146 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ August 25, 1870. 



injury, and the past winter had done scarcely any damage to 

 the collection at Kenfield. 



I will now describe more particularly some of the contents 

 of the pinetnm. First on the list is the Wellingtonia, which 

 here, as in most places, grows most luxuriantly, the tallest tree 

 being 33 feet high, and the spread of its branches at bottom 

 26 feet. Here I may remark that the specimens of this tree 

 at Kenfield (and there were many of 31, 28, 26, and 23 feet 

 high and downwards), differed in outline from those met with 

 in most places, where the general outline is a cone with the 

 greatest diameter at 2 or 3 feet from the ground. This is the 

 case with most of the Wellingtonias at Linton, while at Ken- 

 field it was ju3t the reverse ; the trees there resembled a cone 

 placed upon a sort of circular base of 2 feet in height or more, 

 so that although the diameter of the tree above described was 

 26 feet at the bottom, it would not be more than 21 feet at 

 3 feet higher up, but from thence to the apex it formed as true 

 a cone as could be desired. Both it and the other trees were 

 densely clothed with branches covered with healthy foliage, and 

 promised to vie with any indigenous tree. There was but one 

 exception, a tree whose history I should be anxious to learn, 

 as I expressed my suspicions it might go the same way as one 

 at Linton did. However, all the others were pictures of beauty. 



The Deodar was also well represented, and handsomely- 

 clothed trees met the eye at almost every turning, and what is 

 more, they seemed to retain the Deodar character, which is not 

 the case with all the early-planted specimens of this tree, for 

 many are gradually merging into the Lebanon form, losing 

 alike the glaucous hue and pendant habit of the original 

 Deodar. I believe these trees suffered but little, if any, either 

 in 1860 or 1S66, and many of them are assuming the dimen- 

 sions of useful timber trees. A group of Abies ITenzierii, 

 occupying a rather prominent position in the grounds, promises 

 to far eclipse the Common Spruce, which formed part of the 

 outer belt ; for, while the former were healthy and vigorous, and 

 evidently 50 feet high, the latter showed unmistakeable tokens 

 of disease that will carry them off ere long if they be allowed 

 to stand till then ; this is the fate that has befallen them at 

 Linton. The Spruce seems to luxuriate until about twenty 

 years old, then it comes to a sort of standstill ; a shabby, half- 

 dead appearance carries it on some ten years more, and it 

 then succumbs. 'Whether Abies llorinda and A. ilenziesii be 

 destined for a longer existence remains to be proved. Certain 

 it is that A. Menziesii at Kenfield was all that could be wished. 

 A. Morinda, though healthy, was less rapid in its growth ; but 

 there were some fine specimens of Pious Cembra, which, I 

 may remark, is not so much sought after as it deserves to be. 

 Its upright, almost cylindrical form, contrasts strongly with the 

 spreading habit of Pinu3 excelsa ; there are good specimens of 

 both at Kenfield, but the disinclination of the latter to grow 

 upwards was manifest there, as at other places ; however, the 

 density of the rich glaucous foliage, and its horse-mane-like 

 texture, will ever render this tree a favourite. Pinus ponderosa 

 was not so good as I have seen elsewhere ; in fact, this is 

 seldom met with in good form. The same, however, could not 

 be said of Pinna macrocarpa, which was all that could be 

 desired ; and one that I would have called P. Sabiniana was 

 likewise good. Pinus Benthamiana was promising, but had 

 not had time to attain the dimensions of the others, while, 

 perhaps the prince of all the Pinus family, P. insignis, was 

 unsurpassed in beauty of form and healthiness ; it had, how- 

 ever, suffered in the winter four years ago, but was a fine, hand- 

 some tree. P. radiata was said to have suffered more, and had 

 since been destroyed. Most excellent specimens of P. austriaca 

 were met with in various directions, some thriving better in 

 the outer belt than the Spruce Firs. P. Jeffreyana and others 

 were also well represented. 



Of the Picea family there were several good specimens of 

 P. Pinsapo, one large tree growing in the outer belt was fully 

 exposed to the cutting north winds, which are so trying to all 

 kinds of trees, and which last winter affected our native ever- 

 greens as well. It was, however, satisfactory to observe that 

 this popular species had not suffered more than others, and cer- 

 tainly not so much as the Spruce; most of the specimens, 

 however, showed a tendency to be dumpy, unwilling to grow 

 upwards, which is a fault with some others of the Pinus tribe. 

 Picea cephalonica was better, but this also has in most cases a 

 disposition to spread laterally, still its beautiful green tint will 

 always entitle it to a place. The prince of this section, how- 

 ever, is undoubtedly P. Nordmanniana, of which a fine specimen 

 26 feet high, and of symmetrical growth, occupied a prominent 

 position, and well deserved it. Picea nobilis was also a fine 



tree, but less fortunate in its site ; it had, like others of its class 

 elsewhere, borne fruit a year or two previously, but its upright 

 growth gave promise of maintaining that superiority amongst 

 its brethren which its name implies. Of the same glaucous 

 hue was a remarkably fine tree of P. magnifica, the height of 

 which I unfortunately omitted to ascertain. Promising speci- 

 mens of Picea Lowii, lasiocarpa, and Parsonsii, perhaps all the 

 same species, were also noticeable. P. lasiocarpa has. perhaps, 

 the longest foliage, which is also awl-shaped, and at Kenfield it 

 promised to become a tree of some magnitude, its growth being 

 rapid, and its form good. I found here, as at many other 

 places, that P. Webbiana had succumbed to some of the hard 

 winters of late years. P. amabilis and grandis, also thought tc- 

 be synonymous, were likewise good, and a very promising plant 

 of P. bracteata appears likely to be amongst the first of its 

 series in this country, and to all appearance will become a 

 favourite. I believe it has not been long introduced, but still 

 sufficiently so to establish its hardiness. 



Near some of the Conifers just named were excellent speci- 

 mens of Cryptomeria japonica and Lobbii, the former being 

 about 30 feet high. C. elegans was also in a promising con- 

 dition, being upwards of 7 feet in height, while C. Lobbii 

 rivalled C. japonica in height, and still more in luxuriance, but 

 as the difference between it and C. japonica is so slight, perhaps 

 both may merge in one hereafter. C. elegans, however, is one 

 of the handsomest Conifers of recent introduction. Of Cepha- 

 lotaxus Fortunei there were both male and female plants, the 

 two differing widely in appearance, but they may only be re- 

 garded as shrubs of moderate growth, or even lower than that. 

 Not so, however, the Japan Betinospora, of which good speci- 

 mens of squarrosa, obtusa, and pisiferB, stood out conspicuously, 

 the last named promising to become a good-sized tree, while 

 the silvery graceful appearance of B. squarrosa contrasted well 

 with plants of a deeper hue. R leptoclada also promises to 

 rival the Irish Yew in form and size, although differing widely 

 from it in foliage. Some variegated forms of Betinospora were 

 also pointed out, but their liability to return to the original 

 condition impairs their interest. 



I believe all the dwarf forms of the Pinus family were well 

 represented. By far the finest specimen I have seen of Scia- 

 dopitys vertieillata, the Umbrella Pine, was shown me, as well 

 as Abies Kasmpferi. The specimens of Abie3 clanbrasiliana, 

 Pinus pygmaja, and others, contrasted strongly with the up- 

 right form of Thuja Lobbii and Menziesii, each of which was 

 upwards of 20 feet high. Thuja gigantea was here, as else- 

 where, less robust, and somehow is hardly deserving the name 

 it bears, as its growth is slower, its form cylindrical, and the 

 head rounded rather than conical. Thujopsis borealis, how- 

 ever, was flourishing, and equalled T. Lobbii in sturdiness of 

 growth. One or two good plants of T. dolabrata were also 

 pointed out, as well as the more recently-introduced T. laste- 

 virens, but it was hardly large enough to give an opinion upon, 

 as were also some other varieties or species of Thnja, and 

 possibly several of those which now present a marked difference- 

 may in time merge into others, and the same with Juniperus 

 and Cupressus. Conspicnous amongst the latter were C. ma- 

 crocarpa, 30 feet high ; C. funebris, more inclined to spread 

 than grow upwards ; and C. Lawsoniana, by no means so satis- 

 factory here as I have met with it elsewhere, although plenti- 

 fully planted. Other Epecies, as Cupressus McNabiana, and 

 majestica, were good. 



The Juniper family were also in force, and, as I have noticed, 

 elsewhere, their inclination to fruit seemed to check their 

 growth, but I confess my recollection of this interesting section, 

 is not sufficiently clear to deserve recording. One or two ex- 

 cellent plants of Taxodium sempervirens ought not to be passed 

 over, as I do not think better specimens can be found. One of 

 these in the interior of the grounds had not received any injury 

 during the past winter, yet another exposed to the north winds 

 had suffered; both werehigh fine timber-looking trees. Araucaria 

 imbricata was hardly so much at home, but it was, nevertheless, 

 upwards of 30 feet high. Libocedrns chiliensis was as good! 

 and as promising as it usually is, while one of the most con- 

 spicuous of all Pines in many places, Abies Douglasii, fell short 

 of what might be expected of it. Although there was a good 

 full-sized tree of it, yet the proper robust character and dense 

 deep green hue were wanting, proving that the soil did not 

 exactly suit it. The too-great abundance of calcareous matter, 

 however useful it may be for the welfare of a number of plants, 

 is inimical to the well-being of the Douglas Fir. There was, 

 however, a very fair specimen of the deciduous Cypress ; and 

 though the equally interesting Salisburia adiantifolia was much. 



