EVERGREEN TREES AND SHRUBS. 
551 
of the branching in silver firs gives them a more monotonous and 
less picturesque expression at maturity. In general tone of color 
there is little difference ; but the leaves of the Piceas, when seen 
from below, show more or less white, yellowish-white, or gray lines, 
which fact gave rise to the name Silver Firs. This peculiarity, 
however, makes little display, except to persons walking under, or 
looking up to them. Nearly all the species at maturity are sombre 
and formal trees ; but there is much difference between them in 
this respect, and some of them have a pleasing, warm green tone. 
The family embraces trees of all sizes, from three feet to three 
hundred feet in height. All which we are about to describe are 
hardy, or nearly so. 
The Balsam Fir. Picea balsamea . — This native tree of our 
northern States is the best known, the most popular, and the least 
valuable of the tribe. As seen in the nursery, with its soft and 
pleasing green leaves, healthy growth, and agreeable fragrance, it is 
not singular that its infantile beauties have made it the universal 
favorite with all novices in planting. But it is like one of those 
pretty little girls who surprises us in a few years by the suddenness 
of her transition to prim and glum old maidenhood. It not only 
does not grow old gracefully, but shows its unpleasant features so 
soon after it is out of the nursery, that it is a wonder it has so long 
held place in good society. Compared with scores of other ever- 
green trees, it is not w’orth planting. Rigid in outline, and in its 
mode of branching, and becoming year by year darker in foliage, 
scarcely ten years pass, in many cases, before its stiff and gloomy 
expression suggests that its room is better than its company. 
Height forty to fifty feet. Rate of growth about one foot and a half 
to two feet a year. 
Fraser’s Silver Fir, Picea Frasei'i^ is a smaller variety of 
the balsam fir, with shorter and more thickly-set leaves ; found on 
the mountains of Pennsylvania and North Carolina, and of the 
same general character as the preceding. 
The Hudson’s Bay Silver Fir. Picea Hiidsonica . — This is 
one of the finest of dwarf evergreens, growing not more than four 
