The Norway Spruce Fir (A. communis**) is by far the handsomest of that division of the Firs called the Spruces. It generally rises with a perfectly straight trunk to the height of from 80 to 150 feet. It is a native, as its name denotes, of the colder parts of Europe, and consequently grows well in the northern states. The branches hang down with a fine graceful curve or sweep; and although the leaves are much paler than those of the foregoing kinds, yet the thick fringe-like tufts of foliage which clothe the branches, give the whole tree a rich, dark appearance. The large cones, too, always nearly six inches long, are beautifully pendent, and greatly increase the beauty of an old tree of this kind. (** Abies excelsa.)
