EVERGREEN TREES AND SHRUBS. 551 



of the branching in silver firs gives them a more monotonous and 

 less picturesque expression at maturity. In general tone of color 

 there is little difference ; but the leaves of the Piceas, when seen 

 from below, show more or less white, yellowish-white, or gray lines, 

 which fact gave rise to the name Silver Firs. This peculiarity, 

 however, makes little display, except to persons walking under, or 

 looking up to them. Nearly all the species at maturity are sombre 

 and formal trees ; but there is much difference between them in 

 this respect, and some of them have a pleasing, warm green tone. 

 The family embraces trees of all sizes, from three feet to three 

 hundred feet in height. All which we are about to describe are 

 hardy, or nearly so. 



THE BALSAM FIR. Picea balsamea. This native tree of our 

 northern States is the best known, the most popular, and the least 

 valuable of the tribe. As seen in the nursery, with its soft and 

 pleasing green leaves, healthy growth, and agreeable fragrance, it is 

 not singular that its infantile beauties have made it the universal 

 favorite with all novices in planting. But it is like one of those 

 pretty little girls who surprises us in a few years by the suddenness 

 of her transition to prim and glum old maidenhood. It not only 

 does not grow old gracefully, but shows its unpleasant features so 

 soon after it is out of the nursery, that it is a wonder it has so long 

 held place in good society. Compared with scores of other ever- 

 green trees, it is not worth planting. Rigid in outline, and in its 

 mode of branching, and becoming year by year darker in foliage, 

 scarcely ten years pass, in many cases, before its stiff and gloomy 

 expression suggests that its room is better than its company. 

 Height forty to fifty feet. Rate of growth about one foot and a half 

 to two feet a year. 



FRASER'S SILVER FIR, Picea Fraseri, is a smaller variety of 

 the balsam fir, with shorter and more thickly-set leaves ; found on 

 the mountains of Pennsylvania and North Carolina, and of the 

 same general character as the preceding. 



THE HUDSON'S BAY SILVER FIR. Picea Hudsonica. This is 

 one of the finest of dwarf evergreens, growing not more than four 



