PINETUM BRITANN1CUM.
hid in mod nurferies. As regards the true A. Mertenfia„a, authentic fpecimens of it, collefled by
Efchfcholtz in Sitka, which were received from Profcffor Kegel, of St Petersburg, are depofited m the
collection of the Royal Horticultural Society.
The fpecies was named in memory of the Prince Confort, chiefly, no doubt, m mournful recognition
of the many exalted qualities which made his death a national calamity, but alfo m remembrance
of his love for coniferous trees, of which he had formed a very complete colle&on at Osborne.
In iS61 the Edinburgh Oregon Botanical Affociation was revived, and recommenced its operations
under the name of the Britilh Columbia Botanical Affociation. Mr Robert Brown, a promifing young
Scotch natumlill. was fent out by it to explore Britilh Columbia and Vancouver Ifland. One of the ft®
plants particularly noticed by him was the prefent fpecies, and in ,863 he writes to the Secretary of the
Affociation, Hating that he had found it in Vancouver Ifland, and giving a defer,ption of ,t At the
fame time he mentions that Dr Albert Killogg, Secretary of the California» Academy, had only recently
defcribed it as a new fpecies, in the TrmfaBims of tlx California Academy of Natural Sconces, under
the name of Aim Bridgeii, in honour of Mr Bridges, the botanical collector, who had probably picked
it up in his explorations and brought it under Dr Killogg's notice. We have not been able to procure
a copy or a fight of the volume in which his defcription appeared, but Mr Brown refers to It as bemg
the fame tree as he had found. Mr Brown fent home a fupply of feeds, but we believe no dned fpecimens.
Among the feeds, however, we have found a few ®my leaves which we have been able to .dentify wtth the
leaves of A. Albertiana.
Geographical Diflribution.—Found in Oregon, Northern California, Britilh Columbia, and Vancouver
Ifland If Bongard's fpecies were the fame as this, we fhould have to extend Its range to Sitka.
Such combination of habitats, however, is oppofed to the ordinary courfe of the laws which regulate the
dillribution of fpecies. Where the fame fpecies is found at great diftances, the conditions of life at leaft are
the fame, although the country be not. An Alpine fpecies is not found in a warm, low-ly.ng plain, no, a
fwamp plant in an arid defert. Bongard's account of Sitka is that it is inceffantly ™ning there. He lays,
" The atmofphere is conllantly charged with vapours, which, in condenfing, occafion almoft continual rains.
During the whole of the month of July (when he was there) there were fcarcely three or four days when
the fun appeared, and that only for a few moments." This does not defcribe the climate either of Oregon
or Britain, where the prefent fpecies grows fo well.
properties and £/>.-Little is known of the timber. From the appearance of the young tree and
its growth, it has been fuppofed that it would be like the Larch. Mr Gordon, we fufpefl, copies Lewis
and Clarke's taement regarding A. heterophytta, when he fays that the » Timber is white, very foft, and
yields but little turpentine," thefe being the very words ufed by them. Mr Brown fays, " The timber is fa.d
to be firmer, finer, and ftraighter-grained than the Canadian Hemlock Spruce.
Culture-There can be no doubt that this fpecies is hardy, although perhaps not more impregnable
to the attacks of cold than many others of our efpecial favourites. It flood the fevere winter of ,860 with
impunity, but we learn that in fome places it was injured by the lefs intenfe froft of thewmter of 1863.
Mr Patton of the Cairnies, wrote us at the time,-" The large Atbertianas are untouched by the froft.
My flock of young ones has been ruined." It grows quickly, rufhing up with the rapidity of a young
Larch It has done beft in loamy foils not too dry. Numerous and thriving fpecimens of this tree have
been planted in the Royal grounds at Heffe-Darmlladt by Her Royal Highnefs the Pnncefs Alice,
doubtlefs in affectionate remembrance of the great and good Prince, her father.
Commercial Statiflics.-Introduced in 185., but for feveral years no plants were to be had. It
is now more plentiful, and at prefent, .865, the price of young plants from 2-1 to 4 feet is 5S. 6d.
Gordon in his » Supplement" fays that feeds of this Fir have been largely difpofed of in London by Mr
Bridges, under the erroneous name of Abies Williamfmii.