THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
March 10. 
411 
it is very nearly allied, differing from that line species 
diieily in the size of its eones, and the scales radiating 
from them. The leaves, like P. insignis, are of a dark 
rich green, numerously placed on the branehes, hut of a 
more slender habit. Mr. Hartweg found it in California, 
growing close to the sea side, with a stem straight and 
tapering, 100 feet high, and elothed with brandies down 
to the ground. The timber is said to be excellent for 
ship-building, being very tougli and elastie. Proprietors 
of estates on the sea-eoast should plant this valuable and 
liandsome tree liberally, both for its beauty and the ex¬ 
cellence of its timber. 
Pinos rigiija (Rigid Pitch Pine).—A useful tree, pro¬ 
ducing great quantities of the pitch of commerce. Its 
upright, stiff habit renders it not very ornamental, yet it 
is a fine tree, and very hardy, being a native of New' 
England, in America, W’here it grows from GO to 70 
feet liigli. 
Pinos Sabiniana (Mr. Sabine’s Pine). — There are 
several fine specimens of tliis noble tree in this country; 
one, in particular, is growing in the Chiswick Gardens, 
lU’obably planted by !Mr. Sabine himself. It is now more 
than forty feet high, w'ith branches spreading dow'ii to 
the grass. Another line specimen I mentioned in luy 
report of a visit to the Rolleston Gardens, belonging to 
Sir Oswald Mosely. This species resembles P. inacro- 
atrjxi, mentioned above, but its leaves are larger, being 
often a foot or more in length. The cones are oval, pro¬ 
duced in clusters, and remain on the branches for seve¬ 
ral years. It is, in its native woods in California, a 
magnificent tree, frequently rising to I fit) feet in height, 
with a trunk twelve feet in diameter. The branches, 
when the trees stand apart, clothe tiie stem down to the 
ground. Jlr. Loudon says, in his “Arboretum Rritani- 
cum,” speaking of this species and P. macrocarjm, 
“Roth species may, indeed, be described as of surjiassing 
beauty; and what adds greatly to their value is, they 
both appear to be perfectly hardy.” Since his time this 
fact has been proved beyond a doubt, and, therefore, 
they ought to bo planted largely, both for their beauty 
as ornaments to the Pinetum, as w'cll as for their valu¬ 
able properties as timber-trees. 
PiNus SiNci.AiRiANA (Mr. Sinclair’s Pine).—So named 
by Sir William Hooker. Found on the hills of Alontcrcy, 
in California, but very little is know'ii of it. 
PiNus snnoTiNA (I.ate, or Pond Pine).—Native of New 
Jersey. A low growing tree, seldom exceeding 40 feet 
high. It is not very ornamental. 
PiNus SINENSIS (The Chinese Pine).—A rather tender 
species, not much known. 
PiNus T.eua (The Frankincense Pine).—A fine tree, 
native of Virginia, scarcely hardy enough to bear our 
climate. It is very rare. 
PiNus Teocote (Teocote, or Twisted-leaved Pine).— 
This is a curious species, with the leaves twisted like a 
cork-screw, rendering it very remarkable. Requires the 
protection of the conservatory north of London. It has 
been found hardy in Devonshire and the north of 
Ireland. It is a native of Mexico, on the Real del i 
Monte, whore it attains the height of 50 feet. 
T. Aereeby. 
(To he conli)iuc(!.) 
A CHAPTER ON HERBS. 
It often hajijiens that some remote corner is devoted 
to the growth of the various scented or culinary ])lants, 
called, in gardening phrase, “ herbs,” or “ sweet herbs.” 
That their importance is not such as to entitle them to 
a place in the front ranks may bo easily guessed at, by 
the neglect w'hich all but universally befals them now ; 
and though we do not urge them further into notice than 
the tastes and wants of readers may think best, yet wo 
advise a little more regard to their welfare while they are 
expected to grow and conduce to our use and pleasure. 
And remote and unheeded as may be their abode, yet 
it not unfrequently happens to come under the eye of 
the scrutinising visitor, who may, in the culture, see a 
something to find fault with here, which he looked for 
in vain elsewhere; weeds struggling with the legitimate 
crop for the mastery, and, in some instances, having 
absolutely appropriated to their own use the space wlucii 
was once a bed of Peppermint, Pennyroyal, Chamomile, 
or some other plant which wants renewing every year or 
two. Now it is not my purpose to urge that the occupants 
of this department ought to be placed on the same foot¬ 
ing as Celery, Onions, or Peas; but, in their subordinate 
capacity, much may often he done to render their ap¬ 
pearance more agreeable, as well as to make them more 
productive. And, in the first instance, I will admit that 
they only deserve a “ second class” situation, and shall 
suppose they are already located in one; which, how¬ 
ever, they may have been occupying for many years, 
with only the little assistance of now and then filling up 
the beds with slips of new jilants, or, it might be, layers 
or rooted offsets of the same, planted on exactly the 
s|)ot whence an old plant was removed, having cither 
died there, or become useless through age. Now it is 
vain to expect a vigorous growth of any plant stuck in 
immediately on the spot where another of its species 
had abstracted all the fertilising properties of the soil 
required to support it, leaving the soil robbed of the 
essential ingredients of which the next occupant will 
be likely to be as much in want of as its predecessor. 
'This principle, which has been advocated for many 
generations by all writers on horticulture, and agricul¬ 
ture also, is not, in every instance, carried out in small 
things to the extent it deserves—and one of these is the 
“ sweet herbs.” 
In therefore advising an alteration in this department, 
I do not, by any means, advocate any serious change 
all at once; in fact, the condition that many things 
may be in jirevents tliat radical change taking place im¬ 
mediately with advantage. It would, therefore, be better 
practice, on the part of the young gardener, to look over 
his grounds, and see if another place, equally suitable, 
be at liberty, -when a portion of each kind can bo trans¬ 
ferred, ju-eparatory to the whole plantation being there; 
and as many things remove at this season better then 
at many others, such may at once be taken away, or 
rather young plants, slips, or oft'sets of them, leaving 
the old bods to keep up the supply until the young ones 
come into use. Now, as most of herbs proiiagatc very 
freely, if attended to at the proper time, little need bo 
said beyond, that in such things as Thyme, there arc 
usually plenty of seedling-plants arise from seed 
“selfsown,” all around the bed or border where the old 
ones are, these, removed with care, speedily make fine 
plants. Hyssop and niiiter Savory often propagate 
themselves in the same way; while Mint, spreading 
laterally as far as is allowed, often dies in the centre, 
I or otherwise becomes so exhausted there as to produce 
very little that is worth preserving. 'The best time to 
transplant Mint is when the young shoots are some 
two or three inches long, when they may bo taken uji 
with a few inches of the runner stem attached, and 
planted where wanted. A damp, deep soil suits Mint, 
but more especially, the repper-mint. Rooted offsets 
of Fennel, Sorrel, Burnet, Angelica, Chamomile, Tansey, 
Tarragon, and some others, are easily obtained in a 
general way, and may be at once planted in such ]iro- 
liortious as is expected to meet the demand, and a little 
(but very little) over to meet contingencies. 'J’hose of a 
more woody or shrubby character arc best |iropagated 
by cuttiugs; of this class are Laventler, Sage, Hue, 
Wormwood, and some others. Cuttings of these, how¬ 
ever, do best if put in some time about Midsummer, 
