3^4: TREES. 



ment in the United States. The only reason why this grandest and 

 most interesting of all evergreen trees, which may be grown in this 

 country as easily as the hemlock, wherever the peach beaf s well, has 

 not already been extensively planted,- is owing to two causes. First,: 

 that its merits and its adaptation to our soil and climate, are not 

 generally known; and, second, that it has as yet, without any suf- 

 ficient reason, been difficult to procure it, even in ouf ' largest nurse- 

 ries. We trust that our remarks may have- the effect of inspiring 

 many with an appreciation of its great charms, and that our ener- 

 getic nurserymen, "well knowing that there are thousands of young 

 trees to, be had in England, which may be imported in autumn; 

 from one to three feet high, and in pots, in perfect condition, wilj be 

 able in future to supply all orders for Cedars of Lebanon. 



Whjle we are upon the subject, of eVergi-een ttees,,we will briefly 

 call the attention of our readers to another rare coniferous species, 

 which is likely to prove a very' interesting additionUo pur hardy ar- 

 boretums. This is the Chili 'Pm^, AmucaHd. imbricata,a, singu- 

 lar and noble evergreen &om the Cordilleras mountains,'in^outh 

 America, where it attains the height of 150 feet.,. 



This pine, commonly known as the Araucaria (from Araucanos, 

 the name of the Chilian tribe in whose country it grows), is distin- 

 guished by its scale-like, foliage, closely overlaid or 'imbricated; its 

 horizontal branches springing out from the trunk in whorls or circles, 

 and its imlnense globular cone, or frait, as large as a man's head, 

 containing nunjerous nutritious and excellent nuts. A single fi'uit 

 contains .between two hundred and* three hundred of these ' kernels, 

 which Dr. Pceppig informs us, supply the place of both th? palm 

 and corn to the Indians of the Chilian Andes. "As there are fre- 

 quently tweaty or thirty fruits on a stem, and as even a hearty eater 

 among the Indians, except he should be wholly deprived, of every 

 other kind of sustenance, cannot consume more than two hundred 

 nuts in a day, it is obvious that eighteeii Araucaria trees will main- 

 taiij a single person for a whole year." , The kernel is of the shape 

 of an almond, but twice as large, and is eaten either fresh, boiled, 

 or roasted ; and for winter's use, the women prepare a kin^ of pastiy 

 ' from them.* 



* Arboretwn Britannicmn, p. 2438. 



