REPORT OF THE CONIFER CONFERENCE, 91 
ose who are engaged in the care of te that the Royal Horti- 
cultural i arranged for a Conference on Conifers. The 
volume before us contains the ate of papers read at that Con- 
oe nee. It “may be divided into three parts:—(1st) Papers by 
e 
culture; and (8rd) some lists of coniferous trees grown in th 
United Kingdom, to which is added a similar catalogue by Professor 
Carl Hansen of those of Denmark. 
The first of these divisions, containing papers by Dr. Maxwell T. 
Masters, Professor Marshall Ward, Mr. W. T. Blandford, and Dr. 
Masters begins his opening address with a brief history of the group 
from our knowledge of the remains in the Devonian rocks; 
proceeds with a sketch of their method of growth, and co oncludes 
with some notes on the prekthintse of these trees into Great 
t 
Douglas, Hartweg, and Tacnene mari have done so much for th 
furtherance of the interest in Conifers in Britain, were Fellows and 
officers of the Horticultural sme 2 A necessary warning note is 
sounded on the danger of not keeping an adequate supply of tim bee 
in this ort by failing "ts re-plant old forests when cut down, 
and not protecting those which exist. 
e important subject of diseases of Conifers is dealt with b 
Professor Marshall Ward and Mr. W. A. Blandford, sod renee: of 
whom treats of those eee from the attacks of in 
Ward considers — class of Conifers separately, and cieaumeibion the 
and a short account is given of the ascomycetous fungus (Dasyscypha 
Willkommit) causing it. The writer mentions as a prevention 
this malady the planting of sound trees, aks whether by that 
means athe use of what nurserymen term “healt thy seed,” or acy 
seeing that the young ait have no canker spots when planted out 
in the woods, does not appear. This point as to the belief which 
is so very general among foresters, a the canker is fostered and 
intensified by the propagation of young plants from seed produced 
by diseased trees, is noticed in a bioet eultiatle paper—both from a 
scientific and practical poimt of view—by Dr. A. W. Somerville, 
g the papers by ftcstical men ce s one by Mr, A. D 
Webster, os is a believer in the Sates of * good seed”’ as a 
