CONIFERS AND PINES 115 



land, a land whose general conditions seem highly 

 favourable to a considerable number of species, much 

 success has been attained. It may still be premature 

 to state with any degree of assurance what may be 

 the ultimate suitability of many of these Conifers for 

 growth in our islands. The lifetime of a tree is not 

 comprised within its first sixty years, and such a 

 length of time is all too short to prove the ultimate 

 success of any new tree, though within that space 

 it may come to a magnificent size and apparent 

 promise. Such a state is shown by the splendid 

 Douglas Firs in the grounds of Murthly Castle, 

 Perthshire, where also many another exotic Conifer 

 is grown in quantity. 



These words of Sir William Thiselton-Dyer, that 

 formed part of his opening address on the second 

 day of the Conifer conference of the Royal Horti- 

 cultural Society in 1891, may here be quoted : — 



" Any one who had not travelled in Scotland could 

 form no idea of the extent to which rare Conifers 

 were cultivated in that country, and the splendid 

 development which they attained. The chairman, 

 by way of illustrating these remarks, directed the 

 attention of the audience to some large photographs 

 representing specimens of Coniferae to be seen at 

 Murthly Castle, Perthshire, where they flourished, 

 and where stately and magnificent examples 70 feet, 

 80 feet, and 100 feet high were to be met with. 

 Such trees could only be seen in Scotland, and were 

 the result of a peculiar association of physical condi- 

 tions. In the south-west of England it was impos- 



