66 A MANUAL OF THE COHWERa:. 



Abies Ajanensis. — A Spruce Fir, resembling the common Euro- 

 pean species, but of more elegant habit. In its native country, it 

 is a pyramidal tree of variable height, according to soil and situa- 

 tion. In British gardens, it may be recognised by the following 

 characters : — The bark of the young shoots is pale yellowish-brown, 

 marked with oblong, smooth, prominent cushions ; the leaves are 

 spirally arranged, but on the side shoots "twisted at the base so 

 as to be all in the same horizontal plane ; on the upper surface 

 appressed, parallel to the direction of the branch ; all flattish, 

 rather obtuse, dark shining green three-ribbed on the outer surface, 

 very glaucous and one-ribbed on the side turned from the light." * 

 The cones are small, oblong tapering bodies, from 1 to 2 inches 

 long, with undulated scales, notched at the free edge. 



Habitat. — Japan (Nippon and Yesso), also the region of the Amour 

 and Kamtchatka. 



Introduced in 1861, by Mr. John Gould Veitch. 



Abies Ajanensis microsperma.— Dr. Linclley gave the name of 

 A. microsperma to a Spruce Fir, discovered by Mr. J. G. Veitch, near 

 Hakodati, in Yesso. By Parlatore, De Candolle's Prod., xvi., p. 418, 

 this Fir is referred to the North American species, A. Menziesii, but 

 Dr. Masters now identifies it as a variety of A. Ajanensis. It is a 

 dense medium-sized tree, with smaller leaves than A. Ajanensis. 



Abies Ajanensis has hitherto been known in nurseries and gardens 

 under the name of A. Alcoquiana. " This has arisen from the fact that 

 Mr. J. G. Veitch was not himself able to collect seeds — the country 

 not being then open to foreigners — consequently, he had to depend on 

 others, whose incompetence or veracity, or both, might not have been 

 trustworthy. In any ease, it is clear that the seeds got considerably 

 mixed." As an ornamental tree in this country, A. Ajanensis will take 

 a high rank. Its growth is rather slow, especially during the first four 

 or five years from the seed, during which time it frequently shows a 

 tendency to produce rival leaders, which should be reduced to one 

 when observed. 



The specific name Ajanensis is derived from Ayan or Ajan in 

 Kamtchatka. 



Abies alba. — A tree of medium size, varying in height from 25 



* Dr. Masters, in Gardeners' Chronicle, vol. xiii., p. 115. We take this opportunity of 

 expressing our warmest acknowledgments to Dr. Masters for the important services he has 

 rendered by his investigation of the Japanese Abies ; the result of which he has published 

 in a series of papers in the Gardeners' Chronicle, from November, 1879 to March 1880 

 We have, in the following pages, freely availed ourselves of the valuable information contained 

 in these papers. ^*^ 



