108 On a General Introduction of 



is exceedingly well suited for being extensively planted in parks 

 and pleasure-grounds. Dr. Falconer gives the dimensions of a 

 fallen Deodar, which he saw on the Himalayas, as 36 feet in 

 circumference at the base, and 130 feet in length. The same 

 authority states that timber of the Deodar, taken from a temple, 

 supposed to have existed at least 1000 years, was, to all appear- 

 ance, as sound as when first placed there, not affording a dwelling 

 even to a solitary insect. " The wood of the Deodar," Mr. 

 Loudon has remarked in his Arboratum Britannicwm, " has a 

 remarkably fine close grain, capable of receiving a very high 

 polish — so much so, indeed, that a table formed of the section of 

 the section of a trunk four feet in diameter, sent by Dr. Wallich 

 to the late Mr. Lambert, has been compared to a slab of brown 

 agate ! But, unfortunately, all the plants of this tree, grown 

 in this colony, are from layers ; and none of the coniferse ever 

 make good plants, unless grown from seed, except the Cypress, 

 which may be advantageously increased by cuttings. 



Araucaria imbricata is decidedly the most remarkable 

 species of the genus. It has a very singular appearance ; the 

 trunk is quite straight ; its bark is thick, and in old trees corky. 

 The wood is also not only very strong and good, but it is full of 

 beautiful veins, and is capable of being polished and worked 

 with the greatest facility. The seeds, which resemble that of an 

 almond, but is double the size, is reckoned wholesome food; 

 when roasted they taste something like chestnuts. There are 

 some plants of this to be seen in England 40 feet high. It grows 

 to 150 feet in Chili. 



Araucaria brasiliana is a very handsome tree, but is much 

 more tender than A. imbricata. 



Sequoia sempervirens. — The Bastard Cedar was first dis- 

 covered by Mr. Menzies in 1796, and was seen growing by my 

 late lamented friend, Dr. Coulter, about 40 years afterwards, but 

 it was not introduced to England until 1843, when plants of it 

 were sent to London by Dr. Fischer, of St. Petersburgh. One 

 of the trees seen by Dr. Coulter measured 270 feet in height, 

 and 55 feet in circumference, at 6 feet from the ground. This 

 tree is called by the American settlers " The Giant of the 

 Forest." The wood is beautifully red, fine, and close grained : 

 it grows very quick 



Podocarpus chilina. — This tree is called in Chili, Maniqui. 

 It is a beautiful tree, producing excellent timber ; it grows to 50 

 or 60 feet high. 



Torreya taxifolia is a tree from 40 to 50 feet high, which 

 has a very disagreeable smell when burnt. The wood, though 



