SOME FEATURES OF INTEREST IN THE ORDER OF CONIFERS. 15 



species, including the Eedwood {Sequoia sempervireits). These 

 also were sent to Chiswick, grown and described by George 

 Gordon, whose name will always be associated honourably with 

 these plants, whatever view his successors may take of his work 

 in detail. In 1846, and the subsequent years, Eobert Fortune, 

 whose name, like that of Douglas, should be inscribed in the 

 golden book of the Society, introduced the Cryptomeria 

 japonica and various highly curious species from China and 

 Japan, to which I can only allude in passing. 



In 1850 William Lobb, by the discovery and introduction 

 through Messrs. Veitch of the Wellingtonia {Sequoia gigantea), 

 renewed the excitement and astonishment which his predecessor 

 Douglas had occasioned. There is no need for me here to 

 do more than allude in passing to the marvels attaching to 

 the Mammoth Tree and its near ally, the Eedwood ; but I may 

 point out that, wonderful as they are in history and stature, they 

 are surpassed in practical utility by another of William Lobb's 

 introductions — I mean the Lobb's Thuya {Thuya gigaiitea). 



In 1853 Thomas Lobb introduced from Java a single specimen 

 of the very extraordinary Umbrella Pine {Sciadopitys verticil- 

 lata), but it was not till 1861 that it was introduced in quantity 

 by John Veitch and by Fortune. In the same year our Scottish 

 friends sent out Jeffrey to Oregon, and to him we are indebted, 

 amongst others, for the introduction of the magnificent Libo- 

 cedrus decurrens. In the following year William Murray made 

 known the very valuable Lawson's Cypress, or Port Orford 

 Cedar. This was described by his brother Andrew Murray, 

 at one time the secretary of our Society, and one whose know- 

 ledge of these plants was only equalled by his quaint humour 

 and genial kindliness. In or about 1860 the late John Gould 

 Veitch was sending us from Japan several most beautiful and 

 promising species, many of which were described by Andrew 

 Murray in his "Pines and Firs of Japan," originally published 

 in the Journal of our Society. Veitch's labours were supple- 

 mented nearly twenty years later by those of Charles Maries. 

 The history of the introductions made by these two botanists, 

 is it not written in the excellent "Manual of the Coniferie " 

 published by Messrs. Veitch ? 



I must needs curtail my remarks on the introduction of these 

 plants, but before quitting the subject it may be interesting to 



