276 



PARKS AND PLEASURE-GROUNDS. 



formation by George Patton, Esq., of The Camies, a 

 zealous and successful cultivator of pines, whose pinetum 

 in the sub-alpine country west of Perth aifords abund- 

 ant corroborative proof of the views we have expressed. 

 In our remarks appended to the sections Abies and Picea 

 we mentioned several species whose young shoots are 

 liable to be injured by spring frosts, and other sorts 

 might easily be added to the number. Such injuries 

 generally occur when they are planted in warm sunny 

 situations, and arise from their being, at the time, in 

 advance of the average climate of the place. These 

 results seldom occur when they grow on ground sloping 

 towards the north, or where they are little exposed to 

 the sun in spring. The decrease of injury from late 

 frosts, as the tree increases in age and size, is strongly 

 marked in the Cephalonian and silver firs. It remains 

 to be added, that the power of many species to resist 

 the severities of our climate has stiU to be tested by 

 more rigorous winters and springs than we have expe- 

 rienced of late years. 



Soil of the Pinetum. — Generally speaking, pines do 

 not require deep or rich soils, and they succeed best on 

 ground of loose texture, lying on subsoils through which 

 water percolates freely. Some spruces thrive in com- 

 paratively poor clayey soils ; and along with Larix mi- 

 crocarpa and Pinus Tceda, grow vigorously in moist or 

 even swampy ground : but these are exceptions to the 

 general rule. Others, such as P. Lambertiana, Pinaster, 

 australis, excelsa, and a few more, flourish greatly in dry 

 sandy soils : the first two seem to luxuriate in deep 

 sand. The group Abies generally requires richer land 

 than the others to bring them to perfection. The whole 

 family, however, wiU do well in the soil indicated above. 



