Generally speaking, coniferous trees are ill-adapted for cultivation in our larger towns and cities, and occasionally one sees the Cedar, Cypress, and Austrian Pine; but their rusty, semi-leafless, generally miserable appearance points only too clearly to the fact that they are unsuited for planting where smoke and other atmospheric impurities abound. Where the position is open and airy and the atmosphere not too contaminated with impurities, a few kinds succeed in a fairly satisfactory manner, but even these require a good deal of coaxing in the matter of soil and situation. Evidently deciduous kinds succeed best, and the Maidenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba) and Deciduous Cypress (Taxodium distichum) may, even in London, be found of large size and in a healthy condition. Both are highly ornamental conifers that have been dealt with in the chapter under Town Trees. The common Yew, too, has received attention, but, unless when very favourably situated, it is not to be recommended.

Lawson's Cypress (Cupressus. Law-soniana)

Lawson's Cypress (Cupressus. Law-soniana) has received a good deal of attention at the hands of the town planter, owing probably to its being cheap and of a hardy constitution; but, as with most other conifers, only the more open positions and where the air is chemically pure should be chosen, and a light, rich soil is a necessity. There is, however, one member of the coniferous family that should receive attention when dealing with suburban town planting: that is the Tamarisk-leaved Juniper (Juniperus sabina tamariscifolia). Anyone who has seen this shrub in Regent's Park - whether in the flower garden or by the lake side - will admit that it has at least some claims on the town planter. In four situations at least this Juniper has formed quite a wide-spreading mass of healthy foliage; and, as the atmosphere of Regent's Park cannot be favourably spoken of, the right of this procumbent conifer to be included in a list of town plants will be obvious. It certainly succeeds better than either Lawson's Cypress or the Austrian Pine. In the chemically impure atmosphere of Glasgow Retinospora plumosa aurea has thriven for many years; and it is a fact well known to a few botanists that the rare Ce-phalotaxus Fortunei has succeeded for many years in a smoky locality in the middle of London. Such cases are, however, rare and probably only point out that healthy, well rooted specimens of almost any plant, when given suitable soil, can succeed for a time even amongst the heated and foul surroundings of some parts of the great metropolis. Prumnopitys elegans or Podocarpus andina succeeds well as a town plant and may sometimes for this purpose be seen potted up and offered for sale in Covent Garden Market. In heated, dusty parts of London it certainly has succeeded in quite a satisfactory way for a number of years. As before stated, however, the planting of coniferous trees or shrubs is not to be generally recommended in smoky localities.