in that country, and the
splendid development which they attained. The chairman, by way of
illustrating these remarks, directed the attention of the audience to
some large photographs representing specimens of Coniferae to be seen at
Murthly Castle, Perthshire, where they flourished, and where stately and
magnificent examples 70 feet, 80 feet, and 100 feet high were to be met
with. Such trees could only be seen in Scotland, and were the result of
a peculiar association of physical conditions. In the south-west of
England it was impossible to find a parallel, though even on the
sunburnt soil of Kew good specimens of the Pines proper were
occasionally to be seen. With regard to the Abies, however--that section
of Conifers of which the Spruces may be taken as a type--a state of
things prevailed in Scotland which could not be rivalled in England. On
the other hand, the climate in the south-west of the latter country was
fairly suitable for some other Conifers, and many of the fine Mexican
Pines could be grown there."

Of the remarkable Douglas Fir at Dropmore, Mr. Charles Herrin on the
same occasion says: "The monarch Douglas Fir, planted in 1830, has
attained a height of 120 feet, girth of trunk 11 feet 9 inches, with
beautiful spreading branches sweeping the ground, covering a diameter of
64 feet. The leaves are also of a glaucous hue, equalling in that
respect many of the plants now sold from nurseries under the name of
_Douglasi glauca_.... Many trees have since been raised from its seeds
and planted out on the estate; one, planted in 1843, is now 78 feet
high, with a girth of trunk of 8 feet 2 inches, spreading 39 feet in
diameter at base; a perfect specimen."

By comparing the growth of the latter tree with the Murthly table, it
will be seen that the trees make their growth much more rapidly in
Scotland. The Murthly Conifers were all planted by Sir William and Sir
Douglas Stewart. The present owner, Mr. Steuart Fothringham, who
measured the trees in 1891 in anticipation of the visit of the Scottish
Arboricultural Society, on learning that we should be glad to know their
increase of growth since that date, has been so good as to have the same
trees measured again, the increase being shown by the subjoined table on
p. 128.

Mr. Fothringham also furnishes the following remarks: "The measurements
were all carefully taken by sending men or boys up the trees, not by
dendrometers, and are, I believe, correct. There are so