244 THE MAGAZINE OF HORTICULTURE. 



though a comely tree, when standing outside of the forest in 

 its full proportions, has acquired a great deal of false reputa- 

 tion. There is something about it, while it is young, that 

 attracts the attention of the crowd, and has caused it to be 

 very generally planted as an ornamental tree. As it increases 

 in stature, it is found to be unworthy of its reputation, and 

 inferior to all other species of this tribe. The Balsam fir has 

 probably derived some of its credit from its resemblance to 

 the Silver fir of Europe, which surpasses it both in stateliness 

 and beauty, rising often to the height of an hundred feet, 

 while the American tree seldom exceeds half that height. 



The Balsam fir has a smooth bark, leaves of a bright green 

 with a silvery lustre beneath, closely arranged upon the 

 branches, and curving upwards. The small branches have 

 the same stiff, upward tendency, never hanging downwards 

 like those of the spruces. The under-surface, formed by the 

 foliage and branches of the fir, is more flattened and convex 

 than that of the spruce ; and this circumstance causes the 

 regularity in the staying of the branches of the former to be 

 remarkably apparent. The Balsam fir grows more rapidly 

 than most other trees of this tribe, with great regularity and 

 primness, bearing its branches stifly and horizontally in regu- 

 lar whorls, with a perfectly straight trunk, tapering gently at 

 the summit, and forming, when well developed, a very elegant 

 spire. As it increases in height, its lower branches do not 

 increase proportionally in length, and hence the outlines of 

 the tree are very gradually tapering, resembling an obelisk, 

 except at the summit. Among the other beauties of this tree 

 may be mentioned the bright green of its foliage and the 

 clusters of erect and purplish cones borne upon the upper 

 branches. 



It was formerly the custom to plant Italian poplars before 

 our dwelling-houses, and along the sides of avenues and nar- 

 row streets. These trees were well adapted to situations of 

 this kind, on account of their habit of sending out their 

 branches, at very acute angles with the main trunk, and re- 

 quiring but little space to spread to their full dimensions. 

 They could be placed within a few yards of a dwelling-house, 



