By Professor Lindley\ 



293 



Wished, for of all the numerous valuable plants introduced bv the 

 Society from North West America, not one of any importance, with 

 the exception perhaps of Arbutus procera, proved tender; and 

 what is of the utmost practical importance, it is now clear that 

 Abies Douglasii, a species that grows as fast as the larch, which has 

 much better timber, is evergreen, and grows to an enormous size, 

 is perfectly suited to the climate of Great Britain. Yuccas also 

 resisted the frost so very generally, that they may be safely intro- 

 duced into gardens as hardy endogenous shrubs ; and the same 

 observation applies to Vaccinium ovatum, one of the handsomest 

 of evergreens. That Pinus palustris should have so generally pe- 

 rished may be a matter of regret, but can excite no surprise, con- 

 sidering that it is exclusively a native of the southern states of the 

 North American union. 



Not the least interesting of the facts observed during this winter 

 was this, that in those places where the cold was very severe, the 

 more plants were exposed the less they suffered, and that on the 

 contrary, the more they were sheltered without being actually pro- 

 tected artificially, the more extensively they were injured. Thus in 

 the Garden of the Horticultural Society, in a warm soil, and much 

 sheltered by other trees, old plants of the common Arbutus were 

 killed to the ground, or entirely destroyed, while in my own garden, 

 in a cold wet soil, the Arbutus did not suffer at all ; and in like 

 manner, Cistuses of all descriptions were in the former case totally 

 destroyed, while in the latter, C. Cyprius, and C. corboriensis were 

 scarcely injured. At Kew, in the warm Botanic Garden, and shel- 

 tered by mats and a wooden frame, a fine old plant of the Chilian 

 Araucaria perished at the extremities, and at Highclere, the seat of 

 the Earl of Carnarvon, that plant suffered in a sheltered situa- 

 tion among trees ; but it passed the winter perfectly uninjured, with 

 the thermometer at —5° in the same place, when planted upon 

 the open lawn, exposed to all the severity of the weather. 

 In many places the Vine was killed in Vineries, the fires of which 

 vol. ii. 2nd series. - Q 



