530 LXXVI. CONIFERS. [Abies. 



great deal of shade, and is on that account particularly well suited for regeneration 

 by self-sown seedlings. Its artificial cultivation is much more difficult and uncer- 

 tain than that of the Spruce. The fine Silver Fir forests of the old convent of 

 Vallombrosa, however, below the crest of the Appenines overhanging the Arno 

 above Pontassieve, are an instance of successful reproduction of this tree on a large 

 scale, continued for centuries entirely by planting. These forests are now State 

 property, and are attached to the Eoyal Italian Forest School of Vallombrosa. 



The stems are cylindrical, carrying their girth well up. The Silver Fir has a 

 considerable power of reproduction ; trees which have been lopped and mutilated 

 often send up a number of leaders from their side branches, and parallel double 

 or forked stems are not rare. The wood has very few minute resinous ducts. 

 As regards weight, Nordlinger gives it the same range as Spruce, but Mathieu 

 states that as a rule it is somewhat heavier (Fl. For. 365). In the same place 

 he records that the wood of the Aude Silver Fir was found to possess a greater 

 transverse strength and elasticity than any other coniferous timber, excepting 

 the wood of Pinus australis from Florida. By puncturing the bark small 

 quantities of turpentine are obtained. 



Closely allied to the Silver Fir is the Cephalonian and Greek Silver Fir, 

 united with it by Parlatore and Grisebach, but distinguished by Loudon, Link, 

 and Willkomm as A. cephalonica, Loudon Syn. A. Apollinis, Link, and A. 

 Regince Amalice, Heldreich. It is supposed to be distinguished by acute, often 

 sharply-pointed leaves, and by spindle-shaped cones. This tree forms extensive 

 forests on the mountains of Cephalonia and Greece, generally commencing 

 above 3000 ft., but sometimes descending to 1500 ft., often forming the upper 

 limit of the forest where the mountains are sufficiently high, sometimes asso- 

 ciated with P. Laricio. For the Indian forester this tree has a special interest, 

 as it is one of the few abietineous trees, which are supposed to have the 

 power of throwing up coppice-shoots from the stump. A full account of it 

 is given by T. v. Heldreich in Kegel's Gartenflora, 1860, p. 313. Two Greek 

 Forest Officers, Balsamaki and Origoni, visited in 1859 an extensive forest of 

 this fir in Central Arcadia in the district of Tripolitza. The inhabitants of 

 the neighbouring villages had been in the habit from time immemorial of cut- 

 ting the upper part of the stems at different heights, according to the size of 

 the scantling required, and the result was the same as that described, p. 523, 

 in the case of the Deodar in upper K una war the side branches below the 

 cut had sent up a number of vertical shoots, which often attained 18-20 ft. in 

 length, and a diameter of lj ft., thus forming candelabrum-like trees, exactly 

 like the Deodar in mutilated forests of the N.W. Himalaya. It was even stated 

 that young trees cut down above the root had thrown up regular coppice-shoots. 

 This last statement, however, seems to require confirmation. All that is proved 

 at present is, that the Deodar and the Greek Silver Fir have (compared with 

 other trees of the Pine tribe) great powers of reproduction ; it remains for 

 farther inquiry, whether they actually throw up coppice-shoots from leafless 

 stumps. 



A. N ordmanniana, Link, a stately tree with dark compact foliage, and ovoid 

 cones, of late years much cultivated in England, forming forests in the Crimea 

 and the Caucasus, is regarded as a variety of the Silver Fir by Parlatore and 

 Grisebach. 



A. Pinsapo, Boissier, is a beautiful tree with regularly whorled branches, rigid, 

 short broadly linear thickly set leaves, erect, at right angles, all round the branches 

 in a regular spiral. Male flowers numerous, purple. Cones cylindric-ovoid, 

 4-5 in. long, the bracts shorter than the seed-scales. On the Serrania de Honda, 

 in the province of Malaga, between 3000 and 3600 ft., and lately found on the 

 Atlas mountains in Algeria (A. baborensis). Extensively cultivated in England, 

 where it thrives remarkably well. 



