544 EVERGREEN TREES AND SHRUBS. 



THE PYRAMIDAL SPRUCE FIR. A. e. pyramidata. A vigorous 

 growing variety, with more fastigiate growth than any other, and 

 also noticeable for the reddish color of its strong young wood. 



THE ALATA SPRUCE FIR, Abies e. alata, is a variety with heav- 

 ier and longer leaves, coarser branches, and ranker growth than 

 the common Norway. 



THE DEFORMED SPRUCE FIR. A. e. monstrosa. This is simply 

 a tortuous branched and almost leafless monstrosity, of much vigor 

 and no beauty. It somewhat resembles in growth the Chili aura- 

 caria, but is much more rambling. 



THE FINEDON VARIEGATED SPRUCE FIR. A. e.finedonensis. 

 A new English sport of the Norway spruce, remarkable for the yel- 

 low color of the upper sides of its leaves and shoots when they first 

 appear, which afterwards change to a light green. If healthy it 

 may prove an interesting variety. 



THE ORIENTAL SPRUCE FIR. Abies orientalis, A careless ob- 

 server would mistake this species for an unusually dense, rigid, 

 small-leaved, Norway spruce. When small it looks like an inferior 

 and dwarfish tree of that species. But as it attains the height of 

 fifteen to twenty feet, the multiplicity of its twigs gives the tree a 

 superior density of foliage which its early growth does not promise ; 

 and when a large tree, its dark-green masses break into strong and 

 irregular lights and shades, and it is then easily distinguished from 

 the Norway spruce by a greater solidity of character, or, to speak 

 more specifically, by the less distinctly marked separation of its 

 horizontal branches. A native of the coast of the Black Sea, and 

 the neighboring mountains, and quite hardy. It does not grow to 

 so great a size as the Norway spruce ; seventy to eighty feet being 

 its maximum height 



MENZIES SPRUCE FIR. Abies menziesii. A native of northern 

 California, the Shasta region, and the island of Sitchka. On a 

 casual glance, this tree resembles the bluish variety of our native 

 black spruce ; but with closer observation, it is seen to be very dis- 

 tinct from all the common spruces. Gordon describes it as fol- 

 lows : " Leaves solitary, thickly scattered in every direction round 



