PINACE^ 87 



The balsam fir has a wider distribution than any other N. 

 American species. It extends far northwards in the Dominion 

 of Canada, where it is common in the eastern provinces from New- 

 foundland to Lake Superior and spreads southwards through the 

 N. United States to the Alleghany Mountains, and S.W. Virginia. 

 It is common in low-lying, swampy ground, but ascends to an 

 altitude of 5,000 ft. A. halsamea has been in cultivation for at 

 least 200 years, but it is a short-lived tree and has no value for 

 ornamental purposes. 



Wood light, soft, weak, knotty, and generally too poor in 

 quality for any work of importance. It is however used to some 

 extent in inferior buildings and for box-making, whilst increasing 

 attention is being paid to it as a pulp wood. For paper-making 

 it is usually mixed with spruce. Canada balsam is obtained from 

 the bark blisters. This is an oleo -resin largely used for mounting 

 microscopic specimens, and it is also used in varnishes. A con- 

 siderable number of people are employed in the collection of the 

 oil or resin. Several other species produce a similar balsam. 



The balsam fir is not amenable to cultivation in the British 

 Isles and very few specimens of even moderate growth are known, 

 the best, perhaps, being in Scotland. Even as an ornamental 

 tree it has little to commend it. 



Sufhvorth, The Spruce and Balsam Fir Trees of the Rocky Mountain Region. 

 Bull. No. 327, U.S. Dcpt. of Agric. 20-24 (1910), with figs. 



Abies Beissneriana, Rehder and Wilson. ^ 



A tall tree attaining a height of about 200 ft. in China, with a 

 trunk 20 ft. in girth, developing in open country wide-spreading 

 branches and forming a rather round or flat-headed tree, or in 

 the forests becoming very tall and spire-like with shorter branches. 

 Young shoots yellowish, shining, becoming pale grey with age, 

 glabrous. Winter buds ovate, resinous. Leaves ascending spread- 

 ing, or vertical in arrangement, with a V-shaped arrangement 

 between them, yellowish-green, t-t in. long, smooth or slightly 

 grooved above, paler and keeled beneath, often sharply pointed ; 

 resin canals marginal. Cones cylindrical or ovoid, stalked, 2-3 in. 

 long, 1-1 1 in. wide, violet purple when growing, greyish-brown 

 when mature ; scales obovate, cuneate with rounded margins. 



According to Wilson this is the tallest of the Chinese firs. It 

 is a native of Western Szechuen. It resembles the Japanese A. 

 firma in its foliage, but the latter species has the winter buds 

 scarcely resinous, dark grey or reddish shoots, and much larger 

 cones. 



We have seen A. Beissneriana in cultivation at Wakehurst, 

 Sussex, where there is a small plant. 



^Pl. Wils. iv, 46-47 (1914). 



