138 



PINACE.^. 



And now, kind and indulgent reader, if you are acquainted witli the 

 individual members of this genus Pinus, or if not, and have followed 

 me through this summary, enumeration, and description of them, you 

 will observe, that though feic distinct species are recognized, many 

 quasi-species are treated of; and I need not tell you that this great 

 reduction of the species of the Pine is even here not so much carried 

 out as it ought to be, inasmuch as many are now admitted to a place 

 Yrdiich will hereafter have to be discarded when they have developed 

 themselves in this country, and when time and experience have given 

 us more knowledge of them. In concluding this, my first sub-division 

 of PIXACE^, and this my last S.D. or family of Coniferse, I desire 

 to add the following remarks : — Something like a half-dozen years ago, 

 while busily engaged in my cultivation and study of the Pines, one 

 morning I received a circular, announcing that one man, his name 

 Eoezl,. had discovered in one country, and that known as Mexico, 07ie 

 hunclrecl and a score of new Pines! I perused the circular, reperused it, 

 and often referred to it ; and I do confess that it was some time after- 

 wards before I recovered from the effects of this sensational shock to 

 my nervous system, and again found myself in my usual sober mood. 

 I at the time, however, raised my voice against the announce- 

 ment as an imposition ; but ^' Xo, no, no," said those who swear by 

 ^'Xew Pines;" and the species-mongers re-echoed the sound ; so the 

 trick was a decided hit, had a successful run, became quite popular, 

 and created quite a sensation amongst arborists. My prediction, how- 

 ever, was soon proved to be a true one, as the following laconic note 

 will show, and which was published so soon after their introduction 

 as an opinion of them could be formed, inasmuch as I had seen neither 

 cones nor foliage of them : — " Mexican Pines. How is it that we 

 hear so little about the collection of ^ew Mexican Pines, seeds of 

 which were sent out in 1858 and 1859, by Messrs. Eoezl and Com- 

 pany, of Mexico, or their agents 1 Out of the lot I have not ten per . 

 cent, now alive ; and, as regards novelty, I hazard the opinion, that 

 u'ith few, if any exceptions, they are neither more nor less than old 

 acquaintances with new names. Xot a few of them, too, appear in 

 more characters than one. Perhaps some of your correspondents who 

 have been fortunate enough to keep them alive without protection, 

 will give us their experience respecting them — Senilis." Vide 

 Gardener's Chronicle, page 116, vol. 1861. This feeler, being a ticklish 

 one, produced no information, for it never, so far as I am aware, 

 received a reply, and I may here refer the reader to the foregoing enu- 



