ii6 TREES AND SHRUBS 



sible to find a parallel, though even on the sunburnt 

 soil of Kew good specimens of the Pines proper were 

 occasionally to be seen. With regard to the Abies, 

 however — that section of Conifers of which the 

 Spruces may be taken as a type — a state of things 

 prevailed in Scotland which could not be rivalled in 

 England. On the other hand, the climate in the 

 south-west of the latter country was fairly suitable 

 for some other Conifers, and many of the fine 

 Mexican Pines could be grown there." 



Of the remarkable Douglas Fir at Dropmore, Mr. 

 Charles Herrin on the same occasion says : " The 

 monarch Douglas Fir, planted in 1830, has attained 

 a height of 120 feet, girth of trunk 11 feet 9 inches, 

 with beautiful spreading branches sweeping the 

 ground, covering a diameter of 64 feet. The leaves 

 are also of a glaucous hue, equalling in that respect 

 many of the plants now sold from nurseries under 

 the name of Douglasi glauca. . . . Many trees have 

 since been raised from its seeds and planted out on 

 the estate; one, planted in 1843, is now 78 feet 

 high, with a girth of trunk of 8 feet 2 inches, 

 spreading 39 feet in diameter at base ; a perfect 

 specimen." 



By comparing the growth of the latter tree with 

 the Murthly table, it will be seen that the trees 

 make their growth much more rapidly in Scotland. 

 The Murthly Conifers were all planted by Sir William 

 and Sir Douglas Stewart. The present owner, Mr. 

 Steuart Fothringham, who measured the trees in 

 1891 in anticipation of the visit of the Scottish 



