122 TREE-PLANTING. 



west continent of America, rather over half a century 

 not being regarded as any great epoch of time when 

 taken relatively in conjunction with the life of trees, 



The Black Spruce Fir (A. nigrd). This tree is 

 said to have been introduced into Britain by Bishop 

 Compton in the end of the seventeenth century, and 

 is also a native of North America. It is highly 

 esteemed as a tree for decorative purposes, presenting 

 a very ornamental appearance on account of the rich- 

 ness and denseness of its foliage. It is a hardy tree, 

 thriving best in a moist soil, and has the peculiarity in 

 favourable circumstances of its lateral branches often 

 striking root into the ground, so forming a circle of 

 young plants around the parent tree. 



It generally attains a height of fifty feet or more 

 in England, there being several specimens in various 

 parts of the country even much higher, sixty and 

 seventy feet having been reached, which is not 

 exceeded in its native districts. 



It is raised from seed in the same way as the 

 Norway spruce, but is of much slower growth. 



The Hemlock Spruce Fir (A. Canadensis). This is 

 but a slow-growing tree, a native of Canada, which is 

 not thought worthy of cultivation for the sake of its 

 timber, but is a highly ornamental tree, of pendulous 

 habit, which, as before said, grows very slowly. 



The White American Spruce Fir (A. alba). This 

 is another of the trees introduced by Bishop Compton 

 in the seventeenth century, indigenous to North 

 America, and although somewhat similar in appear- 

 ance, is yet very inferior in every respect to the black 

 spruce fir, not being nearly so ornamental in appearance, 

 and of much slower growth. 



