The practice that is frequently adopted of forming a pinetum and bringing together the members of this family in one part of the grounds is a very good one. It is far better than sprinkling them indiscriminately over the whole garden. At the same time, where sufficient space is not available for the formation of a pinetum they may be used in their proper proportion with other evergreens in various parts of the garden. Single specimens on lawns of Abies, Picea, and of many other genera are always effective, and nothing in the whole range of native or foreign trees is more stately and picturesque than the Cedar of Lebanon. How much do we of the present day owe to those who a century or more ago planted this tree so abundantly in this country!
Before planting Conifers largely in any garden where they are to be grown for their purely ornamental qualities, a study should be made of the species planted in other gardens where the conditions as to soil, moisture, and altitude are similar. On the peaty formations in Surrey and Hampshire where Rhododendrons succeed so well, many Conifers thrive exceedingly well also. The Common Spruce and its allies are nearly all failures on light dry soil, especially where the subsoil is gravel. In places, however, where the Spruces fail, the Common Larch and the Lawson Cypress succeed well. In chalk districts many Conifers refuse to grow, but the following are among those that thrive: _Abies magnifica_, _A. nobilis_, _A. nordmanniana_, and _A. Pinsapo_, the Cedars, _Cupressus lawsoniana_, _C. macrocarpa_, and _C. nootkatensis_, the Maidenhair tree, the Junipers, the Thuyas, the Yews, and the following Pines: _Pinus Laricio_ and _P. austriaca_, the Scotch Pine, _P. excelsa_, and _P. Pinaster_. Most of the Pines, too, are happy on gravelly or stony ground.
None of the Silver Firs (_Abies_) or Spruces (_Picea_) are good trees for planting at the seaside, unless there is sufficient shelter to break the force of the wind, and even then there are very few that will succeed. The species most suitable for planting where there is a thick outer belt are _Abies nobilis_, _A. concolor_, _A. nordmanniana_, and _A. pectinata_, the Common Silver Fir. Of the Spruces, _Picea nigra_ and _P. alba_, the North American Spruces, succeed better than the Norway Spruce, _P. excelsa_, but these, like the Silver Firs, must have the shelter of a good wind break; _Picea pungens_, _P. pungens glauca_, and _P. Engelmanni_ will not succeed in exposed places, even in inland localities, and fail entirely by the sea. There is a difference of opinion about _Engelmanni_. In some places it seems to stand winds well. The Conifers that will thrive by the sea are very few, and probably not more than half-a-dozen kinds can be trusted. The finest of all is undoubtedly _Pinus Pinaster_, which is essentially a sea-coast Pine, revelling in storms and sprays. For warmer parts, is the Aleppo Pine (_P. halepensis_), but is only for southern and warm coasts. _P. insignis_ is somewhat tender, but stands the sea gales fairly well, and _P. austriaca_, and its relative, _P. Laricio_, are both excellent, specially for making the first barrier against the winds. The hardy Scotch Pine (_P. sylvestris_), if planted in large masses, grows well, but does not luxuriate close to the sea, and is especially liable to be browned in foliage by the salt spray.