1004 



PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GABDEN PLANTS 



ABIES 



is also a fine specimen about 70 years 

 old and about 80 feet bigh. 



A. nordmanniana {Picea nordmcm- 

 niana). — Nordmann's Fir. — A stately and 

 ornamental tree, native of tbe Crimea and 

 Caucasus, where it reaches a height of 

 80-100 ft. It has a graceful and regular 

 outline and masses of rich glossy green 

 stiffish flat linear leaves about 1 in. long, 

 more or less spreading in two rows owing 

 to a half twist at the base. The erect 

 cones 4-6 in. long are shortly stalked, 

 slightly ovoid in shape, and have large 

 leathery three-lobed fringed bracts, pro- 

 jecting much beyond the scales. 



Culture dc. as above. Nordmann's 

 Fir when grown as a lawn or park tree 

 is difficult to surpass among the Conifer 

 family. It flourishes in stiff peaty loam 

 with plenty of vegetable matter, and 

 on light gravelly soUs. It is excellent 

 for planting on declivities near water, 

 and wiU thrive very often where other 

 Common Silver Firs [A. pectinata) and 

 even the Larch become injured. For 

 ornamental gardening purposes, however, 

 it is best to plant it in the most favour- 

 able situations. At PoltaUoch, in Argyll- 

 shire, there is a vigorous tree which a few 

 years ago was 70 ft. high, and there are 

 several fine specimens of smaller dimen- 

 sions scattered throughout tbe kingdom. 



A. numidica {A. hahorensis). — A native 

 of N. Africa, where it is fo\md with the 

 Atlas Cedar at elevations between 4000 

 and 6000 ft., and attains a height of 

 40-60 ft. It has a gracefid outline, and 

 masses of dark green linear leaves ^-1 in. 

 long, sUvery white beneath. The erect 

 cylindrical cones 5-8 in. long are usually 

 borne in clusters of 4 or 5, having kidney- 

 shaped greyish-brown scales enclosing a 

 thin dry and shrivelled bract. 



■Culture dc. as above. 



A. pectinata {A. alba ; A. excelsa ; A. 

 Picea ; A. vulgaris; A. taxifoUa ; Picea 

 and Pinus pectinata; Pinus Abies; 

 Picea Abies). — This handsome tree is the 

 Common Silver Fir of the mountains of 

 Central and S. Europe, and reaches a 

 height of 80-100 ft. It has blunt flat 

 linear leaves ^-1 in. long, shining [green 

 above, with two sUvery stripes beneath on 

 each side of the midrib, and generally ar- 

 ranged in two rows. The erect cylindri- 

 cal cones are 6-8 in. long, deep brown 

 when ripe. 



There are many forms of the Common 

 Silver Fir mentioned in catalogues, the 

 chief being aurea, columnaris, fastigiata, 

 brevifoKa, pyramidalis, stricta, tortuosa, 

 variegata dc. — ^names which convey an 

 idea of the peculiarity of the variety. 



Culture dc. as above. The Common 

 Silver Fir grows weU in almost all parts 

 of the British Islands, and as a timber 

 tree it is also well worth cultivation. 

 There are many fine specimens in gar- 

 dens, but those at Carton, Kildare, the 

 seat of the Duke of Leinster, and at 

 Bossdhu, Dimibartonshire, both of which 

 in 1891 were over 110 ft., may be quoted 

 as exceptionally fine. The tree at Boss- 

 dhu is about 117 years old. 



A. Pinsapo (Picea Pinsapo). — Spanish 

 Silver Kr.— Afine Spanish Conifer 60-80 

 ft. high, with a very regular and symmetri- 

 cal habit, and linear roundish bright green 

 leaves, about ^ in. long, faintly striped 

 with silvery white on the inner surface. 

 The sessUe ovoid or oblong cones are 

 4-6 in. long and about 2 in. wide, with 

 broad rounded scales concealing the short 

 bracts. There are varieties called Ham- 

 mondi and glauea. 



Culture dc. as above. 



A. religiosa (A. hirtella; Picea reli- 

 giosa). — A beautiful species native of the 

 mountains of Mexico at an elevation of 

 9000 ft., where it forms a fine tree about 

 150 ft. high. It has linear acute leaves 

 about 1^ in. long, and roundish ovoid 

 cones about 3 in. long. 



Culture dc. as above. This species is 

 not generally cultivated, as it is regarded 

 as being too tender for the British Islands. 

 At Fota Island, Cork, however, there is a 

 lovely tree which flourishes and is quite 

 hardy there in an open situation in light 

 loamy soil. In 1891 it was 60 ft. high. 



A. sachalinensis. — A native of Japan 

 and the Island of Saohahn, where it forms 

 a tall pyramidal tree about 130 ft. high, 

 with rigid, linear, blunt leaves, 1 in. or 

 more long, arranged in many rows and 

 twisted to one side. The erect cylindrical 

 cones are about 8 in. long and 1 in. wide, 

 rounded at the apex, and having trans- 

 versely oblong kidney-shaped scales with 

 inflexed toothed edges, and projecting 

 obovate serrulate bracts ending in a re- 

 flexed angular point. 



Culture dc. as above. It is not yet 

 well known, but seems to be quite hardy. 



