N 



BOTAAII.CAL-G DEN; 



Vol. VI. 



82.00 a Year. 

 24 Numbers. 



CHICAGO, NOVEMBER i, 1897.. 



Single Copt 

 10 Cents. 



No. 124. 



THE GRECIAN FIR. {Abies Cephalonica). 



Trees and Shrubs. 



FIR TREES FOR THE GARDEN. 



Fir trees are among the commonest 

 fine evergreens in our gardens and many 

 of them are very beautiful, especially in a 

 young state. In a general way they look 

 a good deal like spruce trees, but even the 

 small boy can tell them apart when they 

 begin to bear cones, the cones of the 

 spruce trees always hang down, whereas 

 the cones of fir trees always stick up when 



f rowing on the trees. The habit of the 

 r tree is pyramidal and symmetrical, and 

 in the case of isolated or young trees they 

 should be branched from the ground up 

 and retain these lower branches formally 

 years. 

 Our illustrations show two very beau- 



tiful specimens of fir trees as they are 

 growing at Dosoris; the photographs 

 from which the engravings were made 

 were taken two years ago. The Grecian 

 fir (Abies cephalonka) , a native of the 

 mountains of Greece, is quite hardy on 

 Long Island. Our illustration shows the 

 handsomest and most perfect young spec- 

 imen of it that we have ever seen; it is 

 about 20 feet high and a little more than 

 that in diameter of spread of branches. 

 Its nature is dense growing. But we do 

 not recommend this fir in regions whose 

 winters are much more rigorous than 

 about New York. 



The Nordman fir (Abies Nordmanni), 

 as shown in our other illustration, is also 

 a Dcsoris plant and an exceedingly hand- 

 some one, about 23 ft. high and same in 

 diameter of spread of branches at base. 

 Although a native of the Crimea it is' a 

 good deal hardier than theGrecian fir (A. 



cephalonica), and, withal a better all- 

 purpose tree. 



Now look at these two specimens as 

 shown in the pictures: As garden trees 

 they are models of health and symmetry, 

 their lower branches lie flat on the ground 

 and there isn't a gap in their make-up 

 .from the sod to the toomost tip, and they 

 don't bear a mark of a knife or shears. 

 Then look at the leader each one has, it 

 is strong, straight and pronounced. 

 Herein we find a lesson in tree culture. 

 These trees are living examples, they are 

 20 ft. or over in height, and 20 years old, 

 and by all the orthodox cultural laws 

 they should now begin to lose their lower 

 branches, but in fact there is nothing fur- 

 ther from their intention, and why? Sim- 

 ply because we kept their heads cut down. 

 To cut back the leader in fir trees of this 

 size and age to most cultivators would 

 seem madness, but it is just what we do 



