166 HARDY CONIFEROUS TREES. 



Picea alba> Age uncertain, not less than 50 years; 

 cubic contents 38 feet; soil black, damp loam. Timber light, 

 soft, but compact, fine of grain, and of a pleasing bright 

 yellow colour. It is so soft as to readily take an impression 

 made by the finger-nail. 



P, morinda. Age 43 years; cubic contents 37 feet; 

 soil loam or gravel. 1 have cut up many specimens of this 

 particular species, but in all cases have found it exactly the 

 opposite of what it is described by travellers. 



Here it is weightier, firmer, and probably more brittle than 

 the common spruce ; but in trees of equal age I am inclined 

 to say that it is the superior of the two. It is readily affected 

 by soil. 



P, nigfra. Ages varying from 30 years to 50 years. 

 Removed all the trees from a plantation, so had ample 

 opportunities of testing the quality of home-grown timber. 

 Timber nearly white, sometimes yellowish-white, soft, and long 

 of grain, very light, and readily indented. Lasts well when 

 . kept dry and in an equable temperature ; but it is of little 

 or no value, comparatively speaking, for out-of-door work. 



P. oriental is. Age 37 years ; cubic contents 29 feet ; 

 soil gravelly loam. Timber not unlike that of the common 

 spruce, but perhaps yellower in colour, and equally firm. Not 

 tested for outdoor work ; very satisfactory when used for 

 pannelling. 



Pin US cembra. Age 43 years ; cubic contents 29 

 feet ; soil good stiffish loam. Timber soft and springy, easily 

 worked, and susceptible of a smooth and fine polish. It is 

 very light, and the graining so fine as to be hardly discernible. 

 Thirteen years do not appear to have altered either the ap- 

 pearance or quality of the wood in the least. 



P. exceisa. Various ages from 30 years to 43 years ; 

 cubic content of largest 42 feet ; soil good rich yellow loam. 

 Timber highly fragrant and resinous, compact, but easily 

 indented, and nearly white in colour. Out of doors it soon 

 decays, but when kept as a plank sample the period of fifteen 

 years since it was cut docs not seem to have affected it to 



