'2312 



ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. 



ART III. 



spruce beer; but both these appear to be mistakes. Michaux and Pursh, 



indeed, both expressly assert that the branches are quite unfit for making 



beer; and Michaux adds that the leaves, when bruised, diffuse an unpleasant 



odour. It was introduced into England by Bishop Compton, in 1700. The 



rate of growth, in the climate of London, in sandy soil somewhat moist, is 



from 1-2 ft. to 15 ft. in 10 years. In 30 years, the tree will attain the height 



of from 30 ft. to 40 ft. ; but in dry soils it seldom reaches either this age or 



height : indeed, all the American spruces may be considered, in England, as 



short-lived trees. The largest specimen that we know of in England is one at 



White Knights, where, in 1837, after being 40 years planted, it was 50 ft. high; 



one at Dropmore is 47 ft. high; and a plant in the Horticultural Society's 



Garden, 12 years planted, is 14 ft. high. The tree is very ornamental when its 



summit is richly laden with cones. 



Statistics. In England. In Surrey, at Farnham Castle, 50 years old, it is 40 ft. high ; at Bagshot 

 Park, 16 years planted, it is 35 ft. high ; at Deepdene, 9 years planted, it is 20 ft. high. In Oxford- 

 shire, in the Oxford Botanic Garden, 40 years planted, it is 20 ft. high. In Staffordshire, at Tren. 

 tham, it is 20ft. high. — In Scotland. In Forfarshire, at Courtachy Castle,14 years planted, it is 18 ft. 



high. In Berwickshire, at the Hirsel, 18 years planted, it is 23 ft. high In Ireland. At Dublin, in 



the Glasnevin Botanic Garden, 35 years planted, it is 20 ft. high. In Down, at Ballyleady, 60 years 

 planted, it is 55 ft. high. In Gahvay, at Cool, it is 56 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 2 ft. 6 in., and 

 of the head 37 ft. — In France, near Paris, at Sceaux, 10 years planted, it is 24 ft. high. — In Hanover, 

 at Harbcke, 10 years planted, it is 16 ft. high. — In Austria, near Vienna, at Bruck on the Leytha, 

 50 yearsplanted, it is 40 ft. high. — In Bavaria, at Munich, in the English Garden, 20 years planted, 

 it is 18 ft. high. — In Prussia, at Sans Souci, near Berlin, 30 years planted, it is 40 ft. high. 



Commercial Statistics. Price of seeds, in London, 4s. per lb. ; of plants, 

 two-years' seedlings, 10s. per thousand. At Bollwyller, plants are 1 franc 

 each ; and at New York, 50 cents. 



} 3. A. ni x gra Ait. The black Spruce Fir. 



Michx. Arb., 1. p. 123. ; N. Amer. Syl., 3. p. 176. ; N. 



Identification. Poir. Diet Encyc, 6. p. 



Du Ham., 6. p. 292. 

 Synonymes. Plnus nigra Ait. Hort. Keu>., 3. p. 370., Willd. Berol. Baumx., p. 220., Lamb. Pin., 



ed. 2., 1. t 37., Du Roi Harbk., ed. Pott, 2. p. 182. ; P. mariana Ehr. Beyt., 3. p. 23. ; A^bies 



mariana Wangh. Beyt., p. 75. ; double Spruce. 

 Engravings. Lamb. Pin., ed. 2., 1. t 37. ; Michx. N. Amer. Syl. 3., t. 147. ; our Jig. 2225. ; and the 



plate of this tree in our last Volume. 



2225 



Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves soli- 

 tary, regularly disposed all 

 round the branches; erect, 

 very short, somewhat qua- ^ 

 drangular. Cones ovate, 

 pendulous; scales somewhat 

 undulated ; the apex of the 

 scale crenulated or divided. 

 ( Michx.) Cones from 1 \ in. 

 to If in. long, and from 

 fin. to nearly 1 in. broad. 

 Seed rather larger than that 

 of A. alba, but the wing 

 smaller. Leaves from £in. 

 to | in. long. A large tree, 

 a native of North America. 

 Introduced in 1700 ; flower- 

 ing in May or June. 



Varieties. The kind generally designated as A. rubra, P. rubra Lamb. y is as- 

 sorted by Michaux to be only a variety, or rather variation, of A. nigra, 

 produced by the influence of the soil on the wood. " The inhabitants of 

 the country, and mechanics who work in the woods," says Michaux," take 

 notice only of certain striking appearances in forest trees, such as the 

 quality of the wood, its colour, and that of the bark ; and, from ignorance 

 Of botanical characters, they give different names to the same tree, according 

 to (f rtiiin variations in these respects arising from local circumstances. To 

 this cause must, be attributed the popular distinction of red and black 



