74 



JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Douglas in 1824 to explore the sylvan riches of the North-west 

 American coasts, from whence he was the means of introducing, 

 through the Society, many of the stateliest and most beautiful 

 Conifers which now adorn the British landscape and add interest 

 and profit to our woodlands, foxemost among which may be placed 

 that valuable forest and ornamental tree, the Douglas Fir (Abies 

 Douglasii), which so worthily commemorates his name. Others 

 have followed in the footsteps of Douglas during a long succes- 

 sion of years, until scarcely a corner of that extensive and richly 

 wooded region is left unexplored or unknown to the eager search 

 and keen eye of the plant-collector. Among others who have 

 been engaged in the introduction of the trees and shrubs of North- 

 west America since the time of Douglas, probably the two most 

 worthy of mention are William Lobb and John Jeffrey. Arriv- 

 ing in California in 1849, Lobb explored the forest regions of 

 that and the adjoining states as far north as the lower Columbia 

 Eiver ; and, through Messrs. Veitch & Son, of Exeter and Chelsea, 

 whose agent he was, he introduced to Britain quite a host of 

 useful and beautiful Conifers, among which the Mammoth Tree 

 of California {Wellingtonia gigantea), introduced by him in 1853, 

 is a substantial and, let us hope, a never-dying record of energy 

 and enterprise rarely equalled. In the following year (1850) 

 Jeffrey was sent out from Edinburgh, by the Scottish Oregon 

 Association, to explore the forests of British Columbia and 

 Oregon ; and on arriving in the country in 1851 he immediately 

 began, with characteristic energy and enthusiasm, the collection 

 and despatch to Edinburgh of the many grand Conifers which it 

 was his good fortune to introduce. Among them may be specially 

 mentioned Abies Albertiana, A. magnifica, Thuya gigantea, and 

 Pinus Jeffreyi, the latter of which commemorates his name. 



While North America was thus being searched from end to 

 end for new Conifers, other parts of the world were not neglected, 

 although, till the opening up of Japan to travellers and explorers 

 about thirty years ago, no really valuable additions were made 

 from those parts to our list of hardy Conifers. 



In Eastern as in Western exploration and search for hardy 

 trees and shrubs the Eoyal Horticultural Society was among the 

 pioneers, who, with praiseworthy zeal and resolution, determined 

 to introduce to Britain at the earhest opportunity the sylvan 

 wealth of temperate Eastern climes. In 1842 the Society sent 



