A. Nenziesii. Menziee'e Spruce. Rocky Mountains. This speciee bee a wide range in the Rocky Mountains from Colorado and Utah to Oregon and Sitka. It grown mostly at bigli altitudes, 7,000 to 9,000 feet. In Utah, Mr. Ward says, it le eaeily dietingeished from the other firs hy the denee =sees of its long, pendant, dark-brown conee at the top of the tree, which frequently obscure the foli age. The wood ie fine-grained and white, and would be valuable for timber but for the numerous alight curves iu the trunk which render it imposeible to obtain saw-loge of any great length. In eome places it is iucorrectly called bal sam, in others it is dietinguisbed 116 spruce. Mr. Dufur, of Oregon, givee a eomewhat different account of the tree ea growing there. Ile eve: It grow° along the tide-lands and about the month of the Columbia river, and is seldom found at an elevation of more than 500 feet. The young trees make a beautiful evergreen of pyramidal form. The large treee grow from 150 to 200 feet high, and from two to six feet in diameter. The wood is soft, white, and free, much prized for lumber.
A. Engelman ni. Engelmann's Spruce. Rocky moun tains. This species ie found on the higher parts of the Rocky mountains, from New Mexico to the headwatere of the Columbia aud Miseouri rivers. In Colorado, it i.ccu plea a belt between 8,000and 12,000 feet, reachiog its fullest development between 9,000 and 10,000 feet. On the high est summits, it becomee a proatrate ehrub. Mr. Ward, writing of the tree in Utah, says : Between 9,000 and10,000 feet altitude it becomes a large and noble tree, and ie of the greatest value for lumber, taking the place in that region of the White Piue of the Eaetern Staten, and ie alone known by that uame among lumbermen. The wood ie white, very light, and easily worked, and at the same time durable. Botanically, it la difficult to distinguish it from some forme of A. Menziesii.
A. balsam-a . Balsam. New England to Wisconsin. This special grown in cold. damp woods and swamps, from New England to Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and northwarci. It is also a native of Canada and Nova Scotia. It gene rally growe about twenty to forty feet hig,h. It is a very, popular ornamental tree. A very aromatic liquid resin is obtained from thia tree by incisions made in the bark, and le called Canada Belem.
A. sub-alpino. Sub-alpine Baleam. Rocky Monntaine. This la one of the tallest and handsomest firs of the Rocky mountains, ofteu attaining a height of eighty or ninety feet; perfectly straight, and without limbs for a great distance. The WOOd. ia white, soft, and of little value for lumber. It ie known among tbe lumbermen of the Wa satch mountains as WhiteBalsam, or Pumpkin-tree. Its
nearest affinity is to A. balsamea of the Eaetern States. It reaches to great altitudes. being sometimee found near the timber-line. It has often been collected, and generally referred to A. grandis, the incorrectness of which has been but lately pointed out by Dr. Engelmann, who has proposed for it the name given above.
A. grandis. White Silver Fir. California and Oregon. This name is here applied to the tree of the Pacific coast. In Oreg.on, Mr. Defur eays, it grows on the low, moist land, along the email streams emptying into the Columbia river. Is eeldom found at an elevation of more than 500 feet, and never on eandy or gravelly ridgee. It attains a size of from two to four feet in diameter, and 200 feet in beieht. It hart a light-colored, thin, smooth bark. It ia a rapid grower, and the timber decaye correspondingly fast when exposed to the wet. The wood is white, free and soft, but tou light and brittle for general building purposes. It is used for clapboards, boxes, and cooperage.
concolor. White Silver Fir. Rocky Mountains. In the Waeatch mountains in 'Utah this tree is very valuable for lumber, and is called Black Balsam It is there a large tree, sometimes three or four feet io diameter and forty to fifty feet high. The wood is tough aud coarse-grained, adaptiug it for building purposes and all substantial macs. It ranges from 8,000 to 9,000 feet in altitnde. Ward.) In southern Utah it is sometimes called Bleck Gum.
A. anzabilis. Red Silver Fir. California and Oregon. Mr. Lemmon etates, On the Sierra Navada monntaine, it forme dense, scattered groves, at altitudee of 7,000 to 10,000 feet. The largest treat are 250 feet high and six to ten feet iu diarueter. A truly beautiful and magnificent tree, sometimee called the queen of the Forest. Mr. Differ eays it le found extensively along the westeru elope of the Cascade mountaine, on Bandy, gravelly, rocky, and dry elevations. Its us.ual eize is from 150 to 200 feet in height, and from oue to four feet iu diameter. The vvood is rather coaree, hut elastic, strong, and hard. It is used extensively for coarse building purpoees, and also for maste and °pars for ship building. The wood has a pecu liar red color, aud spikes, naile, and holte hold firm and never corrode iu the timber.
A. Fraseri. Frazer's Balsam. Allegheny Mountains. This species inhabits the highest parts of the Alle..hanies in North Carolina. St is said to be a sui all iree,rangiug f rom twenty to fifty feet in height. The cones resemble those of A. nobilis in miniature.