_ 83 
turn out to be as good as some of the other firs. Descriptions of 
the species record examples up to 300 feet in height, and 4 to 6 
feet in diameter, rising with straight clean, columnar trunks to 
two-thirds of their Ss without a ae Hough, ix. No. 224, 
. 51-52, writes of the wood as follows :—‘“ Wood very light, soft, 
not strong or durable, sckeaeaeiatbed, Saaily worked and yielding a 
-very smooth satiny surface. Light yellowish-brown colour, lighter 
of this Se is occasionally manufactured into 
lumber for interior finishing, boxes, casks, &c., but hitherto has 
been little valued as compared with the Douglas spruce, giant 
cedar, &c. 
B Waite Fir (Abies concolor, Lindl. & Gord.) The 
handsome, pyramidal outline of this tree, together with its more or 
less elaucous foliage, make it popular for ornamental planting, 
‘whilst its free growth and comparative freedom from disease, 
suggest that it may be employed profitably for forest planting, for 
although the timber is of less consequence than that of several other 
trees from Western- North America, it is of sufficient value to 
warrant the tree a trial. 
he species is described in Sargent’s “ Silva of North America,” 
xii. pp. 121-124, From that description it would appear that the 
tree attains its maximum dimensions in certain aes of California 
where it rises to a height of between 200 and 250 feet with a 
diameter of 6 feet, but elsewhere it is rarely seen more than 125 feet 
high and 3 feet in diameter. It covers a wide range of country 
from Southern Oregon to Colorado and New Mexico, and is most 
frequently met with in moist valleys at an elevation of from 
3000 to 9000 feet. 
Its timber does not appear to be exported, though it is used 
rather largely in the Western States for the manufacture of butter- 
tubs, boxes, packing-cases, &c., which must be made from scentless 
wood, It is described by Hough as very light, soft, not strong, 
coarse-grained, compact, sd of a light, a, Dae colour, with sap~ 
wood sera distinguishable. 
riting of this tree Sargent says :—“ Growing here [Boston] 
during the last 25 years always vigorously, compact in habit, 
beautiful in its various shades of blue, and free from disease and 
the attacks of disfiguring insects, Abies concolor is now more full of 
promise as an ornament of the parks of eastern America than any 
other fir tree.” These words may also be said to describe the 
opinion formed of the tree in this country, but it remains to be seen 
how it will succeed under forest conditions. With it may be 
included the allied species A. Lowiana, A. Murr. 
pes: Sitka or TIDELAND SPRUCE (Picea sitchensis, Trauty. 
Mey.).—A great deal of attention has been directed to this tree 
fone ie last f few years by both British and continental foresters, 
for it is found to thrive under conditions which are riggers cd 
for the proper development of the common spruce. in cold situa- 
tions, where the land is wet, young trees are growing wall whereas 
common spruce under similar conditions has proved a failure. 
Here and there about the country, more spepenw: in Scotland, 
welt developed specimens are to be seen, which show that it is not 
in a young state that the pee is a success. On the 
