STATISTICS OF CONIFERS IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 



511 



Langholm. Duke of Buccleuch. 

 Altitude, 200 feet. Soil, loam ; subsoil, clay and gravel. 

 Corresjwndent : Mr, William Doughty, Forester, Canonbie. 







4J 







Z s 







Botanical Name 



Age 





Girth at 

 5 ft. up 



» « 



s § 



m 

 O 

 P. 



Remarks 





















Years 



Feet 



Ft. 



In. 



Feet 





■ 





18 



23 



1 



6 



12 



s.w. 



Thriving ; beautiful tree. 





20 



24 



1 



11 



13 



J» 







20 



17 



1 



4 



9 



»5 







20 



16 



1 



0 



11 



n 



Thrives fairly well. 





18 



15 



0 



9 



9 



5> 



j> )> 



Cupressus Lawsoniana... 



18 



25 



2 



5 



11 



>5 



Fine healthy tree. 





20 



30 



2 



4 



9 



)l 



„ „ grows fast. 



Wellingtonia gigantea... 



20 



30 



2 



4 



8 



J> 



Fine specimen. 



General Ke marks. —The hardier species of Conifers thrive well on the estates 

 of Langholm and Canonbie. Those that take kindly to the soil and climate of 

 the district are very promising, and form a pleasing addition to the landscape. 

 AMes Albertiana thrives well, and is very much admired, A. Douglasii is one 

 of the very best of the newer Conifers, and makes wood rapidly in well sheltered 

 places; but it will not do in situations exposed to cutting winds and spring 

 frosts. A. nohilis also does well, and is among the best of Conifers, having a 

 fine habit and a very rich colour. The Crimean Fir, A. Nordmanniana, does not 

 do well here — at least, the smaller-leaved variety, some of which sicken and die 

 off almost every year, but the large-leaved kind does fairly well. All the hardy 

 Cypresses do very well, grow fast and vigorous, and promise to make fine 

 evergreen trees. Thuya gigantea (or Lohhii) grows fast, and promises to do very 

 well, although in late springs some of the young shoots seem to get frosted or 

 browned. Thuyojjsis horealis is a very beautiful and hardy Conifer. Wellingtonia 

 gigantea is handsome, but must be well sheltered from cold cutting winds. The 

 Austrian Pine is very valuable for planting on exposed places, and grows rapidly. 

 The Corsican Pine also grows fast, but is very subject to be blown over when 

 young, owing to its sparse-rooting nature and rather " leggy " habit. In my 

 opinion, none of the newer Conifers have yet proved equal to the Larch, Scots 

 Pine, Silver Fir, and Spruce as forest or timber-producing trees. Spruce is very 

 much underrated with us. While it is young and under 40 to 50 years of age, 

 it makes wood faster, and is superior to Scots Pine for fencing and other country 

 purposes, until the Scots Pine gets old and matured, which takes more than an 

 average lifetime. However, the young Scots Pine is preferred in the mines to 

 Spruce, for pit props. We are expecting good results from the naphthalising of 

 Spruce wood — to make it more durable for fencing, &c. — which is now on its trial 

 here, and promises success. Next to the Larch, Silver Fir is the most durable 

 coniferous wood we grow, and ought to be much more extensively planted. The 

 newer species of Conifers are very interesting and beautiful, and a great addition 

 to the pleasing effect of our lawns and ornamental grounds, and some of them 

 may yet prove useful for timber when they reach maturity and time has fully 

 developed and tested their various qualities. 



EAST LOTHIAN. 

 Saltoun Hall. John Fletcher, Esq. 

 Correspondent : Mr. Malcolm McLean, The Gardens, Saltoun Hall, Pencaitland. 



Alies lalsamea. A very fine and well-furnished specimen of the Balsam Fir, 

 which was much valued by the proprietor, stood on this estate till it was swept 



