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DOMESTIC BOTANY. 



Kauri Pine (Dammara australis). A noble tree, native of 

 New Zealand, where it attains the height of 200 feet, and as 

 the stems of old trees are perfectly clean and free of branches 

 for a considerable height, they are greatly valued, and are 

 imported as spars for ships of war. A great quantity of 

 clear resin, like copal, flows from it, which is imported to 

 this country for varnish making. 



Dammar Pine {Dammara onentalis). A large tree of 

 Amboyna in the Molucca Islands. It yields the fine resin 

 called Dammar. Three or more species of a like nature are 

 found in New Caledonia, New Hebrides, Fiji, and also in 

 Queensland, examples of which, with the two preceding, may 

 be seen at Kew. 



Chili Pine (Araucana imbricata). A native of the Andean 

 range of Chili, where it attains a great height, and forms 

 large forests. This remarkable plant was first introduced in 

 1794, living plants having been brought home by Archibald 

 Menzies, surgecn and botanist in Vancouver's voyage of 

 survey. At a dinner given by the Viceroy of Chili to the 

 officers of the ship, part of the dessert consisted of some kind 

 of nuts, which being strange to Menzies, he took some of 

 them on board the ship and sowed them in a box of earth, 

 where they vegetated, and five plants were safely brought to 

 England. One of these plants is still growing at Kew, another 

 at Windsor Castle, and a third at Dropmore, the latter having 

 outgrown the other two, and is now a fine tree 50 feet high. 

 In many parts of the country some trees have been injured 

 and others quite killed by the severe frosts of 1867 ; but the 

 Dropmore tree is uninjured. A. hrasiliensis is a native of 

 the Organ mountains of Brazil, and has the general appear- 

 ance of the above, but its leaves are less in size and not so 

 closely imbricated ; and altogether it is apparently a more 

 slender tree, and not hardy in this country. 



Norfolk Island Pine {Araucaria excelsa). A native of 

 Norfolk Island, and attains the height of above 200 feet. 

 Two closely allied species, A. CooTcii and ^. Rulei^ are immense 

 trees, natives of New Caledonia; A. Cunninghami and A, 



