214 ABIETINE^. [part i. 



at the lower part in which the seed lies, so that 

 it is naked on one side, and clothed by the 

 wing on the other. The Spruce Fir bears 

 cones when the trees are of a very small size ; 

 and these cones are very ornamental when 

 young, being of a rich purple, while the male 

 catkins are yellow tinged with red at the base. 

 The sap from the Spruce Fir does not flow 

 freely when the bark is wounded, as it does from 

 the Scotch Pine ; but oozes out gradually, and 

 is what is called Burgundy pitch in the shops. 

 Spruce-beer is made from the young shoots of 

 the American Black Spruce. There are many 

 species of Abies, but the most interesting are 

 Abies Douglasii^ a very handsome tree only lately 

 introduced, of very quick growth; and the 

 Hemlock Spruce {Abies canadensis). This genus 

 is called Pinus by the Linnean botanists, Picea 

 by Professor Link and some German botanists ; 

 and Dr. Lindley, who calls it Abies, includes in 

 it the Silver Fir, the Larch, and the Cedar. 



THE GENUS PICEA. — THE SILVER FIR. 



This genus, which includes all the Silver Firs, 

 is readily distinguished from Abies by its leaves, 

 which grow in two rows, one on each side the 

 branch ; thus the branch lies quite flat when 

 placed on a table, or any other level surface. 

 The leaves are also not the same on both sides 



