Antiquarians, not considering that this plant is the real Abies pulcherrima of Virgil, and of the Roman authors, have lost themselves in vain attempts to reconcile the declaration of Cesar (` De Bel. Gal.,' v. 12), that he found in Britain all the trees of Gaul, except the beech and abies, with the well-known fact that fir-wood is abundant in our ancient mosses, and has been met with even beneath the foundations of Roman roads. What Caesar meant was, no doubt, that he did not meet with the silver fir in Britain. Of the pine he says nothing, and therefore it is to be presumed that he found it.
Able.; Sibirica, the Siberian Silver Fir (Pines Sibirica and Pines Pickle of the gardens). Scarcely anything certain has been pub lished of this tree, which, according to Linnaeus, Mr. Lambert, and others, is the same as the Abies piece. Gmelin describes it as a native of all parts of Siberia as far as 58° N. lat. in mountainous regions, especially in the upper country lying between the Irtish and the Ob, where it forms dense woods.
Abies grandis, Great Californian Fir (Pines grandis, Douglas and Lambert). Leaves long, narrow, very blunt, whitish beneath, all turned one way. Cones oblong, erect, rather curved, with very broad, uneven, downy scales, which are longer than the bracteze. Found, by Mr. Douglas, in low moist valleys in northern California, where it attains the height of 200 feet. The wood is soft, white, and of inferior quality. Cones from three to four inches long ; bracts very short, jagged, two-lobed, with a short intermediate point.
Abies bersamea, the Balm of Gilead Fir (Abies balsa mifera, Michaux ; Pinus balaamea, Lambert). Leaves fiat, silvery-white beneath, either emarginate or entire at the point, all curved towards the upper side. Cones cylindrical, oblong, erect, purple, with rounded, even, undi vided scales. Found, along with Abies nigra and Abies alba, in the coldest parts of North America, but always in detached indivi duals, never in large masses. It extends also along the ridge of the Alleghenies as far as the crests of the mountains of North Carolina. It forms a small slender tree, rarely more than 40 feet high, with a diameter of from 12 to 15 inches. The cones are four to five inches long, and about an inch in diameter. Its wood is light, of a pale yellow colour, and but slightly resinous ; it i9 of little value, and is chiefly split up into staves for fish-barrels. The English name has been given in consequence of a resemblance between the clear trans parent greenish-yellow turpentine, which is obtained from numerous cysts in its bark, and the Balm of Gilead of the shops. The turpentine is commonly known under the name of Canadian Balsam. In
England this is a small tree of very ornamental appearance when young, on the skirts of plantations, but it rarely acquires any considerable size.
Abies Large-Bracted Fir (Pines ?tallith Douglas and Lam bert). Leaves very numerous, falcate, all turned one way, of nearly the same colour on both sides. Cones oblong, erect, with rounded broad scales concealed by the long wedge-shaped two-lobed jagged scales, which are bent back, and terminate abruptly in a rigid elongated point. It is a majestic tree, forming vast forests upon the mountains of northern California, where it was found by Mr. Douglas. The timber is said to be of excellent quality. The cones are about six inches long.
Abies Frazeri, the Double Balsam Fir (Pines Frazeri, Pursh and Lambert). Leaves linear, emarginate, silvery-white beneath. Cones oblong, squarrose. Bracts somewhat leafy, inversely cordate, mucronste, reflexed. A native of the mountains of Carolina and Pennsylvania.
Abies Irebbiana, Webb's Fir (Pines liebbiana, Wallich and Lam bert; Pines apectabilis, Lambert). Leaves linear, solitary, flat, all spreading, and turned one way, silvery-white beneath, with a deep notch at the extremity. Cones oblong, erect, obtuse, with very broad, rounded, even scales. According to the account of Captain Webb, who first discovered it, this remarkable species attains the height of 80 or 90 feet, with a diameter near the ground of 3 or 4 feet. Its wood seems to be valuable. From what has been reported of its general appearance, it is probably 'one of the most interesting species that has yet been discovered. Inhabiting the colder regions of northern India, and found among plants which are more Siberian in their character than Indian, there can be no reasonable doubt of its being well able to withstand the rigour of the winters of this country.
Aides Canadensis, the Hemlock Spruce Fir (Michaux ; Pines Cana densis, Lambert). Leaves flat, arranged irregularly in two rows ; when young downy, as well as the young slender branches. Cones very small, ovate, sharp-pointed, with rather acute, even, entire scales : seeds very small.—The most northerly situation in which this tree is found is about Hudson's Bay, in lat. 51°. Near Quebec it forms extensive forests ; in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Vermont, and the upper part of New Hampshire, it is extremely common • but in the middle and southern states Of North America it is confined to the Alleghanies and their dependent ridges, where it inhabits the sides of torrents and the bleakest situations. it is a noble species, rising to the height of 70 or 80 feet, and measuring from 2 to 3 feet in diameter.