STATISTICS OF CONIFERS IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 



545 



General Remarks. — Besides those noted above, many Biotas, Retinosporas, 

 Thuyas, Junipers, and Yews are thriving well, and forming fine specimens. AMes 

 excelsa Clanhrasiliajia forms a very neat "table-topped" dwarf tree, 4 feet high 

 and 5 feet through. Among the older trees in the Castle grounds are a Yew, 

 40 feet high and 11 feet 6 inches in girth ; a Silver Fir, 10 feet ; a number of very 

 fine Scots Firs, from 8 to 9 feet ; an Oak, 19 feet; Ash, 17 feet 6 inches, and a 

 Spanish Chestnut, 12 feet 6 inches, all at 5 feet up. 



SUTHEELANDSHIEE. 

 Dornoch. Duke op Sutherland. 

 Correspondent : Mr. James B. Kidd, Forester, The Poles, Dornoch. 

 General Remarks. — In 1878, when I came to Dornoch, there was not a 

 Conifer beyond the common trees — Larch, Scots Fir, Spruce, and Silver Fir — in 

 the Dornoch, Criech, Linside, Lairg, Lochinver, and Tongue districts, an area of 

 about sixty square miles. "Within recent years, however, we have planted exten- 

 sively of Ahics Douf/Iafili, A. 7iohilis, A. JVordmanniana, Pi?ins Cemhra, and Thuya 

 fjirjantea, with highly gratifying results. Among others that have been planted, 

 and all of which are thriving well, are Ab'ie^ Alhertlana, A. Alcockiana, A. ama- 

 MUs, (?) A. canadensis, A. ci'phalonica, A. concolor, A. Engelmannii, A. excelsa fin- 

 doJiensis, A. Fraserli, A. grandls, A. Zon-ii, A. magnifca, A. Menziesil, A. 3Iorinda, 

 A. Parryana ylaucci, A. Pinsapo, A. Sclirrnkmna, A. Welhlana ; Cedrus atlantica, 

 C. Deodara, C. Lioani ; Pinus austriaca, P. Jeffrey I, P. Larlcio, P. vionticola, 

 P. Strohus, Thuyopsls horealis, and WelUngtonia gigantea. I may say that the 

 more tender kinds are always planted in well-sheltered spoty, and none at a 

 greater altitude than 430 feet. Some of them make remarkably tine growth, and 

 all of them are in vigorous health. The Douglas Fir has made over 3 feet of 

 leading shoot in a season, and A. nolnlls about 2 feet. Even Webb's Fir, a native 

 of the Himalayan mountains, and not usually considered hardy in Britain, thrives 

 splendidh^ and makes a very robust terminal growth of 18 to 20 inches in the year. 

 Altogether, thft success which has so far attended the planting of the newer 

 Conifers in this district gives great promise of good results when they attain 

 their full size and maturity. 



DuNROBiN. Duke of Sutherland. 

 Altitude, 20 to 60 feet. Soil, light loam ; subsoil, gravelly. 

 Correspond ent : Mr. Dayid Melville, The Gardens, Dunrobin Castle, Golspie. 



Eotanical Name 



Age 



Height 



Girth at 

 5 ft. up 



a; 



- s 



Exposure 



Remarks. 





Tears 



Feet 



Ft. In. 



Feet 









40 



58 



10 10 



62 



N.W. 



Health}' spreading tree. 





18 



28 



2 9 



23 





Fine vigorous tree. 



Araucaria imbricata . . . 



38 



33 



5 4 



28 





One of a row of fine trees, 















all about the same height. 





30 



27 



2 11 



18 



S.W. 



Planted by Chas. Sumner. 



„ Deodara 



3.5 



34 



5 1 



25 



w. 



A nice specimen. 





30 



29 



3 10| 



30 



S.W. 



Planted by Mrs. Harriet 















Beecher Stowe. 



Wellingtonia gigantea 



30 



38 



5 1 



15 



>> 



Planted by H.R.H. the 















Prince of Wales. 



General Remarks. — Dunrobin is so near to the German Ocean, and so fully 

 exposed to the parching easterly gales which blow from oli the sea with injurious 

 effect in the summer months, that Conifers require to be grown in sheltered 

 places to succeed well. In such places the specimens of which I have given 

 details are. thriving admirably ; and so are many others of these and other species 



N N 



