ABI 
ACE 
old, they are usually transplanted to nur¬ 
sery rows, though it is greatly preferable, 
where the opportunity exists, to finally 
plant them at the first removal, for fre¬ 
quent shifting is very injurious to them, 
and few plants bear carriage to a dis¬ 
tance so badly as these. The drying of 
the roots by exposure to the air, or 
injury among the leaves by close packing, 
is seldom recovered, though nothing 
may be apparent at the time; and to 
transplant any that exceed three feet in : 
height, the utmost care is necessary, or I 
nine tenths die. The soil preferred by 
these trees is a dry mellow loam; they 
grow faster where moisture abounds, but 
are then short lived. When intended as 
nurses to a plantation, the firs should not 
exceed two years in age, except at the 
outside, where they may be larger, or, if 
convenient, the boundarv mav be formed 
a couple of vears before the plantation is 
filled. 
Propagation of the rare species has 
hitherto been effected by means of graft¬ 
ing or cuttings; the first mode is most 
usual, and by employing the free-growing 
common kinds, the operation is rendered 
pretty certain. In planting these, it is . 
essential to provide them with an open 
situation, where they may have the re¬ 
quisite kind of earth of the description 
before mentioned; and that no danger 
may be incurred from accumulated mois¬ 
ture, it is always advisable to station each 
plant on a raised hillock, not a mere mole¬ 
hill sort of heap, where the probability is 
they suffer through the first year or two 
from the opposite cause—drought; but 
each mound should contain as much as it 
is probable the plants will require for 
eight or ten years ; an eleyation of about 
eighteen inches above the surrounding 
ground, and a diameter of four feet will 
give the quantity necessary, and keep 
the roots in an agreeable medium, they 
cannot then suffer from either cause. 
Attention to the training a perpendicular 
leading shoot will also be necessary, for 
if this gets injured from any cause, the 
beauty of the tree is destroyed, as it is 
seldom they form another, but become 
dwarfed and stunted in appearance. No 
pruning should be permitted among this 
family, beyond the removal of dead 
branches, and if properly planted, these 
are not likely to occur for many years. 
As a timber tree, the spruce fir is gene¬ 
rally considered inferior to most others of 
the family in point of durability and 
strength; but its upright habit of grow¬ 
ing makes it valuable for spars and poles 
used in ships, scaffolding, and other like 
purposes, the young wood being as dura¬ 
ble as that of more mature age. All the 
species yield, by incision, a resin, from 
which turpentine and Burgundy pitch are 
manufactured; the bark of the hemlock 
spruce is also used as a substitute for 
oak-bark in tanning, being reckoned at 
half the value of the latter. 
ABRONIA (Jussieu.) Nat. Order 
Nydaginacece. Handsome trailing plants, 
fit occupants of the American quarter of 
the garden. There are two species, both 
from California. A. melliferne is deciduous, 
and has white flowers, which expand in 
July, and A. umbellata is an evergreen, 
with red blossoms that are displayed in 
May. They require occasional protection 
in very severe weather. 
ACACIA (TTilldexow.) Nat. Order 
Leguminosce. There are but two species 
of acacia which can be considered at all 
capable of bearing our climate, the re¬ 
mainderbeing stove or greenhouse plants; 
these are A. Julibrissin and A. tetragona, 
both very handsome, and deserving the 
little attention necessary to their pre¬ 
servation, especially the first named, whose 
delicate rose-coloured flowers, resembling 
tassels of silk, are exeeedimgly elegant; 
those of tetragona are white. Both 
species form rather low-growing trees, 
and should be planted in a sheltered 
situation, in light loamy soil, and when 
severe frosts occur, it is advisable to 
protect the young branches with mats. 
Propagation is effected by layers ; both 
are summer flowering trees. 
ACER, Maple (Willdenow.) Nat. 
Order Acerinece. The members of this 
genus are, for the most part, lofty deci¬ 
duous timber trees, though a few assume 
the form of spreading shrubs, and one, 
A. heteroptigllum, is evergreen; it is only 
the arborescent portion, however, that is 
worth attention. A. pseudo-platanus , the 
