114 ON SEA-SIDE PLANTING. 
the plants will be well supplied with fibrous roots of one 
year’s growth, which most readily take to the soil, establish- 
ing the plant on its removal. The pinaster is perhaps the 
most difficult to remove in safety of any species of the Coni- 
fere. This arises from its naturally long and bare roots. A 
two-years’ seedling plant seldom takes root when removed ; 
and in forming plantations with plants, those that have been 
transplanted when one-year-old seedlings, and nursed in 
lines for a year—namely, plants of two years of age, or 
those that are three years old and have been twice trans- 
planted,—are the only plants that are worth inserting. But 
that peculiarity of organization which renders it difficult to 
remove the plant with safety adapts it the more for being 
successfully grown from seed in sand. Its long roots readily 
strike to a great depth, and become wide-spread, and are 
thereby the more serviceable in supporting the seedling plant 
against drought and the casualties of a shifting surface. 
The kinds of plants must, be regulated by the quality of 
soil. In a pure, dry, drifting sand, the native Scotch pine, 
pinaster, P. austriaca, P. laricio, are the most suitable. If the 
situation is not very much under the influence of the sea 
spray, the larch may be inserted as a mixture among the 
pines, provided the sand is not pure, but mixed with vegetable 
or other substances. The silver fir is seldom used as a sea- 
side tree on account of its requiring, even in the best situa- 
tions, a few years before the plant takes to the ground and 
grows freely ; besides, in early life it requires more than usual 
shade and shelter. After it becomes established in suitable 
soil, which is a moist or mossy loam, and attains the height of 
five or eight feet, few trees will keep pace with it. Gilpin, 
who differs from other writers respecting the appearance of 
this tree, says—“ There is a sort of harsh, stiff, unbending 
formality in the stem and branches, and in the whole economy 
of the tree, which makes it disagreeable.” He then continues— 
“T may add that the silver fir is perhaps the hardiest of its 
tribe. It will outface the south-west wind; it will bear 
without shrinking even the sea air; so that one advantage 
