Abies 803 



plant of this origin was alive in Perthshire in 1888 ; but it was only 2\ feet in height, 

 forming a wide spreading bush, though it was growing in rich black loam. 



No trees of this species are recorded by Kent ; nor were any specimens sent to 

 the Conifer Conference in 189 1. It appears to be unsuitable for cultivation in this 

 country. Young trees at Kew, a few feet in height, are stunted and dying. 

 Waterer had a large stock of plants in 1 889 in the nursery at Bagshot ; but they 

 all did badly and were thrown away, only one or two surviving and showing 

 the same wretched appearance as the young trees at Kew. Plants cultivated 

 some years ago at Glasnevin have since died. Henry, however, lately saw in the 

 Pinetum at Hatfield, Herts, a tree, planted in 1893 when it was about 3 feet high, 

 which is now 20 feet in height and 15 inches in girth. It has thriven well hitherto, 

 but is slightly attacked by knotty disease. The best specimen we have seen is one 

 at Bayfordbury, about 14 feet high, and fairly thriving. A small tree at 

 Ochtertyre bore cones in 1906. The tree appears to succeed better in Germany. 

 I have raised seedlings from cones sent by Prof. Allen in 1905 from Mount 

 Rainier. (H. J. E.) 



ABIES BALSAMEA, Balsam Fir 



Abies balsamea, Miller, Diet. No. 3 (1768); Sargent, Silva N. Amer. xii. 107, t. 610 (1898), and 

 Trees N. Amer. 58 (1905); Masters, Gard. Chron. xvii. 422, figs. 57-60 (1895); Kent, 

 Veitch's Man. Conifera, 492 (1900). 



Abies balsamifera, Michaux, Fl. Bor. Am. ii. 207 (1803) (in part). 



Pinus balsamea, Linnaeus, Sp. PL 1002 (1753). 



Picea balsamea, Loudon, Arb. et Prut. Brit. iv. 2339 (1838). 



A tree, commonly 50 to 60 feet in height and 3 to 5 feet in girth, but sometimes 

 larger, with spreading branches, usually forming an open broad-based pyramid. Bark, 

 greyish brown and with numerous blisters ; on old trees broken on the surface into 

 small scaly plates. Buds small, globose or occasionally dome-shaped, reddish, shining 

 and resinous. Young shoots smooth, ashy grey, with very short scattered pub- 

 escence ; on the shoots of the second year some of the pubescence is retained, and 

 the bark fissures slightly between the pulvini. The branchlets when cut have 

 a very resinous odour. 



Leaves on lateral branches pectinately arranged, in two sets directed outwards 

 in the horizontal plane ; upper leaves of each set shorter than the others, and directed 

 also slightly upwards, thus forming a shallow V-shaped arrangement. Leaves linear, 

 flattened, uniform in width except at the tapering base ; rounded and slightly bifid at 

 the apex, up to about 1 inch long and -^ to T x ff inch wide ; upper surface dark green, 

 shining, with a median continuous groove, and with two or three broken rows of 

 stomata in the middle line towards the apex ; lower surface with two narrow, greyish 

 bands of stomata, composed of six to eight lines ; resin-canals median. Leaves on 

 cone-bearing branches more or less upturned, stouter and broader than those on 

 barren shoots, acute and not bifid at the apex. 



