ABIES ALBA, A. ALCOQTJIANA. 67 



to 50 feet, but at its northern limit, a low scrubby bush. When 

 standing singly, it has a conical outline, and is well furnished with 

 branches from the ground ; the foliage is lighter in colour than 

 that of the common Spruce, and slightly glaucous; the leaves are 

 short, rigid, and thick-set, covering the stem all round and appressed 

 to it. The cones are small, being not more than 1 or 1J inch in 

 length, and about half-an-inch in diameter. 



Habitat. — British North America, the- New England States and 

 the State of New York. It is most abundant in Canada, New 

 Brunswick, and the adjoining provinces ; northwards it occurs more 

 sparingly. 



Introduced into England by Bishop Compton about the year 

 1700.* 



The "White Spruce is one of the hardiest of trees ; it is useful 

 in ornamental and landscape planting generally, especially in situations 

 where other less hardy Coniferous trees woidd not live. As a timber 

 tree, it is of little value. "The wood is inferior in quality to that 

 of any of the Spruces. The fibres of the roots macerated in water 

 are very flexible and tough, and were used by the Canadian Indians 

 to stitch their canoes of birch bark. The rate of growth of Abies alba 

 in this country is from 12 to 15 feet in ten years in light moist 

 soils but it is slower in dry soils and exposed situations ; it attains 

 its full size in about thirty years, after which it soon begins to show 

 signs of decay; it is comparatively a short-lived tree. 1 ' f 



The specific name alba, "white," has a relative meaning only, and 

 was given in contradistinction to Abies nigra, with which it is 

 frequently found associated. 



Abies Alcoquiana is one of the finest representatives of the 

 Spruce Firs in Japan, where it is a lofty pyramidal tree, from 

 90 to 120 feet .high. In its maturity, the upper branches frequently 

 lengthen and become much ramified, so that the tree then has a 

 dense rounded head. The leaves are rigid, more or less curved, 

 distinctly four-sided, flattened, sharply pointed at the tips, and 

 slightly glaucous on the two under sides. The cones are oblong, 

 tapering at both ends, from 2 to 3 inches long, with brown, shining 

 striated scales, slightly rounded, and minutely toothed on the free 

 edge. 



* Loudon, Arb. et Frut., p. 2312. Many of the dates of introduction given in the sequel 

 are derived from the same authority, 

 t Idem. 



