October 8, 1891. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
299 
yOjJ _-/ Tv 
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THE CONIFERS. 
L 
T HE family of the Conifer® is one of the most distinctly 
defined, interesting, and important in the vegetable world, 
and the Royal Horticultural Society has done well in providing 
an Exhibition and Conference which should attract prominent 
attention to such a group of ornamental and useful plants. 
The Conifers which adorn our gardens and parks, or furnish us 
from distant regions with an apparently inexhaustible supply of 
timber, also possess numerous other interesting aspects. Though 
opinions differ as to their landscape value, and some prefer the 
varied seasonable changes displayed by deciduous trees, yet we 
find within the family a great diversity of habit—from the 
boldest Pines to the most graceful Firs, Cypresses, or Retino- 
sporas. The shades of green that distinguish the foliage are also 
innumerable, ranging from the darkest and most sombre tints to 
the lightest and brightest silvery or bluish glaucescence. The 
Conifers are interesting, too, as representing the flora of widely 
extended regions, both north and south, and their value is 
increased by the fact that a large proportion of the species are 
hardy in Britain. To the student they also present a great 
subject, linking long past geological ages with the present, and 
furnishing in the wonderful coal supplies a very practical 
reminder of the essential utility of the family in all its stages 
of development. 
At one time, within the memory of many readers, much 
attention was paid to the Conifers for ornamental purposes, and 
the formation of a pinetum was considered almost indispensable in 
the design for establishments of any pretensions. Where the 
situations were well chosen and the circumstances favourable these 
have now become grand examples of their respective kinds, but 
on the other hand, the injudicious selection of species which had 
not been sufficiently tested as regards their hardiness, and planting 
in unsuitable soils, led to failures that had a most deterrent effect 
upon the extended popularity of the plants. These failures, in 
fact, have checked the planting of Conifers on a large scale, 
which have been neglected in a surprising manner, when it is 
remembered how many examples of conspicuous success have been 
observed and chronicled. 
In extensive pleasure grounds and parks many strong-growing 
Conifers can be advantageously planted in numbers. On the 
other hand, in gardens near the house, or wherever space is 
restricted, quite a different selection must be made, and ultimate 
success will depend greatly upon the judgment exercised in this 
matter. The position, soil, and climate of a garden also require 
consideration, as many fine Conifers will thrive in the south 
and west of England that prove quite unsatisfactory in the 
north, or in any cold exposed localities. In regard to this, 
however, protection in the early stages is a matter of much 
importance, as numbers of reputedly tender Conifers only need 
some adequate screens from cold winds for a few years until they 
are well established and growing freely. In most northern gardens 
abundant examples of this are afforded, and where suitable pro¬ 
tection, by stronger-growing trees or shrubs, has been afforded, 
at the critical time, comparatively little difficulty is experienced 
in forming good collections cf Conifers from Yorkshire or 
Northumberland in England, to Perthshire and beyond in 
Scotland. 
No, 589.— Vol. XXIII., Third Series. 
For lawns and pleasure grounds in proximity to the dwelling 
house single specimens of the dwarf, bushy, or fastigiate Conifers, 
are preferable, but in their employment and the system of planting 
adopted there is room for the exercise of much taste. An undue 
proportion of the Biotas, Thuias, or plants of similar habit produce 
a most displeasing formality, and attempts to place such Conifers 
in clumps is usually unsatisfactory to a remarkable degree. Well- 
developed specimens of the green or golden Arbor-Vit® 3 , Yews, &c , 
have a fine appearance when not too closely placed, but it is 
necessary to have a fair proportion of the more graceful Retino- 
sporas or Cryptomerias, with some deciduous trees and shrubs to 
avoid a monotony of tint. An admirable example of this mode of 
planting is seen in Baron Schroder’s garden, The Dell, Egham, 
where the numerous specimen Conifers on the lawn and near the 
house are backed up with massive beds of Rhododendrons, the 
fragrant and profuse deciduous Azileas, Kalmias, and other 
American shrubs. Beyond these are belts of common Laurels, 
with miscellaneous strong-growing deciduous trees, shrubs, or 
Conifers, which, while yielding adequate protection, serve as a 
kind of frame to a tasteful garden picture. Ia large gardens the 
pinetum, when well planted and properly attended, is one of the 
most important departments, but there are thousands of gardens 
where such extensive experiments cannot be undertaken, and it is 
still possible to have within moderate compass a fairly representative 
collection of the principal coniferous types. 
Shallow poor or dry soils are the worst for Conifers generally, 
and though some can be found to thrive on chalky soils they are not 
very numerous, especially amongst those of dwarf habit. For moist 
situations several can be named, but all object to stagnant water in 
the soil. A well-drained deep rich soil is the best for Conifers of 
all kinds, and when planting near a house it is advisable to form 
suitable stations wherever these conditions are not naturally 
provided. Remove the soil to a moderate depth and of a width 
proportionate to the extent of the roots, refilling with good turfy 
loam and leaves from which all the woody portions have been 
taken. This should be trodden rather firmly after the tree is in 
position and a liberal supply of water afforded. For some Conifers 
leaf soil is used very freely, and we have seen serious evils result 
from this, especially where it contained a quantity of woody 
substances, as fungoid growth is produced that speedily renders the 
soil sour and the trees unhealthy. 
A brief review of the family in its principal divisions will serve 
to illustrate the range of form and the methods of classification 
adopted without going into details respecting the structural 
peculiarities. First in order, and also by far the most important of 
the sub-divisions, is the Abietine®, which comprises all the Firs 
and Pines that constitute such a prominent feature in many 
northern landscapes. These two take high rank amongst park 
and garden trees that attain considerable proportions, and above all 
are of the greatest economic value. Only six genera are included in 
this division—namely, Abies, Larix, Cedrus, Pinus, Araucaria, and 
Dammara, which in their geographical distribution cover the whole 
of the northern temperate zone extending through the members of 
the Pinus group into tropical regions, while the Araucarias and 
Dammaras are the representatives in the southern hemisphere. 
The principal genera in British gardens are Abies and Pinu«, to 
which so many species belong that still further sub-division is 
adopted in each ; thus in Abies there are three groups, Pice®, 
comprising the Spruce Firs, of which Abies excelsa is the best 
known example ; Sapinae, the Silver Firs, including many of the 
most ornamental Conifers known, such as A cephalonica, A. Nord- 
manniana, and A. grandis ; and Tsug®, the Hemlock F irs, such as 
A. Albertiana and A. Douglasi. 
The Pines are sub-divided in a very simple way, and one 
which can be easily followed and is fairly constant—according 
to the number of leaves in a sheath. The first group, teimed 
Bin®, is devoted to species having two leaves in each sheath ; the 
No. 2215 .—Vol. LXXXV., Old Series. 
