CONIEERJE. THE PICEA, OR SILVER FIR. 
3 i 1 
presented to Napoleon, the emperor's first 
question was about the forest on the Black 
Mountain ; and, indeed, it appears to have 
formed a subject of the greatest interest to 
several of the governors. 
As a timber tree in this country, every 
thing known goes to prove that it may turn out 
to be valuable. There are already many good 
specimens scattered throughout the country, 
some of the finest of which are understood to 
be in the pinetum at Wolterton in Norfolk, 
Hendon Rectory, and Woburn Abbey. The 
earnestness with which this plant was made 
known by the late Mr, Loudon helped con- 
siderably to its introduction in pinetums and 
plantations : in his opinion, it forms " one of 
the most interesting and beautiful of the 
Abietinaa," and is in every way as worthy of 
being planted as an ornamental object as the 
Cedar of Lebanon. Plants are now within 
the reach of all, fine ones being only 2s. each. 
Picea Pichta, Loudon (Pitch Silver Fir). 
— Leaves short, thickly set, solitary, dark 
green. Cones erect, cylindrical, with entire 
cuneate-obovate scales, rounded at the apex. 
A variation only of P. pectinata, under 
which species it should have been treated. 
This variety is found in the forests on the 
Altaic Mountains, about 4,000 feet above the 
sea. It has been cultivated in the nurseries 
as a distinct species since 1820, and is even 
now sold at the rate of 2s. 6d. per plant. 
Lambert, Don, and others, recognise it only 
as the common silver fir. A specimen plant 
stands in the arboretum of the London Horti- 
cultural Society. 
Picea bahamea, Loudon (Balm of Gilead 
Pir). — Leaves rather flat, curved to the upper 
side, solitary, silvery beneath, and on the 
upper side of a bright dark green, nearly an 
inch in length. Cones erect, oblong, cylin- 
drical, of a purplish colour, with rounded 
undivided scales, the cone about four inches 
long. 
Pound, in an isolated state, in the colder 
parts of the United States, along with the 
black spruce, and deriving its name from a 
resemblance which its resin has to the Canada 
balsam,, or Balm of Gilead of the shops. It 
is a slendei", short-lived tree, remarkably beau- 
tiful when young, but fit only to be associated 
with shrubs and the smallest description of 
trees. It grows better in Scotland than in 
England, and in both countries prefers a deep 
sandy loam on the acclivity, or at the base of 
a hill. In its outline it resembles the Silver 
fir, but is by no means so apt to expend its 
strength in furnishing thick side branches ; 
nor is it so apt to lose its leading shoot. Its 
seeds, which are produced in this country, are 
treated in the same way as those of the Silver 
fir; and in the nurseries, two years old plants 
may be had at about 7s. 6d. per 1,000. On 
no account whatever should the young trees 
be subjected to pruning. The finest trees in 
England are at Woburn Abbey ; and at 
Syon and Chiswick Villa are specimens of 
about forty feet in height, beyond which alti- 
tude they rarely grow, even in their native 
abodes. 
Varieties. — There are two varieties in cul- 
tivation, one called jirostrata, of a bushy 
stunted habit ; and the other longifolia, with 
long leaves and upright spray. Both these 
varieties are cultivated in Knight's Exotic 
Nursery.! 
Picea Fraserii, Loudon (Fraser's Silver 
Fir). — Leaves like the foregoing, linear, some- 
what silvery underneath. Cones oblong, with 
a thick footstalk, squarrose. Bracteoles leafy 
and reflexed. 
A tree found on the mountains of Pennsyl- 
vania and Carolina, and introduced into this 
country by Mr. Fraser in 1811. Were it not 
for its cones, which are so much unlike those 
of P. balsamea, it might be classed as a 
variety of the latter tree. This distinctive 
difference, however, entitles it to be considered 
as a species. Mr. Lambert represents this tree as 
little better than a shrub, suited only to lawns 
and pleasure grounds, in situations where it is 
wanted to break particular lines, but not to 
interrupt the view. This estimate of its 
character is rather too humble, for in situations 
where the soil is favourable (a sandy loam), it 
grows with considerable vigour, making shoots 
of from one foot to eighteen inches in a season. 
In the climate of Scotland this plant is quite 
at home, and is there reported as making 
" annual shoots averaging fifteen inches. 
Whatever it may be as a timber tree, we do 
not regard it as more ornamental than the 
common Silver fir. The plants are perfectly 
hardy, having stood for several winters quite 
unprotected." The original tree is in the 
Hammersmith nursery ; young plants may be 
had at 3s. 6d. each (1846). 
Picea grandis, Loudon (great Californian 
Silver Fir). — Leaves long, fiat, narrow, green 
and shining on the upper, and silvery on the 
under side, blunt, and somewhat spreading. 
Cones erect, oblong, resembling in shape those 
of P. Webbiana, though smaller, six inches long, 
with broad entire scales of a chestnut brown 
colour. 
A noble object, from North-west America, 
somewhat akin to P. bahamea, but far out- 
stripping that tree, and many others, in state- 
liness. It was found by Douglas, and intro- 
duced by him in 1831. Its favourite seats are 
moist valleys, which it fills up with beautiful 
verdant piles, many of which are 200 feet high. 
The inferior quality of its wood is amply com- 
pensated for by its great height and rich garb of 
