A. RELIGIOSA, SACHALINENSIS, SIBIRICA 89 
from Loudon, has—ever “ looking to the south ’— 
ignominiously failed among us. It is possible that a 
few rather sketchy, dilapidated remnants may reward 
the curio-hunter if he makes diligent search in Corn- 
wall or South Ireland, or some such “‘ Ultima Thule,” 
—or call it, if you care, El Dorado,—and that seems 
to be all the guide-books of tree whereabouts have to 
offer the tree-hunters. 
It is of Mexican origin, and derives its religious 
name from the use it is put to in decorating churches 
on festal days. It is like the Abies Nordmanniana 
in leaf arrangement, but with fewer median leaves. 
The first year’s shoots are corrugated, the second 
year’s shoots less so, but the most telling evidence 
of its identity is that the tips of its leaves are not 
notched, as are all the others of this group. 
The A. SAcHALINENSIS comes from the Kurile 
Islands, Saghalien, and Hokkaido, the North Island 
of Japan, where it is the sole representative of its 
species, and known colloquially as Todo-matsu. We 
can say of it and of the A. Sibirica that their presences 
with us are few and far between sights, and are said 
to be likely to be fewer and farther between still. 
Its wood is very valuable. 
A. Siprrica.—In spite of well-founded discourage- 
ments on every side to make attempts to grow this 
tree on English soil, human perversity often prevails, 
and sets us at times pursuing with small chance of 
achieving success. What we ought not to do is just 
what every one desires to do, and often does. If 
you are the recipient of a gift of one, as was the writer, 
what course is open to you? Surely only one, and 
that is to commit it to the ground and piously “‘ wish 
it good luck in the name of the Lord.’’ The one 
given to me and so treated, after some seven or eight 
years of heroic effort, and under the two distressful 
