18/2. ] 
ON CONIFERS AS ORNAMENTAL PLANTS. 
109 
As a basket-fern for tlie stove, this is one of the prettiest of recent introduc¬ 
tions. If planted in a small wire or rustic basket, or in such a receptacle as one 
of the parts of a cocoa-nut shell, and a soil of light turfy peat is used, its tiny 
rhizomes will soon spread over it, and cover the surface with the pretty, finely- 
cut miniature fronds, which when they arrive at the fertile state will be found 
exceedingly interesting objects.—T. M. 
ON CONIFERS AS ORNAMENTAL PLANTS. 
|T has occurred to me that it may be useful to record some observations made 
from time to time on some of the more popular of the Coniferous plants culti- 
*§1® vated in this country, more in relation to their value as ornamental plants 
than to their ultimate intrinsic value as timber ; for although it is a very 
laudable object to endeavour to ascertain the relative value of the different 
species and varieties as timber trees, yet at the same time there are many of 
which it may be said that it is hopeless to expect that they will be likely to form 
useful timber for many years—if ever, in this country—but which are yet so 
beautiful in themselves that they are worth every possible care and attention in 
cultivation as ornamental plants, either as single specimen plants on a lawn or 
terrace, or in combination with other plants in the mixed-shrubbery borders. 
The recent introductions from Japan have considerably increased this class of 
valuable ornamental plants. Many of them bid fair to become plants of very 
general utility, the slower-growing ones of humble growth for the margins of 
mixed borders or other situations where they are brought near to the eye, and 
the more robust for the background. It will be many years before they have so 
far developed their true characteristics as to have their proper places assigned to 
them in landscape gardening, yet their present beauty is such that we cannot 
afford to wait, but must perforce take advantage at once of that present beauty 
by using them largely in increasing the never-ending charms which collections of 
Coniferous plants so pre-eminently possess. 
Take, for example, the Thujopsis dolcibrata, of which it cannot certainly be 
said that it has yet developed any of its true characteristics in this country. It 
is described by travellers as a lofty forest tree of great grandeur of aspect; but 
at present its growth, as far as my experience goes, is so moderate that it will be 
years before it can be banished to the background, and young plants will always 
be in request for situations nearer the eye. One great charm which these Japanese 
Conifers possess is the great contrast which their foliage shows to that of our pre¬ 
vious introductions of allied plants from other countries,—a contrast so desirable 
as to render them very valuable additions to our already well-stocked collections. 
I, however, by no means claim for these any superiority of beauty, for in no 
one instance that I can recall are they more graceful in their habit of growth 
than many previous introductions. In illustration of this take the Thujopsis 
borealis; what can be more beautiful than its graceful and lovely appearance 
when the plant is developed to any size ? It is difficult to describe its peculiar 
