4 THE WOODS OF NEW BRUNSWICK. 
Black spruce is commonly found in thick masses around Jakes, 
or about the base and sides of ridges whose summits are covered 
by hardwoods, the spruce thinning as the elevation increases, 
Like the white pine, it attains its greatest size and altitude when 
growing among surrounding hardwoods. During the past seven 
years vast quantities of this tree have died, either from the effects 
of disease, or from the attack of an insect, which eats its 
way between the sap and the bark; the wneut forests have 
suffered most. The distinguishing properties of the wood are 
strength, lightness, and elasticity. That found on the shores of 
the Bay of Fundy is remarkable for its toughness and durability, 
and is thought to be nearly equal to Hackmatac for shipbuilding. 
It furnishes as fine yards and topmasts as any in the world, and 
has been long and extensively used for this purpose. 
Heretofore the smaller trees have been largely exported from 
the head of the Bay of Fundy in round logs, to be used as piles 
for wharf-building. |The principal root and the lower part of the 
trunk are extensively used for shipbuilding, constituting knees 
and foot-hooks; and by means of the small fibrous roots the 
Indians of Maine and New Brunswick sew together pieces of 
birch bark to form the exterior covering of their canoes. 
Very superior clap-boards are made from the clean butts of 
these trees, because the wood has straight seams from the butt 
almost to the branches. In many localities black spruces are 
very seamy. This occurs sometimes on the low lands, but oftener 
on the ridges, and is probably caused by the joint effect of wind 
and frost. A cheap variety of shingles is obtained from small 
trees. Their value, however, to New Brunswick arises from their 
furnishing the major part of the deals and battens which are ex- 
ported to Great Britain and other countries. The manufacture of 
spruce deals commenced in 1819, and has been steadily increasing. 
7. THE BALSAM FIR (Abies balsamea, Marshall). 
This tree, also known as the Fir Balsam or Silver Fir, is 
common in New Brunswick, being found in nearly all localities, 
but in the greatest abundance and in the most compact bodies on 
the head waters of the St John, Restigouche, and Miramichi 
rivers. There is an extensive forest between the heads of the 
Miramichi and Tobique rivers. It grows here very thickly, and 
some acres have 10,000 or 12,000 feet to the acre upon them 
(superficial measure). The wood is apt to be defective, but in 
