174 INTRODUCTION OF NEW CONIFEROUS TREES INTO PARK SCENERY. 



pressive, together with their picturesque character as trees, 

 claim our especial interest as decorative objects in park scenery. 

 Although North- West America has contributed largely in 

 supplying us with material for this purpose, the more southern 

 parts of the same continent have also afforded us numerous sub- 

 jects of great interest, inasmuch as they place at our disposal 

 objects witn a totally distinct character, which, if properly 

 grouped and contrasted with the Pines of other countries, must 

 create an entirely new feature. Take, for example, the long 

 grass-like foliage of P. Devoniana, Russelliana, Lindleyana, 

 Montezumae, &c, and imagine huge specimens of these scattered 

 over the parks of England, which, however tardily it may 

 occur, will eventually be the case. These are but a few of the 

 contributions to the arboriculture of the country which the 

 Horticultural Society have effected : others of more recent date 

 are likely to be equally interesting and important, such as P. 

 Benthamiana, a tree of enormous dimensions, P. Fremontiana, 

 tuberculata, muricata, &c, together with Cupressus Goveniana 

 and macrocarpa, the latter not a shrub, but a huge timber tree, 

 with a beautiful green aspect. Where avenues are introduced, 

 this plant must take a leading position. The beautiful light- 

 green colour it retains at all seasons of the year strongly recom- 

 mends its abundant introduction in all suitable situations. 



Cryptomeria japonica, a comparatively new plant to our 

 gardens, is likely soon to be quite as common as the Cedar of 

 Lebanon. Its graceful manner of growth, and its rapidity 

 of expansion, together with its hardiness, are strong induce- 

 ments to its plentiful introduction. The character which the 

 Japan Cedar may exhibit in the climate of this country, as an 

 ornamental or picturesque tree, may be fairly assumed from the 

 beauty and elegance which numerous specimens, already 8 feet 

 high, in this country present : besides, we are informed that it is 

 a tree extremely ornamental in its appearance where discovered 

 in the north of China. 



The North Indian mountains have also contributed numerous 

 trees of great beauty and interest. The Cedrus Deodara alone 

 is a host in the hands of an ornamental planter. These are 

 now plentiful, chiefly through the instrumentality, and, I may 

 add, liberality, of the East India Company. This also is a tree 

 of rapid expansion. The habit it assumes being that of great 

 gracefulness, its drooping branches and albescent hue are ex- 

 tremely desirable in themselves to give peculiar expression in 

 pictorial delineation : in groups, in avenues, or as single objects, 

 it may with great propriety be liberally employed. We have 

 also from the same country the lovely Abies dumosa, a tree of 

 much gracefulness and beauty. Pinus excelsa, Abies Smithiana, 

 and Picea Webbiana are handsome Pines when their characters 



