ABIES HOOKERIANA. 
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Its gracefulnefs and elegance are the qualities on which he particularly dwells. And from the figure in the 
accompanying plate, which is from a fketch made by him on the fpot in 1854, we ma Y ^ ee that it poffeffes a 
great deal of the elegance, and fomething of the character, of the Deodar. Dr Newberry, who fubfequently 
difcovered and defcnbed it under the name of Abies Williamfonii, calls it “this beautiful fir, one of the fineft 
of the genus, and fays “ it is a tree of large fize and Alpine habit, reaching 100 feet in height. The form 
is rather fpreading and irregular, but remarkably graceful.” Mr William Lobb [loc. cit .) fays: “Of all the 
coniferous trees that have been introduced from this country (N. W. America), this will doubtlefs prove 
the mofl ornamental and ufeful. In habit of growth and general appearance it much refembles the 
Deodar; but, being more thickly branched, and more denfely clothed with foliage, it is by far a more hand- 
fome tree. The foliage is light and feathery; its colour a clear yellow-green; and when combined with 
Picea grandis and P. amabilis, it produced groups which appeared to Dr Newberry to prefent the extreme 
limit of arborefcent beauty. Mr W. Murray fpeaks of it as only about 50 feet high. One which he cut 
down meafured 47^ feet in height, and was 20 inches in diameter at the ftump. He found its timber hard 
and tough; and, according to Mr Lobb, it is of a reddifh colour, clofe and fine grained, and remarkable for 
ftrength and durability. 
Geographical Distribution. —This tree was found by Mr W. Murray on Scots Mountain, one of the high 
Californian mountains, about lat. 41° 20 N., long. 122° 37' W., where the ground was already covered with 
fnow, on the 16th of October. Dr Newberry found it on the fummit of the Cafcade Mountains in Oregon, 
lat. 44° N., and fays that it is the molt Alpine in its habit of all the firs, extending from the height of 6000 
feet to the limit of perpetual fnow. He adds, “It will doubtlefs be found in fimilar circumftances on other 
parts of the Cafcade range, but we faw it only on the group of mountains called the Three Sifters.” We 
are no granters of propofitions : and, therefore, before affenting to it, fhould like to know a little better than 
appears from the Doctor’s defcription, what he means by its being the moft Alpine in its habit of all the 
firs. Will it bear a more ardtic climate than Pinus Bankpana, or Abies nigra , or A. excelfa, which, in 
Norway, extends as far north as lat. 70°? We think not; but that is of lefs confequence than the import¬ 
ant fadt that it is a beautiful tree, and fo far Alpine as to make it perfectly fafe to cultivate in the coldeft 
parts of Britain or temperate Europe. Lobb found it in great abundance on the higheft peaks of the 
Sierra Nevada, near the head-waters of the north tributary "of Feather River, alfo more foutherly 
towards Lake Bigler, in lat. 39° 30' N., and long. 120° 15' W. 
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Hiftory. —The merit of difcovering and introducing this fine tree unqueftionably belongs to Mr 
William Murray. He found it in 1854, an d his brother’s defcription of it was publifhed [loc. cit.) in 1855. 
Dr Newberry did not find it until two years later, and his publication of it under the name of A. 
Williamfonii is dated only in 1857. Murray’s name, A. Hookeriana , muft, therefore, take precedence; 
that is, always fuppofing that there is any queftion of precedence. If the two trees are not the fame, then 
both names will ftand. We think, however, that they are the fame, notwithftanding feveral difcrepancies in 
the defcriptions and figures. The reader may compare the figures of the cones given by thefe gentlemen 
from the following woodcuts, of which fig. 16 is a copy of Mr Murray’s figure of the cone of A. Hookeriana; 
and figs. 17 to 22 inclufive, copies of Dr Newberry’s figures of the cones, fcales, &c., of his A. William¬ 
fonii. Fig. 17 reprefents the cone, branch, leaves, and male flower of A. Williamfonii , natural fize; figs. 
18, 19, and 20, the fcales and feeds; and figs. 21 and 22, the fide and bafe of an old cone. 
We can fee no real difference in the cones. The flight apparent difference obvioufly arifes from Dr 
Newberry’s having been taken from the cones exadtly as they were preferred; while we happen to know 
that the cone from which Mr Murray’s was drawn, was, previous to its being copied, fteeped in water to 
make it affume its natural proportions—the effect of which is to clofe together the fcales, and reduce the 
apparent diameter of the cone. Before the cone was fo treated it had very much the appearance of Dr 
Newberry’s, fig. 17 or fig. 21, both of which afpedts were found among cones from which Mr Murray’s 
[ 6 ] b defcriptions 
