1368 The Trees of Great Britain and Ireland 



Dr. Govan in 1818. When I saw them in 1904 the best of these was about 70 ft. 

 by 8^ ft. Fowler* states that the two trees at Hopetoun House were planted in 

 their present position in 1824, one being a seedling, the other a grafted plant 

 worked on the common spruce, four feet above the ground. In 187 1 the graft had 

 outgrown the stock all round for 2 to 3 inches. The seedling tree in that year was 

 60 ft. high by 7 ft. in girth at four feet from the ground, the grafted tree being scarcely 

 so tall. Mr. T. Hay, gardener at Hopetoun, remeasured these trees in January 

 191 1, and informed me that the grafted tree is still in fair condition, and measures 

 70 ft. high. Its girth below the graft is 6 ft. 2 in., and above it 7 ft. 2 in. The 

 seedling tree is more healthy and measures 75 ft. by 8 ft. 8 in. at 4 ft. from the 

 ground. 



At Smeaton Hepburn, a tree, planted in 1840, was measured by Henry in 1905 

 as 67 ft. by 6 ft. 5 in. 



In Ireland this species thrives remarkably well, and there are many fine 

 specimens. At Woodstock, Kilkenny, in 1909 I measured a tree 72 ft. by 8^ ft. 

 At Mount Shannon near Limerick, a tree measured, in 1905, 69 ft. by 8 J ft. in 

 girth. At Fota, Queenstown, there is a fine tree, which was, in 1903, 63 ft. 

 by 8 ft. At Glenstal, Co. Limerick, in the same year, a tree was ii| ft. in girth. 

 with an estimated height of 70 ft. At Bessborough in Co. Kilkenny, a tree, which 

 was figured in the Gardeners Chronicle, May 21, 1904, is, we are informed by 

 Viscount Duncannon, 60 ft. high by 6 ft. 9 in. in girth. Another at Emo Park, 

 Portarlington, was 60 ft. by 8 ft. in 1907 ; and one at Coollattin was 59 ft. by 4 ft. 

 8 in. in 1906. 



In the United States,' the tree is too tender for the climate of Boston, and does 

 not do well even at Washington. There are no large trees of this species in the 

 United States. 



Timber 



According to Gamble, the rate of growth in India is fairly fast, averaging about 

 II rings per inch of radius, or 125 years to a girth of 6 ft. The wood is similar 

 to that of the European spruce, and affords excellent planking for floors, walls, and 

 ceilings. It is used for shingles, for packing cases, for building huts, for water- 

 troughs, etc. In some places it is utilised for making tea boxes. It averages in 

 weight 30 lbs. to 32 lbs. per cubic ft. The bark was formerly used extensively 

 by the shepherds for roofing their huts, but this practice has been stopped in the 

 Government forests. On account of the expense of transport, it is never likely to be 

 exported. (H T E ) 



1 In Card. Chron. 1872, p. 76. 2 Garden and Forest, 1893. p. 14. and 1897, p. 482. 



