PARK AND CEMETERY 
260 
The Conifers of Western North America. 
The well-known writer, Mr. Alfred Redder of the 
Arnold Arboretum, gives a very interesting description 
of the Coniferae of the Canadian Rockies and Pacific 
Coast Ranges in numbers lo and ii, 1905, of Moelle'i'^s 
Deutsche Gaertner-Zeitung, under the title of “A Few 
Notes on West American Conifers.” As these notes 
deserve to be widely disseminated, those of the greatest 
interest, generally speaking, will be considered here. 
Mr. Rehder’s articles are illustrated with numerous 
beautiful photographs taken by the author and by Mr. 
J. G. Jack of the Arnold Arboretum, who accom- 
panied him on his trip to the country of the greatest 
coniferous forests of the world. The author notes first, 
the greater value of coniferous trees of the western part 
of North America as compared with those of East Asia, 
especially from a forester’s standpoint. The first im- 
portation of conifers from the western world dates 
back to 1566 (Thuya occidentalis) , and 1664 (Juni- 
perus Virginiana). These came from the eastern part 
of this continent, and together with many other vari- 
eties indigenous to the eastern states, are now found 
scattered over Western Europe in large specimens. 
Not until the middle of the last century did conifers 
from the western part of this country reach Europe. 
Mr. Rehder further writes : 
“After leaving Winnipeg on the Canadian Pacific we 
crossed the great plains before reaching the Rocky 
Mountains. Those terraced prairies constitute the 
great divide between the vegetation of the East and 
that of the West, with the exception of some tree 
growths along the water courses. These plains pre- 
sented a barren waste, denuded of tree or shrub growth, 
except in a few rare instances. Yet this waste covered 
with myriads of Rudbeckias, Laitras, Grindelias, Guti- 
errezias, Solidagos, Cleome serrulata, etc., produced 
a most magnificent spectacle, long to be remembered. 
The arborescent flora along the water courses con- 
sisted of poplars and willows and such shrubs as Shep- 
pardia argentea, mixed with Elreagnus argentea, and 
in dry situations Symphoricarpus occidentalis and a low 
growing rose. 
The first stop was made at Banff, situated 4,500 feet 
above the sea level. The forests here consisted largely 
of Pinus Murrayana, Picea canadensis, and Pseudot- 
suga, with Picea Engelmanni, Abies subalpina and 
Pinus flexilis on higher elevations, and Larix Lyalli on 
the highest peaks. Deciduous trees were with the ex- 
ception of Populus tremuloides, almost absent. Under- 
growth was very prolific and consisted of the follow- 
ing : Willow varieties, Betula glandulosa, Betula fon- 
tinalis, Cornus stolonifera, Sheppardia canadensis, 
with red and yellow fruit. Ledum latifolium, Ledum 
glandulosum. Rhododendron albiflorum, ViburnumJ 
pansiflorum, Lonicera involucrata, Vaccinium caespito- 
sum, a number of Ribes varieties, etc. 
From here we left for Laggan, surrounded by beauti- 
ful mountains and lakes, of which Lake Agnes is more 
than six thousand feet above sea level. Picea Engel- 
manni and Abies subalpina, form here the chief part 
of the forests. Larix Lyalli, was found in pure stands 
at an elevation of 7,500 feet. A very interesting un- 
dergrowth covers the forest floor, which is due to the 
greater moisture found in these higher elevations than 
at Banff. Among others, I will name : Rhododendron 
albiflorum, Menziesia glabella, and Vaccinium ovali- 
folium. These form a dense undergrowth. In the 
openings numerous willows, among which the beautiful 
Salix vestita and S. barattiana, also Ribes varieties, 
Sambucus pubens, Alnus sitchensis, Spiraea lucida, 
Kalmia microphylla, Empetrum nigrum, the pretty red- 
fruited Vaccinium microphyllum, AVccinium oxycoc- 
cus, Arctous alpina, Gaulthiera myrsinites, Brvanthus 
and Cassiope. The last two named, together with 
Dryos, cover large areas to a height of nine thousand 
feet where dwarf glacier willows form the last vegeta- 
tion. 
At Glacier, which is on the western slope of the 
Rocky Mountains, the forests contain : Thuya gigan- 
