262 PRACTICAL FORESTRY. 



lar, curved upward, scarcely an inch long, somewhat two- 

 ranked. Cones six to eight inches long, two to three inches in 

 diameter, purplish-brown ; bracts lanceolate-acuminate, and 

 shorter than the very wide scales, which are from one to nearly 

 two inches long, by scarcely an inch high. Seed slender, with 

 broad wings. Readily distinguished from the next by the en- 

 closed bracts. A large tree, two hundred feet and over in hight, 

 with stem six to ten feet in diameter, at elevations of six to ten 

 thousand feet in the higher Sierras. This may be only a local 

 variety of the next species, as it is not abundant, and no forests 

 of it have as yet been found. 



A. nobilis, Lindl. Noble Silver Fir. Leaves an inch to an inch 

 and a half long, rigid, curved upward, covering the underside 

 of the smaller branches, whitish, and keeled on the upper and 

 under side, rather acute, slightly grooved, and somewhat two- 

 ranked. Cones cylindrical-oblong, six to nine inches long, and 

 two to three in diameter, and almost covered with the reflexed 

 bracts. This tree is also known in Northern California under 

 the name of " Red Fir," and grows to about the same size as 

 the last, but has a much wider range, forming extensive forests 

 at the base of Mount Shasta, California, and northward in the 

 Cascade Mountains to the Columbia River. 



A. subalpina. Engelm. This is rather a doubtful species, but 

 has been described under various names by different botanists, 

 such as- A. lasiocarpa, Hook., and A. amabilis, Parl., etc., etc., 

 but it is probably only one of the many forms or varieties of A. 

 concolor, which is scattered through the sub-alpine regions of 

 the Rocky Mountains of Northern New Mexico, and northward 

 to Oregon. 



FOREIGN SPECIES. 



Although there are few of these that will ever be planted in 

 this country as forest trees, still there are quite a number that 

 are very desirable for ornamental purposes. The following are 

 among the best known species : 



A. Cephalonita, Loudon. Cephalonian Silver Fir. Leaves 

 about three-fourths of an inch long, dagger-shaped, sharp and 

 rigid. A beautiful species, from the highest mountains of 

 Cephalonia, and other parts of Greece. A free-grower, and 

 quite hardy in our Northern States. 



A. Cilicia, Carriere. Cilician Silver Fir. Leaves from one to 

 two inches long, and a tenth of an inch broad, flat, dark-green 



