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 PART 4— FIRS 



SOURCES OF BALSAM AND HANDSOME ORNAMENTAL TREES 



Section 1 



The collection of Firs lies west of Conservatory Range 1. Sec- 

 tion 1 is directly across the path from the flower beds on that side 

 of the Conservatory (Map p. 57). We shall begin at the north- 

 east corner of this Section directly across the path from Section 2 

 of the Spruces and on the west side of two small flower gardens 

 that have been cut out of this corner. Proceeding south the first 

 thirty-one trees are 



Abies homolepis, the Nikko Fir, and 

 Abies homolepis var. umbellata 



The Nikko Fir has proved to be one of the most satisfactory 

 ornamental firs for planting in the eastern states. Its principal 

 distinguishing feature is the presence of deep regular grooves on 

 the under side of the branchlets, particularly on two-year-old ones. 

 The needles are rather firm and rigid though not prickly and 

 form a distinct Y-shaped trough along the upper side of the 

 branchlet. The buds, furthermore, are resinous and very 

 distinctive. 



This is the common fir of Japan, where it attains a height of 

 125 feet at elevations between 2,500 and 5,000 feet. It is there 

 known as Dake-momi. Its commercial use as a lumber tree in 

 Japan is precluded generally by its relative inaccessibility. Though 

 it may attain a greater height, it is seldom over 80 or 90 feet. A 

 very prominent gross feature is that the upper branches grow 

 longer than the lower ones. This is apparent in some of the trees 

 before us. 



The Nikko Fir has purple cones whereas the variety umbellata 

 has cones that are green before maturity. Other distinctions are 

 so minute and variable that we shall not attempt to separate the 

 two forms here. The variety is also a native of Japan. 



All the remaining trees along the eastern side of the Section and 



