16 
It is only necessary to add that at the end of a 
quarter of a century the original plan has met with as 
much success as could be expected, looking at the great 
variety of species which it is attempted to grow under 
almost uniform conditions. A barren and arid soil has 
been congenial to some groups and fatal to others. 
Pines have on the whole prospered, while Spruces and 
Silver Firs have languished. In the latter case the 
maintenance of a collection illustrating Conifers as a 
whole can only be effected by constantly renewing it 
with young plants. As soon as these reach any size, 
they appear, under the conditions to which they are 
exposed at Kew, inevitably to die It may be interesting 
to mention a few of the species which flourish on the 
Kew soil. 
Ginkgo biloba (Maidenhair Tree) has already been 
referred to. This remarkable tree, a last representative 
of one of the most ancient types of plants, is apparently 
nowhere known in the wild state. In Japan it is only 
found in the precincts of temples, where it has been 
almost certainly planted. Being deciduous it tolerates 
the neighbourhood of towns, and it is remarkable that 
it has not been more frequently planted in our parks. 
But its growth is slow. 
Sciadopitys verticillata (Umbrella Pine) is represented 
by a vigorous specimen. 
Taxodium distichum (Deciduous Cypress) bids fair to 
form a conspicuous feature on the islands in the Lake. 
Cedrus atlantica (Atlas Cedar) grows with great 
rapidity at Kew. The Deodar (Cedrus Deodara), on the 
other hand, has greatly disappointed the expectations 
formed of it. The most shapely and graceful specimen 
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