fliarp on the fides, the iimho or protuberance developed into a folid point, which is frequently recurved
like a hook, particularly in the bafal fcales, and then confoundetl with the apophyfis itfelf. Seeds
nearly an inch long, half-an-inch broad, oblong-ovate, flattened on the infide; teft dark-brown, hard and
cruftaceous; kernel good to eat. of an agreeable nutty flavour; feed-wing varying in length, but ufually as
long as the feed. Cotyledons lo to 12 in number.
De/criflioti.—Speaking of this fpecies and of its ally, P. Coitlteri, Loudon fays that " they may be
defcribed as of furpafllng beauty." This opinion will fcarcely be endorfed by thofe who have feen the
plants in their prefent ftate of advancement in this country, nor docs it appear to be entertained by thofe
who have feen them in their native forefts. On the contrary, their mode of growth, which is firaggling and
irregular, combined with their fcanty clothing, has caufed them rather lo be viewed with disfavour. There
is, however, one point i in their appearance which has a certain charm when feen in their native forefts,
namely, the colour of the foliage, which is of a hazy blue, and makes them readily diftingiiifhable from other
Pines at a great diftance. The traveller in California, whi
landfcape looming of this peculiar hue, can tell that they a
indicate the wild Birch from its mifly grey in our own llig
tapering form, ftraight, and of regular growth, from 40 feet to
trunks from 2 to 12 feet in circumference. This defcription fcan
Straight and tapering trees are no doubt often met with. Tw<
Handing in the village of Shafta, in Upper California, on account
majority of the trees in their native forefts are irregularly fliaped
this countiy, they are at firft, until the branches extend, fuffici
(hort branches being fufficient to clothe the trunk ; but when thi
fpaces unfilled up, the two years' leaves at their end
tufty, and thinly clad.
The magnificent cones, however, are amply fufiic
numbers of thefe extraonlinary- fmits muft always be a
of California fpeaks of his party camping for the night
of the diitant
eof a
he fees the fides of tl
clothed with this tree as furely
mds. Loudon fays that the tre
120 feet in height (Douglas fays
ith
ely applies to the majority of thefe trees,
fiich (which may ftill fur^-ive) were left
if their unufual fize and beauty; but the
1 n their young ftate in
, the long leaves on the
V longer and leave large
and the trees look poor.
and ftraggling
:ntly handfome
• branches gro
ent to cover it,
re infuflici
;nt to atoi
objedt of
a gro\
Qc for any fuel
intereft. An <
of thefe trees,
defers, A tree bearing
irly explorer of the wilds
and after having lighted
their fire under one, and compofed themfelves to reft, being awakened by the wind rifing and fending the
giant cones tumbling about their ears. To efcape injury-, they had to take to their heels, and remake their
camp out of reach of fuch a bombardment.
It is fometimes called the Digger Pine by the Americans, on account
food by the Digger Indians ; but is more generally known as the Nut Pine, i
being ufed as nuts, and having fomcthing of their flavour.
if the feeds being ufed as
confequence of the feeds
/ h y i o f y . — T W i s fpecies was fii-ft found by Douglas in 1826; but his fpecimens. along with the notes
which he had made, were loft in crofling a rapid flream on his way northwards. It was not until 1831
that he again met with it He then fent a detailed account of it for publication in the Horticuhural
Societ>''s TranfaHioHS, but unfortunately this account was never received. The cones, feeds, and fpecimens
which he fent, however, arri\ •ed in fafetyin 1832, and from thefe feeds were reared the oldeii: fpecimens
(if the trees now ir
this country. One
)f thefe ftill ftands
at Chifwick, It w;
s firft defcribed by Lambert,
nd was nai
the MSS, name gi
•en to it by Douglas, It w<-
fc
Secretary of the He
rticultural Society of London
which his generous
laturc felt fo Itrongly, that whi
of the Horticultural Society, Mr Sabine refigned tin
of the globe, followed his
example,
ftill. hoNvever, intended t
fend his
and reiigneil his a])pc
colledions and notes
I the Horticultural Society's Arboretum
lamed by him Sabiniana, in accordance with
d by him in compliment to Mr Sabine, then
Douglas confidercd himfclf under obligations,
olution in the affairs
om the oppufite fidr
to the Society H.
1 confequence .if a domeftic re^
office of Secretary, Douglas, fi
ument as Plai
> the Societv;
Collen
md a \ ; (ar I- which wet
the confignment of the cot-ies and feeds of this tree) were received ; but his diftreffing death unhappily
brought all fuch contributions to a premature end,
Mr Sabine was well known in London as a lover of fcience, as his brother General Sabine continues
to be. He was a Fellow of the Linnoean Society, as well as of many other learned Societies, I'or
fome time he was upon the Council of the Linnoean Society ; and for many years he filled the office of
Secretary- to the Horticultural Society. He contributed about forty botanical or horticultural papers to
the TranfaBiom of the Horticultural Society, as well as feveral papers to the Linna;an. He was alfo an
authority on ornithology, and had efjiecially directed his attention to the changes in the jilumage of birds.
He clefcribcd a new gull from Greenland, and wrote an account of the marmots of North America. He
alfo wrote the Zoological Appendix to Captain Franklin's Journey of 1819-22. The revolution in the
affairs of the Society which led to the refignation of Mr Sabine, and of feveral members of the Council,
arofc from the diffatisfaction of a portion of the Society with its financial management ; but during Mr
Sabine's Secretaryfhip an immenfe amount of good was done to horticulture, of which not only this country
but the whole of Europe feel the advantage to the prefent day. It was while he was Secretary that
Douglas's difcovcrics were made, and his name muft ever be affociated with the moft ufeful period of the
Horticultural Society's exiftence.
Geographical Dijlribution.—This fpecies is found on the lower Hopes of both the coaft and inland
ranges of mountains in California, for nearly the whole length of the ftate, or at leaft from Santo Lucia to
Oregon. In afcending from the plains, it is among the firft of the Pines which is met with, and continues
through the range of Pinus tubcrculata and P. Bmtkamianei, difappearing about the lower limits of the
Sugar Pine {P. Lavibertiand).
Groves or forefts of this tree may be eafily reached from San Francifco. If the explorer choofes to
turn his face fouthwards, he will find them before reaching Santa Cruz ; if to the eaft, he will meet them
before he reaches Coloma, the name now given to Sutter's Mill, where the difcovery of gold was firft made,
which has fince peopled the wildernefs with fuch aftonifliing rapidity ; and to the north, in the lower mountains
of the Sierra Nevada, at almoft any point he pleafes.
Properties and UJes.—The timber, although white and tough, is not of much value, the habit of the
tree making it unprofitable to work from its crooked and irregular form. Carrière fays that, contrary to
the opinion given by Lambert as to the bad quality of the wood, M. Bourficre de la Riviere affured him
tliat it is tenacious, flexible, although refifting, and confecpiently very fit for carpentry ; but that " It
prefents, in the fpiral difpofition of Its fibres, a ftrudlure which renders its employment difficult for
certain purpofes, for it will not fplit without much difficult)-," We do not exacflly know what this means,
as the fpiral difpofition of the fibres is a property fliared by all other Pines as well as all other plants :
but we have feen in the tlniber of well-grown trees in this country large accumulations of refin irregularly
difpcrfcd among the woody fibres, which doubtlefs will account better than its fpiral fibres for the unworkable
character of the timber.
Cidture.—It vegetates freely in the open air, and a feed-bed of this tree burfting through the ground
Is an exceedingly pleafing object—the cotylcdonous leaves coming up fo ftrong, fo frefli, and fo green,
as to charm any one who is watching them. They require protection during the winter, however, for the
firit year or two. As a baby cannot ftand the expofure which would not prove injurious to a gro%vn
man, fo young plants are more tender than thofe further advanced, Mr Palmer's tables of the
injury cU)ne in the winter of i860 Ihew that in England the plants at twenty-four out of thirty-nine
localities had been killed, and had efcaped uninjured at only ten—that is, a fourth had efcaped. In
Scotland, the proportion was higher—a half had efcaped; and in Ireland the whole efcaped, but
the n only o.
[ ]
:ality reported < The foil in which the tree grows in its native
very