124 A HANDBOOK OF CONIFERS 



thin woods of oak, Scots pine, spruce, and larch. Whether grown 

 in pure or mixed woods it must be kept dense with an uninter- 

 rupted leaf canopy, otherwise large branches will develop low on 

 the trunk and ruin the timber. 



When seed is to be sown care must be taken that new seed 

 is secured, for it does not retain its vitaUty from one year to the 

 next. About 10,000 seeds are said to weigh one pound, and of 

 this number about 40 per cent, are fertile.^ 



Numerous very fine specimens of A. pectinata are to be found 

 in Britain, particularly on the Marquess of Bath's estate at 

 Longleat. Some of these trees at 100 years of age were stated to 

 be 130 ft. high and to contain from 300 to 400 cubic feet of timber. 

 There are also several very large specimens at Alnwick Castle, 

 at Roseneath, Dumbartonshire, and at Inveraray. 



The silver fir is subject to attack by several fungus and insect 

 pests. Schlich says the following fungi are harmful on the Con- 

 tinent : Phytophthora omnivwa, Pestalozzia Hartigii, Armillaria 

 mellea , and Trmnetes radicip erda . Of this number the two latter are 

 sometimes harmful in the British Isles. A " cluster-cups " fungus 

 {Mcidium coruscans) attacks the young shoots in some European 

 countries. The shoots are turned a bright yellow colour by the 

 fungus and in that state are eaten as a vegetable. A species of 

 j^cidium causes abnormal growths in the form of " witches' 

 brooms " to appear on the branches ; they are sometimes followed 

 by canlcer. In Switzerland and other Continental countries a 

 mistletoe {Loranthus europceus, Linnseus), is parasitic on the 

 silver fir, sometimes causing considerable injury to the trees. 



The seeds are often attacked by the larvse of a small fly, 

 {Megastigmus sfro6*7o&iw5,Ratz), which ruin their vegetative pro- 

 perties. The worst insect pest in Britain, however, is Chermes 

 (Dreyfusia) nllsslinii, Born (see generic description). It kUls 

 thousands of plants annually. The timber is a favourite breeding- 

 place of the wood wasps {Sir ex gigas, Linnasus, and S. juvenicus, 

 Linnseus), the larvae of which tunnel into and seriously injure 

 the timber. 



Elwes and Henry, loc. cit. iv, 720 (1909) ; Woolsey, Studies in French 

 Forestry, 83 (1920). 



Abies Pindrow, Spach. (Fig. 25.) 

 West Himalayan Fir. 



Abies Webbiana, var. Pindrow, Brandis ; Picea Pindrow, Loudon ; 

 Piniis Pindrow, Royle. West Himalayan Low-level Silver Fir. 



A tree attaining in the Himalaya a height of over 200 ft. 

 and a girth of 26 ft. with a dense dark crown of foliage which 

 often conceals the bole. Bark smooth and silvery, grey when 

 young, deeply fissured when old. Young shoots smooth, grey, 



^ Manual of Forestry, ii, p. 355. 



