92 



PARKS AND PLEASURE-GROUNDS. 



other inhabitant of the forest. The Highland variety 

 is superior to the common one both in the quality of 

 the timber and in its outward appearance: it has a 

 smoother bark^ and^ throwing out its branches more 

 nearly at right angles to the stem, it assumes a more 

 cylindrical and less tufted form. 



The Pinaster is of a medium size and conical form, 

 with massive dark-green foliage. It is of rapid growth, 

 thriving best on sandy or light loamy soils, and is weU 

 adapted to the vicinity of the sea. The Weymouth Pine, 

 in this country, is of medium size, and, imless when 

 planted pretty closely, is apt to become a bushy tree. 

 With its light-green foliage, it has a more lively effect 

 in a mass than most others of the fir tribe. P. excelsa 

 is allied to the latter. It has a tapering form, long 

 light silvery leaves, loose and pendent branches, and a 

 smooth whitish bark. It attains to a great size on the 

 Himalaya mountains, and promises to be equally fine in 

 this country. In this section, our limits will permit us 

 to mention further only P. Laricio, or Corsican pine, a 

 large conical tree with dark foliage and of rapid growth. 

 Of its varieties, the black Austrian pine is decidedly the 

 best : it is a large hardy tree, with a broad conical head, 

 and, as it grows quickly, it promises to supersede the 

 Scotch fir where early shelter is wanted. It is very 

 liable to be injured by hares when young. 



The Silver Fir is one of the noblest of our hardy firs, 

 rather tender when young, but growing rapidly after- 

 wards, and when old it forms a truncated cone of great 

 height, and is stately, massive, and ornamental, both on 

 the lawn and in the park. P. Douglasii is a Californian 

 species of great size. We have known it in this country 

 add ten feet to its height in three seasons. Its foliage 



