Piarantlras 



( 197 ) 



Picea 



the mites leave the galls and take up their abode 

 in the buds, where they pass the winter underneath 

 the scales, ready to attack the young leaves in the 

 spring. Light attacks may be dealt with by the 

 removal and destruction by fire of the infected 

 lea\es prior to the exit of the mites within; but for 

 had attacks, and where whole orchards are con- 

 cerned, this is obviously impracticable. Kerosene 

 emulsion applied whilst the trees are at rest and 



V 



* 



riii'tu: Cantfll ,! 



PICEA MOUIXDA (sec p. 198). 



the mites hibernating has been tried with con- 

 siderable.' success, and, although trees so treated 

 have been observer! to open their buds rather later 

 than usual in the spring, they have apparently 

 taken no appreciable harm. 



PIARANTHUS. 



Low-growing, greenhouse succulents (ord. Ascle- 

 piadra'). all I mm South Africa. In general habit 

 they are much like the Stapelias, to which they 

 have been referred by some botanists, and like 

 which they may be treated. Very few, if any, of 

 the species are in cultivation. Pullus is now 

 Boucerosia rnaminillaria ; and piliferus, Tricho- 

 caulon piliferuni. 



PICEA (xyn. ABIES of DON. SPRUCE FIRS). 



Description. A comparatively small genus of 



tall-growing, handsome Conifers (urd. Oonitene), 



that is small so far as number of recognised species 

 is considered. Alba, excelsa, and pungens, to 

 mention only a few, have given rise to many hand- 

 some garden varieties, differing from each other in 

 habit, disposition of the branches, and colour of 

 the leaves ; and most of the other species are 

 represented in gardens by several varieties. All 

 are hardy, with one or two exceptions, such as 

 obovata, where growth is made so early in spring 

 that it gets cut down by the late frosts. The 

 genus is closely allied to Abies. In Abies the 

 bracts fall away from the axis of the cone when 

 maturity is reached ; in Picea they do not do this, 

 further, in Abies the cones are upright on the 

 branches ; in Picea they are usually pendulous. In 

 Abies the leaves are usually flattened, blunt, and 

 soft to the touch. In Picea they are round, much 

 stiffer, and often sharp. 



Propagation. The most satisfactory method is 

 by seed, sown in spring. The seedlings may be 

 lifted and planted in nursery rows as soon as they 

 are a few inches high. Subsequent transplantings 

 will depend upon the rapidity of growth, which in 

 its turn will, in great measure, be decided by the 

 species some, such as excelsa, are very quick 

 growers. The various coloured forms, which will 

 not come true from seed, may be grafted upon 

 seedlings of the type. 



Soil. Almost any soil will do, but the finest 

 specimens are to be found on deep, sandy loam 

 deposits. A little leaf mould may be used to 

 lighten the soil in the rockery, in which the dwarf 

 forms of excelsa appear to advantage. 



Economic Products. The Piceas are essentially 

 timber producers, and both alba and excelsa take 

 high rank as such. Excelsa furnishes the white 

 deal so much in demand. 



Principal Species and Varieties : 



[NOTE. The synonymy is that of the Kerv Hand- 

 List.'] 



* Belonging to the Omorica group, or flat-leaved 

 Spruce Firs. 



*ajanensis, 70' to 80', 

 shoots yellowish hr., 

 cones 1' to 2" long, 

 erect, resembles excelsa 

 (XI/HX. Abies ajaueusis 

 and alcockiana, and 

 Tsuga ajanensis) ; mi- 

 crosperma (XI/H. je/o- 

 ensis) is a var. 



alba, 30' to 40', cones ob- 

 loiig, cylindrical, light 

 br.,lvs. rather glaucous, 

 erect (.V//H.V. Abies alba, 

 A. a. cserulea arctica, 

 and A. canadensis, 

 Picea ca-rulea, and P. 

 nigra glauca, and Pi- 

 uus laxa and P. rubra 

 violacea). White Spruce. 

 Many vars. The fol- 

 lowing are some of the 

 best: 



ceerulea, Ivs. with hi. 

 shade. 



echinofonnis, dwarf 

 and close-growing. 



fastigiata. of pyra- 

 midal habit. 



intermedia, cones and 

 Ivs; very short. 



- pemlula, branches 

 dr< toping. 



variegata, Ivs. yel., 

 wh., grn. 



alcockiana, 90' to 120', 

 cones 2" to 3" long, 

 dettexed, habit pyra- 

 midal (t/ii*. Abies 

 acicularis. alcockiana, 

 and bicolor, and Piuus 

 alcockiana). 



Engelnmnnii of Engel- 

 mann.iiot of gardeus,80' 

 to 100', Ivs. deep gru., 

 rigid, cones 2" to 2V' 

 long (.vy/<. Abies alba, 

 A. Engelmannii, and A. 

 nigra, and Finns coiu- 

 mutatii). 



glauca. Ivs. silvery 

 glaucous. A pretty var. 



ericoides, a slender grow- 

 ing tree of pyramidal 

 habit. A garden var. 

 whoseaffinities have not 

 yet been determined. 



excelsa, SO' to 100' (//.. 

 Abies excelsa. A. Picea.. 

 and A. rulira, and Piuus 

 Abies and P. excelaa of 

 Lambert). Burgundy 

 Pitch Tree, Norway 

 Spruce Fir. The follow- 

 ing is a selection of the 

 many vars. : 



argenteo-spica, Ivs. sil- 

 ver lipped. 



