178 ON THE ABIES ALBERTIANA, 



of extremely low temperature, accompanied by tliiclc white hdar, 

 which quite enveloped the smaller plants and shruljs. In posi- 

 tions shaded from the sun's rays, A. Alhcrtiana was quite un- 

 injured ; and this was the more apparent where the soil was 

 lighter, and the situation was more open round the plants, for 

 there they had ripened the young wood of the previous year's 

 growth more thoroughly. In the northern districts of Scotland, 

 also, the A. Alhcrtiana proves itself quite hardy, and in good 

 drained suljsoils quite suita] de for more extensive introduction. 

 In exposed situations in Aberdeenshire ; at Keitli Hall, for ex- 

 ample, it is sometimes browned by the late spring frosty winds, 

 and does not seem to be so well-adapted for these districts as 

 the Picea nobilis, with which it is found growing in company. 

 It does not develop so thick a Ijole as the P. nobilis in the same 

 space of time. For instance, in this site, in low lying bog-earthy 

 soil near the river side, with a loose gravelly subsoil, the A. 

 Albertiana is now 18 feet in height, 11 inches in circumference 

 at 1 foot up, and 7| inches at 5 feet up the stem, while the P. 

 nohilis has attained the same height, though somewhat older 

 planted, — but with a girth of 1 foot 6 inches at 1 foot up, and of 

 1 foot 2 inches at 5 feet from the ground. At Kingswells, near 

 Aberdeen (altitude, 600 feet), the A. Alhcrtiana grows rapidly, but 

 is sometimes cut back in its young shoots by spring frosty nights, 

 follow^ed by sunshine during the daytime. 



It is difficult to say what the prospective value of A. Alhcrtiana 

 as a timber producing tree in this country may be. It will have 

 been observed, from the dimensions of tlie largest specimens we 

 have been able to find in Scotland (as shown in Table I. on 

 the following page), that many years must elapse ere proof 

 of the quality of its timljer can be obtained. Meantime, it 

 may be saiil that, while sufficiently hardy for our climate, it 

 is also a rapid grower when fairly estal)lished, is not fastidious 

 as to soil or altitude, and from its general appearance and habit, 

 and examination of the texture of the wood from the stem of 

 young trees, appears to warrant the liope that in a short space 

 of time A. Alhcrtiana is capable of producing, similarly to the 

 larch in this country, timber. of close-grained well-packed texture 

 and quality; while its bark may further render the tree valuable 

 by being profitably used for general tanning purposes. 



In Table I. are exhibited the progress and statistics of the 

 Ahics Alhcrtiana in Great Britam ; wlule in Table II. some 

 facts are tabulated relative to several specimens of Ahies Cana- 

 densis (a closely allied species) cultivated successfidly in this 

 country. In connection with the latter, it may be stated that 

 in the beautiful collection at ChVitsworth, Derbyshire, Abies 

 Alhcrtiana has no representative, but there are examples in 

 quantity of the species A. Canadensis, varying from 30 to 80 



