112 CONIFEROUS TREES 



rigid, incurved, deep green leaves, that average if 

 inches in length. Cones cylindrical, 5| inches long, 

 if inches in diameter at thickest part, and shining 

 brown when ripe. The russety brown tint and 

 large size of the cones impart quite a feature to 

 the tree, while the numerous pollen cones are in 

 early spring very showy and attractive. The 

 cones ripen in February of the following year after 

 they have been produced, and then fall to the 

 ground, many, indeed the larger portion, of the 

 seeds being retained intact, owing to the com- 

 pactly arranged scales. The tree will not flourish 

 when planted on Hght, sandy, or gravelly soils, 

 the best appearance being put on in rather dampish 

 yellow loam, but not in such as is surcharged with 

 moisture. The timber is of no special value, and 

 is dealt with in the chapter on coniferous woods 

 in the present volume. A detailed account of 

 P. Morinda by the present writer will be found in 

 The Garden, vol. xxx., 1886. 



P. NIGRA, Link. Black Spruce. (Synonyms : 

 Pinus Mariana, Duroi ; Pinus nigra, Alton ; Abies 

 Mariana, Miller ; Abies nigra, Poiret ; Abies denti- 

 culata, Michaux.) Canada and North-East 

 America to Carolina. About 1700. — This tree, 

 commonly known as Black Spruce, is readily 

 recognised by its regular conical outline, slender, 

 very gradually tapering stem, dark bluish green 

 fohage, and usually plentiful supply of small, 

 ovate, purpHsh cones. Some of the largest speci- 

 mens I have seen are growing close to the London 

 and North- Western Railway, near Bangor Station, 

 in Carnarvonshire. These trees range from 40 

 to 55 feet in height, with stems averaging 15 inches 



