October 28, 1886. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
389 
The Pinsapo Fir (Pioea Pinsapo).—Densely branched, the branches 
very thickly placed in whorls, and spreading horizontally, which from its 
perfect symmetry is strikingly handsome, being a round or flat cone- 
shaped tree of great beauty. It is also very distinct. There is a variety 
(P. Pinsapo glauea) with all the leaves of a silvery or glaucous colour. 
Requires space laterally. Not tall, but spreading. 
The Superb Silver Fir (Picea magnifies), is much after the P. nobilis 
style, but is more robust, and certainly is very beautiful. In limited 
collections the two need not be grown, especially as lawn trees, notwith¬ 
standing it is quite distinct. 
The Silver Firs delight in a strong moist loam and a cool bottom or 
clay. On shallow soils they have a tendency to become yellow and lose 
their leads, which is very determined in P. Nordmanniana, the worst of it 
being that the trees thrive well enough for a few years, and in eight 
years or so they assume a dingy colour in early summer. 
Spruce Firs. —The White Spruce (Abies alba).—Fine pyramid shape, 
fast growing, and forming a fine tree of a beautiful glaucous-whitish hue, 
which shows to great advantage in association with Pines. It is very 
hardy, but like all the Spruces is not nearly so fine in a bleak or sheltered 
situation. It is, perhaps, best seen on a north aspect, or with others and 
equally tall trees to the south, and its fine appearance is then brought out 
The Corsican Pine (Pinus Laricio).—This forms a handsome pyramidal 
tree, grows more quickly than any Pine I know, and will stand wind even 
better than the Austrian Pine. It, however, is not nearly so dense in 
growth, and is much more pyramidal in habit. For bleak situations this 
and the Austrian Pine are invaluable, and that must be my apology for 
directing attention to them, as to have lawn trees they must have shelter 
in some localities, and none furnish it better than those under notice. 
Keep them thinned so that they can retain their lower branches. 
The Taurian Pine (Pinus Pallasiana).—A large pyramidal tree, but 
with a somewhat roundish head, compact in growth, but the branches are 
disposed irregularly, and being robust have a singular appearance. It 
is of stifT habit, the leaves dark bluish green, several inches long. 
Bentham’s Pine (Pinus Benthamiana).—Noble in aspect, its long dark 
green leaves closely set on stout somewhat spreading branches are singu¬ 
larly if not grotesquely beautiful. 
The Swiss Stone Pine (Pinus Cembra).—A very handsome dense- 
growing tree, and can hardly be dispensed with in ornamental scenery. 
It has a peculiar fitness for knolls on slopes, especially where the 
sceneryjis a water one. The Siberian Stone Pine (P. Cembra sibirica) 
is of slower growth, and is very ornamental from its glaucous green 
leaves. 
Fig. 57 .—Maxillaria Saxderiaka. 
very strikingly. We have the blue or glaucous variety of dense habit 
and smaller dimensions, which is very beautiful from its bluish green 
foliage. It is very fine as a lawn tree. 
The Douglas Spruce (Abies Douglasi).—Conical in form, graceful from 
its numerous pendulous branches covered with bright green foliage. A fast 
growing and most beautiful Fir, making a grand specimen. Large tree. 
Engelman’s Glaucous Spruce Fir (Abies Engelmanni glauea).—Dense 
glaucous blue tinted foliage, yet of free hardy growth, rendering this one 
of most lovely of the Spruces, if not the most beautiful of the family. 
Japanese Spruce (Abier polita) is very distinct, and is to Spruces what 
Picea Pinsapo is to the Sdver Firs, being very beautiful if for nothing 
less than its decided distinctness. It promises to be very handsome. It 
is quite hardy and of free growth. The Oriental Spruce (Abies orientals) 
is a beautiful and densely branched tree, and very ornamental. Large tree. 
The Spruces thrive best in a moist soil, and preferably light, but from 
their shallow rooting will grow in most any kinds of soil except gravelly 
and hot soils, in which they are subject to red spider, and soon assume a 
stunted appearance ; in fact they like a cool moist soil, and with shelter 
attain noble proportions, indeed there are few finer trees than the Norway 
Spruce (Abies excelsa) as a specimen. Lord Clanbrasil’s Spruce (Abies 
Clanbrasiliana) is a dense bush, useful for lawns, never exceeding 
4 feet in height, and there are many other dwarf forms. 
The Pines. —The Austrian Pine (Pinus austriaca).— I consider this 
the most useful of the Pine family from an ornamental and sheltering 
point of view, and for forming a background its rich dark foliage is 
unique. It will grow anywhere near the sea, and at a high elevation on 
mountains, on clay soil, and on sandy, on peat soil, and on limestone. It 
is, indeed, invaluable. It forms a dense tree, closely branched, thickly 
clothed with dark glossy green leaves. As a specimen it is superb. 
The Lofty Bhotan Pine (Pinus excelsa).—Free growing, very spreading, 
withal pyramidal. It is very handsome, its silvery slender long leaves 
giving it a silvery-grey colour. Though its branches are very flexible it 
does not succeed well in an exposed situation. Ltrge tree, requiring 
much lateial space. 
The Pines, being hill trees, like a soil from which water drains freely, 
and they luxuriate in ground that will not support Spruce or Silver 
Firs; but they will grow in clay soil or any other, only not saturated 
with water. 
The Mammoth Tree. —Wellingtonia gigantea is, perhaps, the best 
known of the Conifers and most prized. It is very beautiful, forming an 
exceedingly symmetrical cone or sugar-loaf of a pleasing bluish-green 
colour. It is not suited to exposed situations, for after it attains some 
height it is driven more or less from the perpendicular towards the east, 
and becomes less plentifully furnished. It seems to require a deep soil, 
and in such only have I ssen it healthy after a quarter century growth. 
On shallow soils it grows well for a time, and is very beautiful. It re¬ 
quires shelter from the west in exposed situalions, and is more of a valley 
than hill tree. The Weeping Wellingtonia is very fine, and is perhaps 
the best of the weeping Conifers, unless it be the Pendulous-branched 
Spruce (Abies excelsa inverta), which is very elegant. 
The Cypress. —Lawson’s Cypress (CupressusLawsoniana) is decidedly 
the most graceful of lawn trees. There are many varieties. Argentea is 
suffused with a charming glaucous tint, and is not so free in growth as the 
species; alba pendula, glaucous, drooping ; aurea variegata, of moderate 
growth ; Allumi, a fine form ; compacts, a close-growing variety ; Frazeri, 
of free growth; the beautiful round-headed gracilis ; the purple-tinted 
pulcherrima ; Silver Queen, very silvery and beautiful; lutea, with its 
golden tint, and of free even vigorous growth ; nana and nana glauea, the 
