CHAP. Ill S YL V A 221 



(with yew-like leaves) grow from the stem opposite 

 to one another, seriatim to the top, (as do all cone- 

 bearers) discovering their age ; which in time, with 

 their weight, bend them from their natural tendency, 

 which is upright, especially toward the top of aged 

 trees, where the leaf is flattish, and not so regular : 

 The cone great and hard, pyramidal and full of 

 winged-seeds. 



The silver-fir, of a whitish colour, like rosemary 

 under the leaf, is distinguished from the rest, by the 

 pectinal shape of it : The cones not so large as the 

 picea^ grow also upright, and this they call the female : 

 For I find botanists not unanimously agreed about the 

 sexes of trees. The layers, and even cuttings of this 

 tree, take root, and improve to trees, tho' more 

 naturally by its winged-seeds : But the masculine picea 

 will endure no amputation ; nor is comparable to the 

 silver-fir for beauty, and so fit to adorn walks and 

 avenues ; tho' the other also be a very stately plant ; 

 yet with this infirmity, that tho' it remain always 

 green, it sheds the old leaves more visibly, and not 

 seldom breaks down its ponderous branches : Besides, 

 the timber is nothing so white ; tho' yet even that 

 colour be not always the best character : That which 

 comes from Bergin, Swinsound, Mott, Longland, 

 Dranton, fife, (which experienc'd work-men call the 

 dram) being long, strait and clear, and of a yellow more 

 cedry colour, is esteemed much before the white for 

 flooring and wainscot, for masts, fife, those of Prussia, 

 which we call spruce, and Norway (especially from 

 Gottenberg) and about Riga, are the best ; unless we 

 had more commerce of them from our Plantations in 

 New England, which are preferable to any of them ; 

 there lying rotting at present at Pascataway, a mast of 



