May 27 : 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
129 
to build ; I want as much room as you have iu two of 
these pits of yours ; must I follow your example, or can 
you recommend something preferable as respects first 
cost and utility?” Undoubtedly so. Get rid of the 
two back walls of pits, and turn the glass that would be 
required for these two pits into a low, span-roofed 
house. But this must be alluded to again, as my space 
is occupiod. R. Fish. 
CONIFERS; 
OR, CONE-BEARING TREES AND SIIRUBS. 
There is no tribe of hardy trees so remarkable as 
the Conifers for elegance of outline, stateliness of figure, 
and magnitude of growth ; and we need only refer to a 
few examples to prove the assertion in the above, our 
first sentence of a series of papers we intend to write 
on this beautiful and useful portion of the vegetable 
creation. 
What can bo more graceful than the Cedrus deodara, 
the Sacred Indian Fir, from the Himalayan Mountains, 
where it flourishes at an elevation of more than 10,000 
feet above the level of the sea? Even the most heedless 
of observers of such lovely objects is delighted with it. 
Every one that has a Deodar growing on his grass-plot is 
gratified with its elegance as it advances in growth year 
after year, displaying its gracefully-drooping branches, its 
beautiful, light, evergreen foliage. No one ever regrets 
purchasing one or more of this charming troo. If there 
are any readers of The Cottage Gardener that have a 
piece of ground to spare, and have not a specimen of 
this charming tree, let them procure one, or even a 
score, if they have space for them, to ornament their 
“ wee bit garden.” Such a quantity of seed has been 
imported into this country by enterprising nurserymen, 
and successfully cultivated, that plants are within the 
means of almost every one of the million. Plants a 
foot high may be bad for a couple of shillings. The 
stateliness of figure of the cone-bearers may bo beauti¬ 
fully exemplified by directing attention to that singularly 
foreign-looking tree, tho Araucaria imbricata, a Conifer 
from the mountains of Chili, where it is frequently seen 
from 100 to ] 50 feet high. The stem grows perfectly 
straight; the branches aro in whorls around it, hori¬ 
zontally at first, but bending upwards towards the ex¬ 
tremities ; the foliage is dark green, stiff, thick, and 
pointed, and the bark is rough, almost like a cork-tree. 
The whole appearance of this remarkable tree gives an 
idea of greatness and majesty. Like the preceding 
example, it is a desirablo ornament to the pleasure- 
ground, however small; but it is peculiarly suitable to 
be planted in avenues, near to a castellated or baronial 
residence. The finest example that we know of this 
noble tree is at Dropmore, the seat of Lady Grenville, 
near Maidenhead. That tree is at its base as thick as 
a man’s body, and is more than 40 feet high, clothed 
with branches down to tho ground. It gives the spec¬ 
tator a faint idea of what a noble object it will be when 
three times the magnitude and height it has at present 
attained. The mind may, when observing this young 
example of stately appearance, easily imagine what 
effect an avenue a mile long would have of such ma¬ 
jestic trees when at their full size. 
It seems “a traveller’s tale” to us dwellers in this 
northern clime, that there are trees, perfectly hardy 
enough to bear our winter’s frosts, that rise to the asto¬ 
nishing height of from 200 to 300 feet.* Yet this is no 
fable, for it has been satisfactorily proved that the Taxo- 
dium sempervirens, a native of the hills of California, in 
a climate more severe iu winter than that of Great 
Britain, has reached there the astounding altitude of 
100 yards! How our tallest trees sink into pigmies 
* The Monument in London is only 202 feet high. 
compared with those giants of the Californian mount¬ 
ains. But that species is not the only one of gigantic 
proportions, for there is the Pinus Lambertiana, growing 
in the same locality, and reaching to a height of more 
than 200 feet; and the Pinus Benthamia attains the 
same magnificent altitude. Then the Picea grandis, 
from North California, a treo of a peculiarly handsome 
habit, attains to more than 150 feet. The late la¬ 
mented, enterprising, and persevering Mr. Douglass, 
the botanical collector, said of this remarkably hand¬ 
some and noble tree—“ I spent three weeks in a forest 
composed of this tree, and day by day could not cease 
to admire it.” 
Contrast these magnificeut trees with others that we 
are well acquainted with. The silver fir ( Picea pecti- 
nata), native of central Europe, is perhaps the tallest of 
European Conifers, yet the greatest altitude it ever 
reaches is from 100 to 120 feet. The larch ( Larix Eu¬ 
ropea) attains from 80 to 100 feet. Of the far-famed 
Norway spruce fir ( Abies excelsa), the highest on record 
reaches 100 feet; and the well-known and truly magni¬ 
ficent Cedar of Lebanon seldom exceeds 80 feet; its 
majestic character being obtained more by its noble 
spreading branches, and fine mode of growth, than by 
its great height. Let us, however, not be misunderstood 
by these instances of contrast. We admire each and 
every one of this tribe, but not with the same degree of 
admiration. Where there is space, we would grow them 
all, planting them in suitable situations, so as to show 
to the best advantage their several beautiful habits. Yet, 
from what we know of these Californian, Chilian, and 
other climes, from whence we are constantly receiving 
new species, we are desirous to press upon our readers 
the desirableness of planting them largely iu our 
native land, though the present generation, nor pro¬ 
bably tho next, may not see those magnificent giants 
attain the noble stature they do in their native climes, 
yet there is no doubt they will in the course of time. 
How changed will then be the appearance of our land¬ 
scapes; our waste lands, our rocky mountains, useless 
and barren at present, would then be clothed with ever¬ 
green forests. Such a consummation is devoutly to be 
wished. To aid in leading to such a desirable end is 
the reason why we have ventured to write upon the 
subject, and we shall do our best to increase the taste, 
and awaken and provoke an earnest desire in tho owners 
of largo tracts of uncultivated lands to plant largely, 
even for profit as well as ornament, these noble and 
useful foreign coniferous trees. We would impress 
upon the minds of every planter the homely Scotch 
proverb—“ Be aye sticking them in, Jock; they will be 
aye growing whilst thou art sleeping.” Every one who 
plants one even is doing a truly patriotic deed; for he is 
doing good to future generations. T. Appleby. 
{To be continued.) 
FLORISTS’ FLOWERS. 
Auricula (BrunetteJ .—Your seedling alpine is very 
good. Truss of six pips, edge of petals dark maroon, 
with uniform lighter border of the same colour; paste 
(yellow) of equal breadth with the edge; form good. 
Cinerarias (O. C.J. —Not one of your five seedlings 
are good. The petals are too scattered, deeply notched, 
and no novelty of colouring. 
Mrs. C. S.-—The Calceolarias were squeezed flat, we 
therefore could not judge of their form. Their colouring 
is not at all new or striking. The seedling Geranium is 
not novel in colour, and the petals are too long and too 
narrow. 
Pansies (Pansieana).—Lady Cardross, good form 
and size; colour pinkish-purple, with creamy-white 
centre. lion. Miss J. B. Erskine, bad form, and very 
