AGRICULTURAL BULLETIN 
OF THE, 
STRAITS 
AND 
FEDERATED MALAY STATES. 
No. 7.] JULY, 1907. [Vol. VI. 
CONIFERS CULTIVATED IN THE BOTANIC 
GARDENS. 
The coniferous trees are for the 'greatest part confined to 
the colder regions of the world, and are almost absent from hot 
tropical regions though some occur on the loftier mountains of the 
equatorial belt. The order is not however unrepresented in the 
warmer parts of the tropics, and several species occur in the low 
land country of the Malay Peninsula. As timber trees all that are 
large enough are valued for their wood, while many including our 
indigenous Dammara supply the resin knowh as turpentine. As 
ornamental plants also they will always be popular; their habit 
and foliage contrasting very strongly with that of ordinary leafy 
trees. * A 
A considerable number of these plants have been introduced 
into cultivation but of the exotic ones -few thrive here owing 1 9 
the heat and dampness of the climate. Some of the smaller ones, 
however, do very well as pot plants for house decoration and last 
a long time, but even the strongest of these, e,g., Thuia orientalis 
when planted out are shabby and grow' but poorly. A number of 
Pinus species have been from time to time introduced but these 
seldom survive the first heavy rams. J Pinus longifolia from the 
Himalayas was long in the Botanic Gardens. It grew to about 
four feet tall and remained thus looking very shabby for a good 
many years, after which the plants all died. It is perhaps as much 
due to unsuitability of soil in the low country that these plants 
do not do better. As far as the genus Pinus, is concerned perhaps 
P, merkusii of Siam and Sumatra, P. inisularis of the Philippines, 
and P. cubensis of Cuba would be the most likely to do well, and 
might well be introduced into our hill regions. 
The Cypresses except the Weeping Cypress do not do well out 
of doors even if they stand the heavy rains, they are subject to 
the attacks of termites and soon look shabby. This may in part 
be due to the poverty of the soil, which is really hardly suited for 
many conifers. 
