NURSING AND PLANTING. 



139 



tive of China; P. ccmaricnsis is from the Canai'y Ishuids; 

 P. excelsUi from Nepal, in the same collection, are thriving 

 trees. 



There are many others, although sufficiently hardy to stand 

 unprotected in our climate, that are almost unknown to the 

 generality of our pleasure-grounds, of these may be noticed 

 the Hemlock Spruce, P. canadensis^ fi'ora North-America, 

 where it attains a very great size, both in altitude and dia- 

 meter, but with us only that of a large shrub or very dwarf 

 tree. It is exceedingly ornamental, but to be such requires 

 to be planted in rather a moist and shaded situation. In dry 

 exposed places, it seldom looks healthy, and is apt to divide 

 into too many irregular branches, and seldom to attain a 

 leader amongst them. It is propagated by seeds, which are 

 imported annually from America, and should be sown in 

 March or April, in finely prepared, rich, light mould, in shal- 

 low boxes or pans, and placed in a frame or shaded situation. 

 During summer, they should be regularly supplied with water, 

 and the spring following the sowing they may be transplanted 

 out into lines, at the distance of one foot apart, and six inches 

 apart in the line. If it be wished to obtain large plants of 

 this species, they will require to be once or twice taken up 

 during their stay in the nursery, and again tran-n!anted, 

 allowing more room between the plants each time. 



The Pinus ceinhra, Siberian stone-pine, is also a rare 

 plant, comparatively speaking, in our pleasure-grounds, and 

 exceedingly ornamental in all its stages of growth, parti- 

 cularly when it attains a considerable size. It is of slow 

 growth in all situations, but sufficiently hardy, as its name 

 implies. It is propagated from seeds, which are occasionally 

 imported, and there is reason to hope that a sufficient supply 

 may be yet obtained from tr^es in our own country. Such 

 trees as those at White Knights, Claremont, and Powis 

 Castle, are very likely to produce seeds, as they have attained 

 both size and age sufficient to lead us to expect such a result. 



