NURSERY AND PLANTING. 



119 



period they should be gathered and kept in the cones till April, 

 when they should be taken out and sown in every respect as 

 already noticed for Scotch fir. 



Balm of Gilead Fir. — (Pinus Balsamea.) 



Is a native of America, of much smaller and more delicate 

 habits than the silver fir, and of little value as a timber-tree. 

 It is not unfrequently cultivated round the skirts of our plant- 

 ations and shrubberies as an ornamental tree ; and for such 

 situations it is not unaptly calculated, as the tree, during sum- 

 mer, sends out a pleasing turpentine odour, and the resin oozing 

 from the cones has a singular appearance. 



In its native country, this species attains the size of a con- 

 siderable tree ; but is not likely ever to become an inhabi- 

 tant of our forests in the character of a profitable timber-tree. 

 Its seeds ripen freely with us, and should be taken out and 

 sown as directed for silver, and other trees of the same genus. 



American Spruce Firs. — {Pimis Nigra, Alba and Rubra.) 



These three species are natives of America, and abound in 

 that country in many different soils and situations. They are 

 imported by us in great quantities annually, under the name of 

 American pine, to distinguish it from Memel or Baltic timber, 

 which is the wood of the Norway spruce. 



Of these the black spruce, P. nigra, is considered the best 

 and most durable, and is much used in American ship-building. 

 The timber of the red spruce, P, rubra, is much prized for sail 

 yards throughout the United States ; and, indeed, for the same 

 purpose it is imported into Liverpool from Nova Scotia. Sang 

 asserts that the white spruce, P. alba, is a very hardy tree, and 

 will thrive better, and make finer plants in exposed situations 

 than the common or Norway spruce. " It can hardly be ad- 

 mitted," he says, " as a border-tree in a shrubbery or small 

 plantation, because it quickly attains so gTeat a size, and offers 

 to make valuable timber. It is now pretty generally raised 

 from seeds, and is sold in most of the nurseries as a forest-tree.'* 

 The red and black spruces have been treated with unjust con- 



