confidering the Ccnibran Pinc, when compared with other fpeci
and colour. The finnmit of the tree, however, and its purple coi
That we may not rim the fligliteft rifk of injuring the tree, we ma)
entertaining llie fame opinions as we do refpecHng it, looks upon
genus Pinm" (cd, 2,
growth than moft othi
Whitton, planted by the Duke of Argyll in 1746. as the largeft in England in 1837, and this,
91 years okl, was only 50 feet in height, with a tnmk 18 inches in diameter at the bafe.
rather monotonous, both in form
acknowledge to be very beautiful,
:n that Mr Lambert, fo far from
le of the handfomeft trees of the
p, 49). In this we heartily agree with Mr Lambert, It is a tree of flower
firs, feldom growing fafter than one foot in a }'ear, Loudon records a tree at
,sh
Geographical Dijlribiition.—The nearefl points to England where the Cembra is found
are the mountains of Dauphinc in France, and the Alps in Switzerland, In the former it is
comes more plentiful as we adv
•rds the eaft,
Mountains ; in France, Italy, Auftria, Syr
ia, Hungar)-,:
which it is ufually found, is from 4000 to 6,
thus writes us of the Cembra in its native k
ofthe celebrated tree diftricts—for inftance,
and P. Cembra (commonly, or rather ah
a long), Amongft the Bernina Alps ai
18 feet in circumference : fonie 12 feet i
It is found in all the Alps; in the Car
nd Tranf>-Kania. The elevation above the fea
mduifiaft in trees, Sir John Nafmyth of Dalwi
my refidence abroad I have purpofely vifited m?
r Inn Valley. You can have no idea ofthe La
feet. An
• land ; " Sin
=e, u. the Upper
lys, railed by its
:1 glaciers I 1
, circumferen
ing wild,
but be-
Dathian
-arch
ed
e beautiful name the Ar\'e—the e pronoi
ave bcen//>6v/ of meafuring Larch and Ar\'en 12, 15,
:e at my height from the ground ! The Arve attains
a noble rounded top, and is literally the oak of the pine forefls," It extends into Afia, forming vaft forefls
in Siberia and the Tartarian Mountains, Its exadl limits in Afia, however, are not known, but the long
lill of provincial fynonj ms above ciuoted from F.ndlicher (hews that its range niuft be verj- great, Regel,
in his "Tentamen of the Fk)ra" of the Uffuri region, fays that it is found "about the mouth of the
UlTuri, on the northern declivity of the Chechtfys ridge, near Surme, It is not rare in mixed woods.
Specimens were gathered in flower in the beginning of June,"
l i e flates that in the region of the Ufl"uri only the t)-pical form of i". Cembra, with i
leaves, is found. From the Amur countrj", on the contrarx-, only the fpecies called by Pallai
and b>- Rcgel P. Mandjhurica, is known. This is a perfecily fubltantive form, charadterifed hy its retaining
its bufliy habit even in cultivation, and fliewing, by producing cones, that this is not due to want of
maturity. It has other diflinctive characlers, which will be found under the defcription of that fpecies; for
we agree with Profeffor Regel in regarding it as diflinct, and have cc
ufually given of that variety under the head of this fpecies.
We believe that there is a third form of the Cembra (which, ho'
pies the country between the Swifs Cembra and the Kamtfchatkan
.ugh-edged
s P pnmila.
>nfequently not quoted the fynoi
drew attention to it, and ftatcs that it is not found beyond
us that the fpecies which he faw in the Ural Mountains wa?
lefs the Siberian fpecies mentioned by Pallas ; and this gi\
Thimerel)
ar
o f s c
, however
unnfnall)
this Sibei
In othc
Cembra
is not the variety known ai
luxuriant and long-leaved for
an variety are on the whole
refpccts we fee no diftinction
; rcprefented in North Ame
vever, we ha
and Amour
the Lena. Sir Rode
diftincl from the Swifs fpe
:s us probably the weftern 1
nong horticulturifts xilturifts as
Pimts Cmérn Sikriai, which is
n of the common fpecies. The rows of ftomata on the
nore numerous than in the ordinary form—4 or 5 inftcad
between them.
rica by Pinus flaHis, and in Mexico by P. CemhvUcs
Ig to the Cembroid fedion in Japan and Mexico, but
e not feen) which occun
fpecies. I'allas firlt
ick Murchifon informs
It is doubtif
that fpecies
and P. eduHs. There are other fpecies which bel
they conftitute a diftinct fub-fec^ion of it.
tree ii
prifmg that it has been kn
fo well marked, and its cone fo different from the Scotch Fir. th.at it
•wn as a diftinct fpecies from the earlielf times. Its tirit introduelio
countty, was probably due to the Rev. J. Ilaite, who, in , „ 6 , publidied " Effays on Husbandry," in whieh
It was ftrongly recommended Archibald, Duke of Argy ll, in the fame year, plante.l a number of trees at
\\h,tt„„, from one of which the dimenfions above-mentioned w ™ taken. Numerous plants introduce,!
about the end of laft ccutmyare to he feen at Walcot Hall, near .Shrcw.sbuiy; and at Gledhow near
Leeds, many trees were planted at the fame time, probaHy both being p.art of a large importation of
feeds, mentioned by Lambert as having been then made Thefc latter trees attrafled the notice of horticulturifls
more than thofc at Whitton or Walcot Hall, and procured for the fpecies the provincial fynonym
of the Gledhow Pine. In ,83?, Loudon mentions that thefe trees were of fmall dimenllons, moft of them
going to deciiy 1 their height being only 35 feet, after having been planted 45 to 50 years.
In 1838 Mr Lawfon brought from Switzerland fomc feeds whieh he difpcrfe.l throughout Scotland for
experiment, and in 1S33 we imported the fi.-ft l.irge fupply of feed which had been brought to thi
in the prefent century. From that importation many places, both in Scotland and Englan
now poffefs fine young trees, were fnpplied Those at Hopetoun Houfe and at Ormifto
efpeeially worthy of attention.
1(1. which
Hall are
Properties and (T/CT.—The fragrance of this tree is deli.ghtful, whctiicr fnielt in palling through its
forells or merely from hand fpeeimens of branches, or even from the wood itfelft and the perfume,
.although fo agreeable to man, is faid to be fo olfenfive to bugs or moths as to deter them from Infelfing
rooms where it is ufed. It endures .alfo for years. Kafthofer fays for centurics, iVn apartment wainfcoted
with Cembra, or, more moderate ftill, a librar)'with its Ihelves of that wood xw/w; but in this
countr)' trees large enough for this purpofe are not to be had, or at leaft are not to be cut down; and
importations from the .'Vlps are expenfive. The heart-wood is of an agreeable light-brown colour, an<l
very foft and eafily worked. It is of it that the paper-cutters and little pieces of ornamental wood-carving
from the Righi are made; and the well-known little Swifs toy figures of men and animals are carved out of
it by the fliei)hcrds of the Cantons and the Tyrol, For the more ferious wants of life it is chicfly ufed
for upholfter}' and carpentr)- work.
Its feeds are good to eat, having a pleafant nutty flavour; and are not only eaten by the common people
in the diflricts where it abounds, but are there alfo placed on the tables of the rich as a delfert, either
flielled or in their nuts. We read that in Siberia the feeds arc fometlmes produced in immcnfe quantities,
when the peafants almoft live upon them during the winter: in other feafons fcarcely a cone is to be found.
Loudon narrates that the feeds are ufed medicinally, and refers to a ftory related by Gmelin of two
captains of veffels who were fuffering dreadfully from fcurvv', and whofe crew had almolt all died of that
difeafe, being cured in a few days by eating abundantly of thefe feeds. As the fame refult would have
followed the abundant ufe of any other frefii vegetable, this can fcarcely be cited as a property peculiar
to the Cembra, and it is therefore unneccflar)' to walte time in fettling whether the a^ual cure was effected
b)' feeds of the true Cembm or of the P. Mahdjhurica, which Gmelin reckoned as only a %-ariety of it
An oil is exprcffcd from thefe feeds, which in the Tyrol. &c„ is ufed both as an article of or addition
to food and for lamps. It is faid to be yielded in great abundance, double the quantitv- (5 oz,) being
obtained from a pound of its feed which can be produced from a pound of flax feed (2: oz,) It has a ver)'
agreeable fla\-our when newly made, but foon becomes rancid.
The (hells of the foods when digclted in fpirits yield a fine red colour.
Culture.—climate of Britain agree;
nor has it yet rcached the fize of, the m.itur
le were injured .luring the
and on the barefi rocks, wher
when it can get it, it by no mc
I >0 ]
well with this tree, although here it grows neither fo rapidstrees
in its native countries, Mr Palmer's tables flicw that
.ter of 1S60, In its own mountains it grows in the very pooreft foils,
: would ahnoft fcem impofl'ible for it to obtain a hold for its roots; but
diflikes a good rich foil. It likes a dry- fubfoil. The following arc the
f dimenfions
" . - • . ^ . w . t ^ m m m i i ' m i t W V ' ^ m i mi.:,