ABIES 



CONIFERS 



ABIES 1003 



those of A. Fraseri. At Powderham 

 Gastle, Exeter, there is a specimen of 

 A. Fraaeri which a few years ago was 

 72 ft. high. 



Culture do. as above. 



A. grandis (Picea and Pvnus grcmdis). 

 A magnificent Californian tree 200-300 ft. 

 high in its native habitat, growing in low 

 moist situations, and often having a trunk 

 3-5 ft. in diameter. It is said to be the 

 most rapid growing of all the Silver Firs, 

 and has a symmetrical habit, a densely 

 branched stem, and masses of soft rich 

 green leaves |-1 in. long, silvery white 

 beneath, and arranged in double rows on 

 each side of the shoots. The blunt cylin- 

 drical cones are 4-5 in. long, and 2 in. 

 wide, apple-green when young, ripening 

 to bronzy-green, with very short ovate 

 tapering and irregularly toothed bracts. 



Culture do. as above. A. grcmdis as 

 a rule flourishes in rich well-drained 

 loam, where it will always have sufficient 

 but not excessive moisture, and shelter 

 from cold winds. At Eiccarton, Mid- 

 lothian, there is a very vigorous speci- 

 men which in five years grew as much as 

 23 ft., and is now about 90 ft. or more 

 high. There is also a fine tree at Poltal- 

 loch, Lochgilphead, Argyllshire, and in 

 several other gardens. 



A. lowiana {Picea lowiana). — Low's 

 Silver Fir. — A very ornamental Conifer 

 native of N. CaUfornia, Oregon &c., being 

 massive and pyramidal in outline with 

 close tiers of rather stifi' horizontally 

 spreading, or drooping branches. It 

 attains a height of about 300 ft. with a 

 trunk 5 ft. in diameter in a wild state. 

 The young shoots are usually smooth 

 and flexuous, olive-brown in colour, with 

 spreading blunt linear leaves 1^-2 in. 

 long, in two or more rows, and with a 

 prominent midrib beneath. The colour 

 varies a good deal, but the prevailing 

 tint is ohve-green above and silvery white 

 beneath. The beautiful rich chestnut- 

 brown cones are borne in whorls near the 

 ends of the shoots and are oblong, 3 in. 

 long, and bluntly conical in shape. 



Many if not most of the plants grown 

 as A. lasiocarpa in gardens are A. 

 lowiama, and the plants, if any, called A. 

 pa/rsonsiana also belong here. 



Culture dc. as above. 



A. magnifica {A. campylocarpa ; Picea 

 viagnifica). — A stately tree native of 



N. California where it grows 200-250 ft. 

 high, with a trunk 8-10 ft. in diameter, 

 at 5000-8000 ft. elevation. It has tiers 

 or ' whorls of horizontally spreading 

 branches, the twigs of which are thickly 

 clothed with linear olive-green leaves 1-2 

 in. long, glaucous above when young, and 

 with 2 silvery stripes beneath. Cones 

 6-7 in. long, about 3 in. broad, oblong, 

 cyhndrical, and very flat or blunt at each 

 end. 



Culture £c. as above. 



A. Mariesi. — Anative of the mountains 

 of Japan, where it growsin shallow peat on 

 volcanic debris at 5000-7000 ft. elevation, 

 and forms a tall pyramidal tree with 

 strong spreading branches, the lower ones 

 shghtly bent down, but turned up at the 

 ends, the younger ones being covered with 

 a brownish hairy epidermis. Leaves about 

 1 in. long, blunt, linear, tapering into a 

 very short twisted stalk, dark green above, 

 rather glaucous beneath, and arranged 

 more or less irregularly in four rows. 

 Cones 3-5 in. long, erect, oblong cylin- 

 drical, of a duU blaokish-purple. 



Culture dc. as above. This species 

 was introduced about twenty years ago 

 and is still very little known. It seems 

 to be quite hardy. 



A. nobilis {Picea and Pinus nohilis). 

 A majestic and quick-growing tree, native 

 of the Oregon and Californian mountains, 

 where with A. a/mahilis it forms extensive 

 forests, and attains a height of 200-300 

 ft., with a trunk 8-10 ft. in diameter. It 

 is easily recognised by its graceful habit 

 and regular tiers of branches clothed 

 with deep glaucous linear leaves about 

 If in. long, and silvery white beneath. 

 The beautiful oblong cylindrical cones 

 7-9 in. long, erect and slightly tapering 

 upwards, are brownish in colour, with 

 projecting pointed and ragged - edged 

 bracts bent downwards. The varieties 

 glauca and rohusta are improvements on 

 the already beautiful type, the variety 

 rohusta having shorter and broader cones, 

 long-tailed bracts, and denser masses of 

 foliage. 



Culture dc. as above. This is a free- 

 growing species and enjoys a rich loam 

 in situations sheltered from bleak north 

 and east winds. At Birr Castle, King's 

 Co., the seat of Earl Bosse, there is a 

 splendid tree which a few years ago was 

 83 ft. high, and is now probably over 

 90 ft. At Coul House, Ross-shire, there 



