99 



Coniferous Timber of Commerce, locally imported. By 

 Commander F. M. Norma^n, R.N., Berwick. 



A SHORT TIME before the recent lamented death of my old 

 and valued friend, Mr James Allan, the late head of the 

 well-known and important firm, Allan Brothers, Timber 

 Merchants, Tweedinouth, I had a conversation with him about 

 the various sorts of Coniferous Woods imported by them for 

 commercial purposes. 



Being under an impression that considerable ignorance or 

 perplexity prevails on the subject, I obtained information 

 from Mr Allan, which, iu conjunction with Veitch and Sons' 

 " Manual of Coniferse " (a standard work of great value) and 

 •'The Report of The Conifer Conference," held at Chiswick 

 in 1891, enables me now, for the information of our Club, 

 to supply details which, I trust, will be both useful and 

 interesting. 



First as to Nomenclature. Scientific Nomenclature is, of 

 course, subject to vicissitudes, which are often confusing to 

 students and practical men, and troublesome to everybody 

 — though they may have a signification for botanists, 

 ornithologists, zoologists, and so on. 



But the numerous changes in generic, as well as in specific 

 terms, and the enormous number of synonyms which, since 

 Conifers were first studied, have been attached to many 

 members of the Order, must have proved embarrassing even 

 to skilled botanists. 



About the Picea-Abies question, concerning which so much 

 has been written : I will only say that, for the present purpose, 

 as well as for the purpose at any future time of naming 

 and referring to the various Conifers which we observe 

 during our visits to the gardens, woods, and policies of our 

 Border district, I shall use the nomenclature which was 

 adopted, and, for uniformity's sake, strongly recommend for 

 general adoption at the aforesaid Chiswick Conference — that 

 of Bentham and Hooker, and other recognised modern writers 

 on Conifers, namely to call: — 



The Spruce Firs, . , . . Picea. 



(Type — The Common Spruce.) 

 The Silver Firs, . . . . Abies. 



(Type— The Common Silver Fir.) 



