40 NAT. ORDER. CONIFERS. 



The rinus halsamea is a native of the coldest regions of this 

 continent, growing abundantly in Canada, Nova Scotia, northern 

 parts of New England, and other northern provinces. It has 

 been introduced and cultivated in some jaarts of England, since 

 the year 1698, but the climate does not appear to be congenial to 

 it, for although it attains a considerable height, it seldom survives 

 above twenty years. 



The fine turpentine of the shojis, or what is commonly called 

 Canada balsam, is yielded by this tree. It exists in great quantity, 

 in the vesicles between the wood and bark ; being collected by 

 making incisions in the trunk of the tree, through which it exudes. 

 It is then put in casks of from one to two hundred pounds, and 

 shipjied to most parts of the civilized globe. 



Sensible and Chemical Properties, Sfc. Canada balsam, or tur- 

 pentine, has a strong, but rather agreeable odor ; its taste is some- 

 what bitter, and resembles the other turpentines ; its color is pale 

 yellow, with a greenish tinge, transparent, and has the consistence 

 of honey fresh from the comb. 



Distilled with water, it yields a limpid, colorless, essential oil, 

 and leaves a solid resin, resembling the common yellow resin. 

 Distilled by itself, it yields, first, a clear oil, in appearance like 

 that obtained by distillation with water, but which gradually 

 changes to yellow, and then to red, and leaves a black resin. 

 During the operation of distillation, succinic acid also rises. It is 

 insoluble in water, but soluble in alcohol and ether, also in the vol- 

 atile and drying oils ; it is soluble in alkaline ley, and the strong 

 acids ; the sulphuric and nitric acids convert it into artificial tan- 

 nin. The essential oil, or spirit of turpentine, as it is conm:ionly 

 called, has a strong penetrating odor, and a hot, pungent, bitterish 

 taste. It is perfectly limpid and colorless, light, volatile, inflamma- 

 ble, and burns with a very vivid, crackling flame. It is soluble in 

 six parts of sulphuric ether, very sparingly soluble in cold alcohol, 

 one hundred parts unite with twenty of alcohol ; if the alcohol be 



