Of the Hiftory of Plants. 
Chap. 43. Of the Firre or ‘Deale Free. 
TheDefcripion. 
1 'T'He Firrc tree groweth very high and great, hailing his leaues euer greene ; his trunke of 
A body fmooth,euen and ftraight,without ioints or knots, vntill it hath gotten branches • 
which are many and very faire,belet with leaues.not much vnlike the leaues of the Ewe tree, bus 
fmaller: among which come forth floures vponthe taller trees, growing at the bottomesof the 
leaues like little catkins, as you may fee them expreft in a branch apart by themfelues : the fruit is 
like vnto the Pine Apple,but fmaller and narrower, hanging dovvne as the Pine Apple; the timber 
hereof excellcch all other timber for the mailing of Ihips, polls, rails, deale boords,and fundry other 
purpofes. 
2 There is another kinde of Firre tree , which is likewife a very high and tall tree, and higher 
than the Pine : the body of it is ftraight without knots below, waxing fmaller and fmaller euen to 
the very top : about which it lendeth forth boughes, foure together out of one and the felfe fame 
part of the body, placed one againft another, in manner ofacrofle, growing forth of the foure fides 
of the body, and obferuing the fame order euen to the very top : out of thefe boughes grow others 
alfo,burbytwo and two, one placed right againft another, out of the fides, which bend downwarck 
when the other beare vpwards : the leaues compaffe the boughes round about, and the branches 
thereof; they be long, round, and blunt pointed, narrower, and much whiter than thofe of the Pitch 
tree, that is to fay,ofa light greene,and in a manner of a white colour : the cones or clogs be long, 
and longer than any others of the cone trees, they confift of a multitudeof foft feales, they hang 
downefrom the end of the twigs, and doenotcafily fall dovvne, butremaineonthetreeavery long 
time : the kernels in thefe are final!, not greater than the kernels of the Cherrie (lone, with a thinne 
skin growing on the one fide, very likealmoft to the wings of Bees, or great Flies : the timber or 
lubllanceof the wood is white, and clad with many coats, like the head of an Onion. 
Yyyyy 2 ~ |^< 
T Abies. 
The Firre tree. 
4 2 Abies mas . 
The male Firre tree. 
