190 CHRISTISON—OBSERVATIONS ON 
That the species do follow a law in throwing the mass 
of their growth, some into the early others into the late part 
of the growing season, seems fairly well indicated by a list 
showing the percentage of growth in the first and last half- 
seasons in thirty-four Coniferz, thirteen of the old and twenty- 
one of the new set, in my Paper in the Transactions of the 
Botanical Society of Edinburgh, 1892, p. 325. The list is 
drawn up in the order of greatest proportion in the first half- 
season, one example of Araucaria imbricata being at the head 
with 79 p.c. and one of the deodars at the foot with 24 p.c. 
On analysing the list of 34 trees, it appears that the four 
araucarias are within eleven places of the top; the three 
deodars within five places of the bottom, and their near relative 
Cedrus africana separated from them only by a single place: the 
three each of Adzes Douglasit, Cupressus Lawsoniana, Sequota 
gigantea, Abies Lowiana, and Pinus excelsa within fourteen, 
thirteen, twelve, nine, and nine places respectively of each other. 
Taking a wider view, the seven trees of four species of Adzes 
are all in the lower half of the list, and six of the seven trees of 
four species of Pzvus are within thirteen places, in the middle of 
the list. 
2. Distribution of the girth-increase over the growing 
season in the younger Conifere. 
There was a considerable variety in the conduct of the species 
in this respect. Some showed a marked activity for only three 
months, others for four or five. As examples of a wide distri- 
bution over the growing season in undoubtedly healthy vigorous 
growers the following may be taken, the averages being for a 
period of five years :— 
PERCENTAGES OF MONTHLY INCREASE. 
No. | April. | May. | June. | July. | Aug. | Sept. 
2 Pinus excelsa -— - 8 21°5 26 21 14 9°5 
11 Dos do. oe 85 17 Si 17 13°5 
91 Abies grandis . - 6 195 75 20 27 20 
