ON THE DEODAR. 



113 



guiding those who are still somewhat unacquainted with the real 

 habits of the Deodar, as to the selection of places to plant it in, 

 and in order to show that this beautiful tree is eligible for as 

 great a variety of conditions — high or low, moist or dry — as 

 most of our common forest-trees ; whilst in point of beauty of 

 contour it excels most of them. 



I must now advert to another feature of much importance in 

 Deodar-planting ; I allude to the facility with which they may 

 be removed at almost any size. It becomes necessary, in re- 

 marking on this portion of the subject, to consider the character 

 of the root, on which of course so much depends. 



It is well known that the roots of many conifers spread hori- 

 zontally, like so many strings, near the surface of the soil. The 

 Deodar, on the contrary, is exceedingly fibrous, and descends 

 somewhat lower than ordinary ; indeed I have moved several 

 lately from 6 to 9 feet in height, with balls of earth adhering as 

 well as to a well-rooted holly, or other evergreen shrub. It would 

 indeed be much greater risk to move a Scotch fir 8 or 10 feet 

 high than a Deodar of similar dimensions. I have removed 

 some scores during the last few years, and the loss has been 

 trifling indeed, and chiefly confined to some which had been pro- 

 pagated from cuttings, and were taken up from a sandy spot, 

 where they had been planted from the cutting-pots, at only about 

 3 or 4 inches apart. The loss here was unavoidable, when it is 

 recollected that no soil whatever adhered to them, and that as 

 cuttings they possessed somewhat less root-energy than trans- 

 planted seedlings would have done. 



Rapid growth is another great consideration on behalf of the 

 Deodar. It is no uncommon affair for them to rise at least 

 1 foot in a season ; and the extension of their beautifully curved 

 branches, both in length and thickness, is commensurate with 

 the progress of the " leader." Their mode of growing too is 

 rather singular; they appear to continue extending in a steady 

 way until the early part of September, and it is strange that (so 

 succulent as such late-made shoots must of necessity be) the 

 frosts of winter do not destroy or damage their tender-looking 

 points. 



As a timber-tree, if the accounts we have so frequently re- 

 ceived are correct, the planting of the Deodar extensively may 

 be considered a national benefit. 



As ornamental trees they stand pre-eminent with every person 

 of taste ; indeed it would be difficult to conceive a form of tree 

 more expressive or more beautiful. Its beautifully nodding 

 plumes possess all the grace of our old favourite the weeping- 

 willow, to which it adds finely grouped and dense masses of 

 foliage in the interior, the tufted character of which but adds to 



