illustrates a most im- 

 portant principle. The trees of western Continental coasts are, 

 broadly speaking, interchangeable and so are the trees of eastern 



