Arboriculture.

Otago Witness, Issue 1324, 14 April 1877, Page 18

Arboriculture.

ABIES TENUSTA.

, In the vegetable .kingdom, the; conifers bear a markedly high and deserved rank,* but none more so than the* abiesJ or fir' family. One variety of the abies isiound/ alone within th^ borders, of 'jSan!,' Luis' Obispo, and, is so rare.-that^untiljquiiie-jrecently, but. one specimen , was to .be found in all Europe:- -So; rare is acknowledge even of thisbea'utiful^tred^tKatife'; have heard but two" persons .mentabrfitin our i;wo t years', residence in- San f-L'uuu .These gentlemen were Dr W.'W.'Hays. :and Mr Ernest .Krebsj i Mr Krebs has spent large sums- of J money'lo'ojb't'ain.all'specimen, but has never succeedec^ingettirig healthy dnes.upUJlie^present^weekV Jwhen he. received seventeen .fine' -youngi plants. • The foliage' resembles^ slightly^' the" common fira of the forest;; t lt\is sfar'5 far' more 'delicatej the leaves'; longer fand 'not- ( so 'croydejd upon' the liinbs^ which\';are, slender r and gracefuL TKe upper side 'of >. .the leaf is a deep bright, green,, while -the . grader surface^is "striated* with ls ' silvery white 'and /"pale IJ sea J jgreen,-- -perfectly 1 .beautiful in'^heir delicate blending.'^ Jtjis r ', kaid to" b*e the 'l most, beautiful object amon & "*U . California's forest treasures, 'and when the wind, puts, Jn,, motion its airy branches is saidio resemble, undulating waves. of silver .fqam.^'Jromif theses young specimens in the grounds of Mri Krebs, we, can imagine ; \what r ia"foresti would J be where the" spiral i, truika" rear themselves to a height oiE : *s6,or".6otfept, and are. clothed with a profusion of < its delicate' foliage. ' ' t ' >i ,"ii . , 1 ', The habitat' of'this treasure /W"a J Bir- . cumscribed ,spot of . a, few -acres; anj'the deep recesses, of -the Santa Lucia mountains, oh-thebprders of Monterey- county, > and so inaccessible^ that .but few, even-of ■ s the hardy'' hiintersj „have .."ever ,seenf.,;it. Ui This is said'torbe the <Mly l spot in the' known world where tne.tree is foimaVln the early days of California; the padres ;used to send liidiansto gather the' resin that exudes from' the trees' where "tfeariliced, by accident. pr design ;'. and*' this "resin was burned in the censors' before the high altars upon.great occasions. ..From this fact it derives the local name'! of "Pinabeta de los Padres." Mr Krebshas made arrangements to have' a supply, of .seed gathered next season, and. will^We hope, be successful in introducing itiintocommon cultivation./— Sdn' Luis Oburpq Tribune. \ ~ '" r -\ r *: " > • iSi -''

Mx .Jem Mace, the r champion pugilist of the world, is in ; Sydney, arid is giving, in- connection with the* Fakir of •Oolu's entertainment'/ - exhibitions 'of Roman and Grecian 'statuary. ' / ■ , The shafts of. screw steamers are now> 'made of hollow .compressed steel, .which: does not \£eigh so much as the solid iron heretofore employed, and is more reliable. An oyster dealer of Wellington ' has commenced the' breeding of oysters in" 'a small cove off Evan's Bay. He intends to produce both drift and rock oysters. The March number of ,the ' Australian Insurance and Banking ' Record is' a- very, J good one, and deals with monetary 'and.' other subjects in a very intelligent manner. , „ -„ „ , I It is stated, in an English paper, that j "Mother Shipton's Prophecy," said to have been written in 1448,", was first;pub- ; Hshed in 1862, by Charles Hindley, of Brighton, England. We can easily believe ! this. - • * ■ ■ 1 The Adelaide and Suburban Tramway ( Company has resolved", to raise £25,000 j new capital, forrails'from South to North. ! Adelaide. _ ' "' , , ' : Drs Behm and Wagner estimate .the* whole population bf the globe for <the year 1876 "at 1,423,937,000. , Mrs Harriet' Beecher,Stowe;has setitjin a .subscription towards making up.-uttie, : sum o£ £12,000, requiredtoereotamonunient in memory of Lord Byron,' - ' .

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