P I N 



PI N 



than forty in a bundle : the cones an inch long, 

 with above thirty woody, striated, rounded, en- 

 tire scales : the seeds brownish-erav, with sub- 

 triangular wings somewhat bent in. In both, 

 the cones are bent upwards on very short pe- 

 duncles. 



It is observed by the editor of Miller's Dic- 

 tionary, that " no tree is more valuable, or bet- 

 ter deserves our attention in planiina; than the 

 Larch." It is a native of the South of Europe 

 and Siberia. 



The timber is not only used in houses, but in 

 naval aichiteciure also. " It seems to excel," he 

 says, "for beams, doors, windows, and masts of 

 ships: it resists the worm : being driven into the 

 ground it is almost petrified, and will support 

 an incredible weight : it bears polishing excel- 

 lently well, and the turners abroad much desire 

 it. It makes everlasting spouts, pent-houses 

 and f'eatheredge, which needs neither pitch or 

 painting to preserve them ; excellent pales, 

 posts, rails, props for vines, &c. ; to these we 

 may add the pallettcs on which painters separate 

 and blend their colours. 



The fifteenth species is a noble upright tree : 

 the branches not very numerous, but the bark 

 smooth and delicate : the upper surface of the 

 leaves of a fine strong green, and their under 

 has two white lines running lengthwise on each 

 side of the midrib, giving the leaves a silvery 

 look, from which it takes its name : the cones 

 are large and grow erect, and when warm 

 weather comes on soon shed their seeds : the 

 scales wide, deltoid, rounded above, below 

 beaked, and appendicled with a membranaceous 

 spatulate dorsal ligule, terminated by a recurved 

 dagger-point: the nuts rather large, membra- 

 naceous, variously angular, dun-coloured. It is 

 a native of Switzerland, &c. 



It has been observed in Ireland, that no tree 

 grows so speedily to so large a size as the Silver 

 Fir. — Some at forty years growth, in a wet clav 

 on a rock, measuring twelve feet in circum- 

 ference at the ground, and seven feet a.id a half 

 at five feet high; one tree containing seventv- 

 six feet of solid timber. The earl of Fife also re- 

 marks, that no trees make a greater progress 

 than this and the Larch. It is found to be ex- 

 cellent for boat-building. 



The sixteenth is a beautiful tree, which rises 

 with an upright stem : the leaves are dark-green 

 on their upper surface, and marked with wliitish 

 lines underneath : the cones are rouudisii and 

 small : the buds and leaves are remarkably fra- 

 grant. From wounds made in this tree a verv 

 fine turpentine is obtained, which is somt times 

 sold for the true Balm of Gilead. It grows to 



a large size in America, but has not done so in 

 this climate. 



It has very much the habit of the Silver Fir, 

 but the leaves are wider and blunter, disposed 

 on each side along the branches like the teeth 

 of a comb, but in a double row, the upper one 

 shorter than the under : underneath marked 

 with a double glaucous line, and each has eight 

 rows of white dots, and are often cloven at top. 

 It is a native of Virginia. 



The seventeenth species is a beautiful but de- 

 licate tree, and must have a good soil, with a 

 warm situation ; and it will be improved bv 

 tying its leading shoot to a stake annually as it 

 advances. 



It has the cone of the size and shape of a 

 small hen's egg, and the whole of an ash-co- 

 loured bay : the scales coriaceous, thick, triangu- 

 lar, the outer side rounded and somewhat crenu- 

 late : the nuts a little smaller than in the Black 

 Spruce, with a winged membrane on the outer 

 side only. It is a native of many parts of 

 North America, and does not thrive well in 

 this climate. 



The eighteenth, or Black Spruce, has shorter 

 leaves, whiter on their under side than the 

 White : the cones also are smaller and more 

 compact. There is also a Red Spruce; but 

 there seems to be no difference between this 

 and the Black, either in the cones which have 

 been brought from Newfoundland, or the 

 young plants which have l)een raised in gardens 

 in this climate. 



The appellations of White and Black are 

 given from the colour of the bark, as their 

 is little difference in the colour of the wood, and 

 the leaves of the Black are whiter on their under 

 side than those of the White. Thev are both na- 

 tives- of North America; — the White upon the 

 mountains ; the Black upon the low grounds, 

 generally in bogs or swamps. The first is by 

 much the largest tree. This sort is easily 

 known by its narrow leaves, placed on every 

 side of the branches, and its long pendulous 

 cones, which do not fall to pieces on the tree, 

 but drop off entire the followmg summer : the 

 scales open and emit the seeds on the first 

 warmth of the spring. 



There is a variety of this tree cultivated 

 under the title of the Long-coned Cornish Fir, 

 in which the leaves are longer, broader, of 

 a lighter colour, and fuller on the branches : the 

 cones also longer. 



The nineteenth species is the loftiest of Eu- 

 ropean trees, attaining a height from 125 to 

 150 feet, with a very straight trunk, and throw- 

 ing out its spreading branches so as to form an 



