998 



PRACTICAL GUIDE TO GABDEN PLANTS 



PICE A 



West Lothian, which is about the same 

 height, and one of the very first plants in- 

 troduced tp Britain. 



Culture dc. as abo^e, p. 996. 



P. nigra (P. rubra ; Abies nigra ; 

 A. mariana ; A. denticulata ; Pinus 

 nigra; P. rubra). — Blade Spruce. — This 

 variable tree is probably more important 

 for its economic properties than for its 

 ornamental aspect. It grows 50-70 ft. 

 high in North-Eastern America and 

 Canada, in light dry rocky soils ; or in 

 cold wet swamps, where it forms only 

 small stunted bushes or trees of little 

 value. The foliage, consisting of 4-angled 

 leaves about ^ in. long, is deep sombre 

 green in colour, giving a black appearance 

 to the tree — hence the popular name. 

 The cyUndrical cones are 1^2 in. long, 

 blackish-purple, with rounded wavy scales, 

 orenulate or divided at the top. The 

 variety pumila grows about 3-4 ft. high, 

 and has a compact habit, and smaller 

 leaves than the type. The variety rubra 

 or Red Spruce is a dwarf form with redder 

 bark and cones than the type. 



Culture dc. as above. 



P. Omorica {Pinus Omorica). — Servian 

 Spruce. — A beautiful and distinct Spruce 

 native of the mountains of Servia, having 

 flattish, straight or curved linear oblong 

 blunt leaves, i-| in. long, shining green 

 beneath, with a prominent midrib above. 

 Cones like those of the Larch, about 

 2 in. long, ovoid-conic, produced in great 

 profusion. 



Culture dc. as above. Not yet very 

 well known. 



P. orientalis (Abies orientalia; A. 

 wittmanniana ; Pinus orientalis). — An 

 ornamental but slow-growing Spruce, na- 

 tive of the Taurus and Caucasus Mts., 

 characterised by its dense habit and 

 masses of deep green somewhat 4-angled 

 leaves, with cones rather cylindrical in 

 shape, pointed at the apex, about 3 in. 

 long. Other forms are aurea andipygmcea. 



As an ornamental and perfectly hardly 

 tree, P. orientalis is worth growing. It 

 is useful for large lawns, parks, and plea- 

 sure grounds, in places where trees of a 

 larger growth would be hardly suitable. 

 There are some fine specimens in the 

 country. That at Penrhyn Castle, Bangor, 

 about 50 years old and over 60 ft. high, 

 may be mentioned as a fine tree. 



Culture dc. as above. 



P. polita (Abies polita ; A. Torano). — 

 Tiger-tail Spruce. — A handsome species, 

 native of the mountains of Corea and 

 Japan, having a bold sturdy habit and 

 distinct appearance. Its branches are 

 densely covered with stiff, very sharply 

 pointed 4-Bided leaves, J— f in. long. The 

 eUiptic tapering and drooping cones, 4^-5 in. 

 long, are borne at the ends of the branches, 

 having shining brown leathery scales, the 

 whole suggesting the idea of a tiger's taU 

 to the Japanese. This species has not yet 

 attained its fuU height in British gardens, 

 the largest plants being 15-35 ft. high. 



Culture dc. as above, p. 996. 



P. pungens (American Blue Spruce). 

 A beautiful Spruce native of the United 

 States, where it attains a height of 

 120-160 ft. with a trunk 2-3 ft. in dia- 

 meter, at elevations between 6000 and 

 9,000 ft., growing by the edges of streams 

 in damp or wet soil. The tree has a rich 

 orange-coloured bark and emits an aro- 

 matic fragrance. The slender narrow 

 sharply pointed leaves are ^1 in. long, 

 and 4-sided. The oblong drooping cones, 

 about 3 in. long, vary in colour from 

 dark apple-green to a beautiful silvery 

 hue as in the variety argentea, which is 

 more beautiful even than the variety 

 glauca, with charming glaucous foliage. 

 This species has been a good deal confused 

 in gardens with P. Engelmamni, and in 

 many places plants of the latter are labelled 

 P. pungens. It is a fast-growing hardy 

 and ornamental tree, and does well in the 

 neighbourhood of large towns — retaining 

 its beautiful colour throughout the year, 

 but being naturally more attractive when 

 the young growths are developing in 

 spring. 



Culture dc. as above. 



P. sitchensis (Abies and Pinus Men- 

 ziesi ; A. and P. sitchensis). — Tide-land 

 Spruce. — A handsome Califomian tree, 

 150-200 ft. high in a wild state, with a 

 trunlf 10-15 ft. in diameter, growing on 

 gravelly ridges and swampy ground. Its 

 regularly whorled stiffish branches are 

 clothed with linear sharp-pointed incurved 

 and twisted leaves, about 2 in. long, turn- 

 ing in every direction, and silvery white 

 beneath. The cylindrical drooping cones 

 are about 8 in. long, the scales having a 

 dry shrivelled appearance and ragged 

 edges. 



There are many fine specimens in the 

 kingdom, but that at Curraghmore, the 



