250 TRAXSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



purposes, and in America realises about fifteen shillings per ton. 

 A native of North America, Canada, the New England States, 

 etc. Introduced about the year 1736. 



8. A. cephalonica (Mount Enos Fir). — This handsome fir is 

 well adapted for general use in our country, and whether planted 

 singly on the lawn, or mixed with others in the woodland, is at 

 all times a pleasing object, and worthy the attention of planters. 

 Unfortunately, in some districts, and especially when planted in 

 unsuitable situations, young trees are apt to suffer from late 

 spring frosts. That, however, should be no detriment to its ex- 

 tended use, as, by a proper selection of soils and sites, success in 

 the cultivation of this tree is not difficult. A stitfish soil, such 

 as a good clayey loam, thoroughly drained, and a northern or 

 western aspect, will be found most suitable, as these con- 

 siderably retard eai-ly growth, the great evil to which the tree is 

 susceptible in our clime. 



As an ornamental conifer this fir is of at least second-rate 

 importaiice, the long and lithe branches being well clothed with 

 dark olive-green foliage, while the whole contour of the tree is 

 remai-kably pleasing. The timber of home-grown trees which I 

 have used experimentally for several purposes appears to be good 

 and durable, but sufficient time has not elapsed since the experi- 

 ments were made to speak with certainty ; so far, however, they 

 are satisfactory, and tend to prove that the wood, when of mature 

 age, will be of value for many out-door purposes. According to 

 General Sir Charles Napier, the timber produced in its native 

 wilds is of excellent quality ; and he informs us that, in pulling 

 down some houses which had been built from a hundred and fifty 

 to three hundred years before, the wood from the Black Forest (on 

 the Black Mountain, Cephalonia) was found as hard as oak, and per- 

 fectly sound. In the seventeenth century wood was supplied from 

 this forest for the whole of the Ionian group of islands, as well as 

 for the arsenal in Corfu. The wood is extremely resinous. Under 

 favourable circumstances, the i-ate of growth is about 10 inches 

 a year \ but the production of timber is somewhat slow. Three 

 specimens of fifty years' growth, which I measured, were 38 

 feet each on an average, or about 9 inches annually since they 

 were planted. Introduced fi'om Cephalonia in 1824. 



9. A. concolor. — This species is nearly allied to A. grandis, but 

 readily distinguished by the rather irregular arrangement of 

 leaves, and by the u])per and under surfaces being nearly the 



