WOODS AND PLANTATIONS. 445 



was twenty-one feet high and ten years old in 1864. I have planted 

 about thirty plants on different soils and situations on this estate 

 (Wass), and they have all grown well, making an annual growth, on 

 an average, of twenty inches. One, which is now five feet high, made 

 a growth of two feet in 1867. It has grown best on this estate in a 

 deep, rich, black, loam soil. Another, which is growing on the side of 

 a hill in a loamy clay soil, is now ten feet high and five years old. 



The Wdlingtonia sometimes throws out a number of budding shoots. 

 I tried an experiment with these last season (1867), which proved 

 successful. On several plants I left all the young shoots, leaving it to 

 nature to allow one to get the lead of the others ; on several others 

 I pinched off with the finger and thumb all the young shoots except- 

 ing one in the centre. The shoot left rushed away very quick, and, 

 on an average, the plants so treated have made growths of twenty 

 inches. Those trees which were left to nature made only an average 

 growth of about six inches. 



SECTION 17. The Cultivation of the newer Coniferce in 

 this Country. 



In the foregoing section I have given a short account of those coni- 

 ferous trees with which I am acquainted. A great many of the newer 

 coniferae are, no doubt, hardy in our climate, and many of them may 

 become useful as timber-trees in this country. The coniferse are natives 

 of many portions of the globe from the cold arctic regions to the 

 warmest parts of India. They are principally found, however, in 

 countries of a medium temperature over the middle and northern 

 parts of Europe, North America, and Asia. The Picea are a class of 

 trees of immense importance to mankind.' They are noble trees, and gen- 

 erally of large size, quick of growth, and form large forests over a consid- 

 erable portion of the globe. The timber of those trees is used in many 

 countries, and is of great value both for building purposes and for fuel 

 in their native localities, while it is sent to other countries under the 

 name of deal, which is used in almost all commercial and domestic 

 purposes. The resinous parts are converted into turpentine, pitch, and 

 balsam turpentine being got from the Pinus sylvestris, P. pinaster, 

 Abies pectinata, Larix, European, pitch from the Pinus sylmstris, balsam 

 from the Pinus Pumilo, P. pinea, Abies lalsamea ; and the bark of 

 many of them contain great tanning properties. I am of opinion that 

 ample justice has not been given to the cultivation of the coniferse 

 in this country. Very often a portion of. land is laid off for this 



