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CONIFERS AT ORTON LONGUEVILLE. 

 By Mr. A. Haeding. 



As the Royal Horticultural Society, in promoting tliis Conference 

 on Cone-bearing Trees and Slirubs, is desirous of information re- 

 specting sucli plants grown in this country, a few remarks on the 

 collection grown at Orton Longueville may not be unacceptable. 



The late Marquis of Huntly was a great lover of trees, Coni- 

 fers being especial favourites, and my present noble employer, the 

 Dowager Marchioness of Huntly, is quite as enthusiastic in her 

 love for trees, as also of all other kinds of plants, and to her lady- 

 ship I am greatly indebted for much useful information as to when 

 many of the fine trees here were planted. They have been under 

 my own observation for the last fourteen years, and some of them 

 have made great strides as to height and girth during that time. 

 The soil seems suitable for most kinds ; nevertheless, a few of 

 them do not thrive well, notMj Amtccaria imhricata, or the Chili 

 Pine, and the handsome Silver Fir, Abies nohilis. The soil is a 

 fertile loam resting on gravel, in some places 3 or 4 feet deep, in 

 others not so much. According to the Ordnance Survey, the 

 altitude above sea-level is about 55 feet, and the rainfall averages 

 between 24 and 30 inches. 



Foremost among the Conifers here stands the Wellingtonia, 

 or Mammoth Tree of California, upwards of 300 specimens being 

 planted in various parts of the grounds, ranging from 45 to 70 

 feet in height. The Wellingtonia avenue is 36 feet in width, 

 with a gravel drive 12 feet wide up the centre, the trees being 

 planted 30 feet apart on each side. The length of the avenue in 

 a straight line is 700 yards, containing about 140 trees — all of 

 which were raised in the gardens from seed or cuttings (the 

 majority of them from seed) when first introduced, and the first 

 and best batch of young plants were planted in this avenue about 

 the year 1859. Those raised from seed now show a marked 

 difference from those obtained from cuttings. Many of the former 

 are fine symmetrical trees with good leaders, and about 70 feet 

 high, while those raised from cuttings do not grow so freely, and 

 have besides a tendency to form many leaders. The girth of 

 some of the largest at a foot from the ground is 15 feet. A few 

 have been cut down, but the timber does not appear to be of good 



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