113 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
Fig. 3- ABIES ALBA, OK WHITE SPRUCE FIR. 
This is a native of Canada, and the Northern 
portions of the United States. Its usual hight is 
from 40 to 50 feet, is of a light tapering growth, 
having a pale bluish green foliage. 
In artificial plantations it will rarely 
exceed 30 feet in hight, and may be 
advantageously used in smaller 
groups, or as a single tree in the 
nome grounds. It closely resembles 
the Abies nigra of the Northern 
States in its growth, although it does 
not attain the hight of the latter. In 
our figure the artist has failed to rep¬ 
resent accurately the fine foliage of 
this evergreen, he has given it too 
much the appearance of a broad¬ 
leaved deciduous tree. 
PICEA PECTINATA. 
(European Silver Fir.) 
Remarkable for the regularity and 
symmetry of its form, being always 
pyiamida), except in very old trees, 
such as represented in our cut. It 
sometimes attains a hight of 180 feet 
with a straight stem and regular 
horizontal branches. The leaves are 
very dark green above, with silvery 
lines beneath. When young it is lia¬ 
ble to lose its leading shoot in the 
Winter, but with a slight protection 
it soon becomes a hardy and beauti¬ 
ful tree. The cones are very large, 
cylindrical in form, and rather blunt¬ 
ly pointed at each end. They are some six inches 
long and two inches in diameter. The tree is of 
rapid growth, for a fir, and with its horizontal 
branches heavily laden with conspicuous cones, 
forms a striking object for the lawn. It is a na¬ 
tive of both Europe and Asia. It is one of the 
most desirable for ornamental planting, but should 
not be brought too close to the house, as it will 
not bear the reflected heat of a building. Our 
engraving does not accurately represent the cone¬ 
like form and regularity of branches shown in 
younger trees. As grown in the nursery they are 
quite attractive, the dark green foliage contrasting 
finely with the lighter tints of other evergreens. 
It sus'jeeds best on a moist soil; in dry situations 
it is usually short-lived. Like most evergreens it 
is raised from seed sown in early Spring on rather 
a sandy loam, or a peaty soil. Cover the seeds 
lightly and shade from the hot sun. 
Pig, 5—PICEA BALSAMEA, BALM OF GILEAD, OR 
BALSAM FIR. 
This is the Balm of Gilead or American Silver 
Fir; a native of America. It attains a hight of 
30 to 40 feet. When standing alone it forms a reg¬ 
ular pyramid having a profusion of cone covered 
branches. Its growth when young, is more rapid 
than that of the European variety but is of much 
shorter duration, arriving at maturity in 20 or 25 
years, soon after which it gives symptoms of de¬ 
cay. From this tree is obtained the Balm of 
Gilead or Canada Balsam extensively used by the 
apothecary. The illustration on the right was 
re-engraved from Loudon’s work, but however ac¬ 
curate a representation it may be of trees grown 
in England, it certainly does not do justice to the 
Balsam Fir as grown here. We have seen nu¬ 
merous collected specimens which were almost 
perfect cones, and even in the wild state the ma¬ 
jority of trees grow much more uniform, both in 
branches and cone shape, than the specimen copied 
in fig. 5. In our next number we will continue 
the illustrations of evergreens giving some di¬ 
rections for their transplanting pruning and culti¬ 
vation. The trees we are here describing are 
preferable on many accounts to the wild kinds 
found in many parts of the country, yet when the 
choicer trees cannot be obtained conveniently, we 
would say get the best you can. The roughest 
Pine, with its green foliage during the bleak win¬ 
ter, is far preferable to no such object. Begin then 
now to cast about for some one or more trees to be 
removed in May. 
Shade Tree Planting- 
As soon as the frost is out of the ground, holes 
should be dug for the Spring planting of trees, and 
as soon as the ground becomes settled they should 
be set out. The sap then is only moderately ac¬ 
tive. Take them up carefully, with all the root 
you can get. Pare off the wounded parts with a 
Fig. 4- PICEA PECTINATA, OR EUROPEAN SILVER FIR. 
sharp knife ; trim out and shorten the tops, head¬ 
ing them back, that strong thrifty shoots may put 
out for Summer growth. They make a much 
better, and earlier top than when left with long 
branches with a sluggish circulation which fre¬ 
quently die the first, or second Summer, and never 
make a satisfactory or well formed top. If the 
natural root of the tree be fibrous, or compact in 
its rootlets like the horse-chestnut, or maple, if 
they be cut short, and properly pruned of their 
longer leaders it will be no damage to their future 
growth if properly set, and covered in at planting. 
When planted, if at all exposed to injury from 
animals, or outside influences, they should be well 
guarded by stakes. Don’t select large shade trees 
—over three inches at the base of the stem—noi 
take them out of tall, close, woods. If they be 
taken from a natural forest growth, let them be 
from the skirts of the wood; or, better than 
either, from a nursery. Forest trees are now 
much grown in nurseries, and they are far the 
best. Elms, Horse-chestnuts, and Maples are 
generally the best, making the thriftiest trees 
and the finest shades, and the effect is more im¬ 
posing where they are all used in rotation Elms 
(Ulmus Americana )—the true white Elm of the 
forest—have such diversity of shape, that even if 
no others were intermixed, they afford great va¬ 
riety. The Horse-chestnut is compact and uniform 
in appearance; while the different varieties ot 
Maple, in wood, bud, leaf, color of foliage, and 
habit of branch, are the most varied of all our 
forest trees. Oaks, Beeches, Hickories, and Nut¬ 
woods generally, are hard, and prongy in root, and 
mostly refractory livers and growers in trans¬ 
planting- scarcely one in twenty succeeding, un¬ 
less taken from nurseries or open grounds. We 
do not recommend them, only as specimens, or 
to fill up a wide variety. The Tulip, or White 
Wood taken from the forest, is refractory also; 
and the Bass-wood, or Linden, although a fine 
tree, invites caterpillars, and other destructive 
insects. Throw in an evergreen now and then, 
and with your Elms, Maples, and Horse-chest¬ 
nuts, your shade trees are complete. 
The pooler half of one who believes in “wo- 
man’s right’s,” says that, instead of himself and 
wife being one they are ten, for she is 1 and he 
is 0. 
