ABIES WEBBIANA. 545 



Abies Webbiana is one of the most widely distributed of the 

 Himalayan Abietinere; its western limit is in north Afghanistan, 

 whence it spreads eastwards to the upper Indus and through Nepal 

 to Bhotan. Its vertical range in Afghanistan and Kafristan is 

 between 7,000 and 9,000 feet ; further eastwards on the central 

 Himalaya it ascends to 12,000 feet, and occasionally descends to 

 5,000 feet ; in the north-west it forms extensive pure forests ; 

 east of the Indus it is commonly mixed with Acers and other 

 broad-leaved trees ; in places it is associated with Pinus excel sa 

 and Picea Smithiana, and in Sikkim with Tsuga Brunoniana and 

 Khododendrons. As seen at a distance, the foliage looks almost 

 black whence the name of Black Forest has been locally given to 

 large stretches of this Fir, just as the common Silver Fir has given 

 rise to the same name to a district in southern Germany formerly 

 covered with it. The economic value of Abies Webbiana is by no 

 means inconsiderable to the inhabitants of the higher Himalaya 

 although the wood is of inferior quality. 



Abies Webbiana was introduced into Great Britain by Dr. Wallich, 

 for many years Director of the Botanic Garden at Calcutta ; he 

 repeatedly sent seeds to Mr. Lambert and others, but none appear to 

 have germinated till about the year 1822 when some plants were 

 raised in the nursery of Messrs. Whitley and Osborne at Fulham.* 

 Although Abies Webbiana occurs at a higher elevation with a colder 

 climate than A. Pindrow, its cultivation in this country has not been 

 attended with any better results. On the Himalaya at the altitude 

 at which A. Webbiana attains its greatest development the climate is 

 constant ; the winter snows fall upon the forests with a regularity 

 unknown in Great Britain and have the same duration year after 

 year. To this cause may probably be assigned the frequent failure of 

 Abies Webbiana; it begins to grow early in spring, and this early 

 growth is often cut off by frosts later in the season an injury the tree 

 is unable to repair in the same season. Where sufficiently protected from 

 these late frosts, it is one of the most beautiful of the Abies, evidence 

 of which is afforded by specimens dispersed throughout the country, 

 notably at Bicton and Upcott in Devonshire; Tandridge Court in Surrey; 

 Hewell Grange, Worcestershire ; Howick Hall, Northumberland ; Castle 

 Kennedy, Wigtownshire ; Whittinghame in East Lothian ; Keir House 

 in Perthshire ; Torloisk in the Isle of Mull ; at Fota Island near 

 Cork ; Powerscourt, Wicklow ; and Courtown, Wexford. 



The species was named in compliment to Captain W. S. Webb, an 

 officer in the service of the East India Company, " a distinguished 

 traveller and zealous investigator of Natural History," who first discovered 

 it in the early part of the nineteenth century. 



* London, Arboretum et Fruticetum Britannicum, IV. 2345. 



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