"l'^cole forestiere des barres. 121 



times, as at present, sensibly greater than in this. This lot, when it 

 shall be older, it appears to me, is likely to approach nearly in its 

 quality that of Gniparaz," 



Of the 2'^in sylvestre, supplied by M. Picot-Lapeyrouse, M. Vilmorin 

 writes : " This lot, which does not consist of above a dozen of trees, 

 though not numerous, deserves a somewhat detailed notice in 

 consequence of the interest attaching to itself, and of the uncertainty 

 attaching to its forest origin. 



" At a time when I was much occupied with researches on the 

 genuine pimis tincinata of Raymond, I addressed myself amongst 

 others to M. Ferrieres, chief gardener of the botanic garden at 

 Toulouse. He replied that he could certainly procure it for me, 

 seeing that in the garden of M. Picot-Lapeyrouse there was a tree 

 of this species brought back by that botanist from one of his 

 excursions in the Pyrenees, and which was producing cones. I 

 accepted his offer, and he sent me some. These cones resembled in 

 every respect those of the j3i/i?fs sylvestris ; but I sowed them, and, 

 when the plants made apparent that there must have been a mistake 

 somewhere, I planted a row of them in the school. The trees, which 

 are now twenty-eight years of age, and about 15 metres (50 feet) 

 in height, are very beautiful red pines of the north, and of the 

 section expanded pyramidal. They resemble much the Riga pines 

 of Guiparaz, to which they may be likened. 



" Notwithstanding the disappointment which they have occasioned 

 to me, I have always felt a great interest in these trees, and that 

 more especially fi'om the question to which their first origin haa 

 given rise. It may be supposed that the tree in the garden of M. 

 Picot-Lapeyrouse had been brought by him from the Pyrenees, as 

 believed by M. Ferrieres, in which case it follows that on some place 

 on these mountains there were pins sylvestres, in every respect like 

 those of Russia, and belonging to the same race. If, on the contrary, 

 the tree was produced fi'om a plant of the Fins du Novel, received by 

 M. Lapeyrouse, it matters not whence, (he had, as director of the 

 botanic garden, widely extended connections with establishments of 

 the same nature, and with amateurs), the consequences which would 

 follow would not be less important, namely these : that a pine of this 

 race, planted and reared in the climate of Toulouse must have so 

 preserved sufficiently its original character, that trees produced from 

 it are at this day in the plantations at Barres bearing comparison 

 with the good lots produced directly from Russia. 



Q 



