80 A MANUAL. OF THE CONIFERS. 



yet been introduced. The other three do not appear to accommodate 

 themselves readily to the milder climate of Britain; they commence 

 growing early in spring when the weather is mild, and this pre- 

 cocious growth is almost invariably cut off by late frosts. This 

 check gives them a scorched and unsightly appearance, rendering 

 them unsuitable for arboricultural purposes. 



Abies Glehnii, as described by Dr. Masters, in the Gardeners' 

 Chronicle for March. 6, 1880, is a dwarf, dense-growing tree, with small, 

 curved, sharply pointed leaves, crowded in many rows, and oblong ovate 

 cones, variable in size, but generally small, or not much more than 

 * 1 inch long. It 'was found on the island of Saghalien by Schmidt, 

 some years ago, and recently by Maries on the south-east coast of Yesso. 



1 Abies Maximowiczii. — In 1865, seeds of an Abies, native of 

 eastern Asia, were distributed under this name by Dr. Eegel, of 

 St. Petersburgh, but of which nothing appears to be known beyond the 

 young plants now growing in many gardens. These are stunted, 

 miserable-looking objects, seemingly unsuited for our climate. They may 

 be recognised by the following characters : — Branches and branchlets 

 quite rigid, the former covered with light cinereous brown, and the 

 latter with light reddish brown bark, much roughened by the decur- 

 rent bases of the leaves, and which also are rigid, sharply pointed, 

 not more than half-an-inch long, erect, and dark green, with little or 

 no traces of glaucescence. 



Abies obovata resembles A. excelsa in its general aspect, but 

 differs from it in some of the details, especially in the cones, which 

 are small nearly egg-shaped bodies, with the greater diameter not more 

 than 2J inches long. It inhabits Siberia, from the Ural Mountains 

 to Dahurica, and from the Altai Mountains — where it forms vast 

 forests from the base to 4,000 feet of elevation — to the Arctic Regions, 

 as far as lat. 69° 30' 1ST. In a climate so severe as that of Siberia 

 the economic value of A. obovata must be considerable, if used only 

 for fuel. According to Ledebpur it is a tall tree, upwards of 100 feet 

 high, and doubtless supplies timber- but little inferior to that of the 

 common Spruce. 



Abies Schrenkiana is a native of the Altai Mountains and 

 south-west Siberia. It is said to be a tall tree resembling A. obovata 

 in its general aspect, but differing from it in having thicker and longer 

 leaves. Like A. obovata, of which it is considered by the best autho- 

 rities* to be only a variety, it does not readily adapt itself to the 

 milder climate of Britain. 



* frod., xvi., p. 415. Carriere, Traiti, p. 33?, 



