PINACE^ 101 



commonest fir woods of Japan. It is light, soft, straight-grained, 

 easily worked, but requires careful seasoning, otherwise it warps 

 and shrinks. Although not regarded as a high class timber it is 

 in demand for cheap buildings, packing cases, and various other 

 common kinds of joinery and carpentry. It is one of the principal 

 Japanese woods used in the manufacture of paper pulp. 



A. firma is the largest and most beautiful of the Japanese firs, 

 its rich, glossy leaves making it specially attractive. It withstands 

 a good deal of shade and is useful for planting amongst deciduous 

 trees. In the British Isles it can only be used as a decorative 

 tree, and the best results arc obtained by planting it in deep, 

 moist soil of good quality. It is not very subject to insect 

 injury in Britain. 



Abies Forrestii, Craib.^ 



A tree 30-60 ft. high in China. Young shoots rusty red, min- 

 utely corrugated, not grooved, glabrous or with a few scattered 

 hairs. Buds ovoid, thickly coated with whitish resin, the scales 

 persistent at the base of the branchlets. Leaves arranged more 

 or less in two lateral sets with a narrow V-shaped parting between 

 them, those on the upper side of the shoot standing almost 

 vertically, those on the lower side curving outwards and upwards, 

 1-1 i in. long by iV in. broad, dark shining green and grooved 

 above, conspicuously white below with two broad bands of 

 stomata, the green marginal bands about equalling the midrib 

 in width, margins slightly recurved, apex notched. Male flowers 

 in clusters near the tips of the shoots, | in. or more long. Cones 

 not seen. 



A very distinct and beautiful fir, easily recognized by its 

 bright rusty-red corrugated young shoots, which contrast strongly 

 with the dark shining green foliage. The glaucous under-surface 

 of the leaves is conspicuous at a considerable distance. 



Native of the eastern flank of the Lichiang Range, Yunnan, 

 W. China, where it forms forests at 10,000-11,000 ft. elevation. 

 It was introduced by Forrest, and a young tree at Stanage Park, 

 Radnorshire, is now (1923) 15 ft. 8 in. high. 



Abies Fraseri, Lindley. 

 Fraser's Balsam Fir. 



Abies humilis, La Pilaye ; Picea Fraseri, Loudon ; Pinus Fraseri, Parla 

 tore. Balsam Fir ; Double Fir Balsam ; Double Spruce ; Healing Balsam ; 

 Mountain Balsam ; She Balsam Fir ; Silver Fir. 



A tree 40-70 ft. high, with a trunk up to 7 ft. in girth and rather 

 stiff, fragrant branches, forming an open pyramidal head. Bark 

 smooth, thin, bearing numerous resin-blisters on young trees, 

 becoming scaly on old trunks. Young shoots grey, bearing dense 



^ Notes Roy. Bot. Card. Edinb. xi, 279 (1919). 



