CONIL'ERiE. THE ABIES, OR SPRUCE FIR. 
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of Britain, variable and uncertain, this tree 
deserves to be propagated extensively, if it 
were only to furnish close evergreen branches, 
which are better than anything else in afford- 
ing shelter to tender crops. The first crop of 
peas which have to brave the severities of 
winter, should be always protected with spruce 
branches. Peach, nectarine, plum, and pear 
blossoms, are often brought to maturity solely 
through their aid ; and every careful and suc- 
cessful nurseryman knows how much he is 
indebted to them in protecting his laurel, 
cistus, bay, and aucuba cuttings ; his ever- 
green oak, cistus, and arbutus plants ; and a 
host of his seeds whilst vegetating during 
spring frosts. By them, therefore, a gardener 
may materially lessen his anxiety during the 
months of February, March, and April. In a 
pinetum where half-hardy plants are intro- 
duced, they must be of essential service. In 
Finmark, where nothing is lost, the tips of the 
branches are mixed with oats as food for horses. 
But let us consider it in a higher office. As 
an ornamental plant, it is regular, symmetri- 
cal, and aspiring, very beautiful on a lawn 
where the soil is deep, loamy and free, because 
in such situations it ascends from the grass a 
complete pyramid of green. So far from its 
having anything of that clipped-like browsing 
line, by far too prevalent in our parks, it lays 
down its branches unreservedly on the grass, 
so that the stem is hid amidst a profusion of 
verdure. Of course, there are many trees of 
this species which do not look well. Huddled 
up amongst others, without its favourite soil, 
it becomes a miserable stunted thing, fit only 
to be burned ; but, as already observed, in 
good damp soil, it is well entitled to be con- 
sidered an ornamental plant. There are some 
splendid specimens, well feathered to the 
ground, near Brandon in Suffolk. 
The cones of the spruce fir are ripe in 
January. They should be gathered from free 
growing trees only, and immediately placed on 
a kiln, with a moderate heat, for a day, and 
then taken and thrashed to pieces. In order 
that the seeds should be properly protected 
during this process, the floor on which they are 
laid should be formed like a causeway, with 
round stones, so as the seeds may have shelter 
between them. It is important also to keep the 
cones sufficiently thick on the floor, so that 
the flail may not reach the seeds. When sifted, 
they should be kept in a dry airy situation till 
the time of sowing, which is the third week of 
April for England, and the first week in May 
for Scotland. Light loamy soil is to be pre- 
ferred to any other, and on no account should 
any manure be given. 
The soil should be very finely raked, the 
beds made four feet and a half in width, and 
the covering only half an inch in depth. In 
these beds the plants may remain for two 
years, when they should be set out in lines 
nine inches apart, the plants in the lines being 
two inches apart from each other. In that 
state they may remain for two years more, 
when they may again be transplanted into lines 
fifteen inches apart ; and the plants in those 
lines at intervals of four inches. When two 
more years in this last situation, they will be 
quite fit to be removed to their final situation. 
One year's seedlings are Is. Qd. per thousand, 
and transplanted plants are from 6s. to 30s. per 
thousand. (1847.) 
Varieties. — These are very numerous, and 
have been greatly increased by Continental 
nurserymen, who lay hold of the slightest 
variations in order to fill up their catalogues. 
The following are the chief varieties which 
some may consider worthy of enumeration. 
A. e. nigra (black -leaved Spruce, or, as it 
is sometimes called, the red Fir). — The foliage 
is darker and more robust, and the wood is 
more resinous than the common tree. It seems 
to stand in the same relation to the species as 
the Highland pine, or Pinus sylvestris hori- 
zontalis does to the common Scotch fir, and 
is well worthy of cultivation. 
A. e. carjmtica (Carpathian Spruce Fir). 
— A vigorous growing variety, similar to the 
foregoing, but of lighter foliage. It is culti- 
vated by Mr. Knight, Nurseryman, King's 
Road ; and there is a fine specimen at Drop- 
more, about twelve feet high. 
A. e. pendula (weeping-branched Norway 
Spruce Fir). — The common tree merely. 
A. e, foliis variegatis. — A stunted plant, 
having the leaves blotched with yellow. It is 
cultivated for sale by Knight and Loddiges ; 
and a tree in the garden of the Horticultural 
Society has been planted about twenty years. 
A. e. Clanbrasiliana (Lord Clanbrasil's 
Spruce Fir). — A variety first introduced by 
Lord Clanbrasil, on whose estate it was found. 
It is of little use, except as a botanical curi- 
osity, being a low compact growing bush, 
seldom growing over a yard high. 
A. e. Clanbrasiliana stricta,, — A variety, 
according to Loudon, found at Florence Court 
by the gardener, who represents it as forming 
a beautiful little shrub for a lawn. 
A. e. tenuifolia. — A plant with slender 
shoots, and which, when grown up, will in all 
probability become more pendulous than the 
species. It is cultivated in the Exotic Nursery, 
King's Eoad. 
A. e. ]y/gm<ea, identical with A. e. nana of 
some catalogues, and in all probability the same 
as A. e. Clanbrasiliana. 
A. e. gigantea, not seen by the writer, but said 
to be more robust and stronger than the species. 
A. e. monstrosa, a mere continuation of one 
of those monstrosities frequently found among 
spruces, laburnums., brooms, and exuberant 
plants of the Scotch pine, rlius, &c. 
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