1 18 Bog-Trotting for Orchids 



Frequently I saw a lone Balsam-Fir tree, — Abies bal- 

 samea. The name Abies comes down to us from re- 

 mote antiquity, since this tree grew in Greece, and was 

 valued by the learned physicians before Christ for the 

 balsamic resin found in the bark of young trees. Mat- 

 thiolus and Peter Bellon described this substance as 

 bitter and aromatic, similar to citron-pills. In Eng- 

 land, this resin was known to the writers of the six- 

 teenth century as the Turpentine of Venice. In 

 Canada, where this tree is abundant, it is called 

 " Balm-of-Gilead Fir," or "Canada Balsam." It is 

 common on the summit of the Dome. The powerful 

 balsamic fluid drawn from it is now used medicinally. 

 This species resembles the black spruce, save that it is 

 of a silvery-green color, giving forth its peculiar fra- 

 grance, and producing small blisters on its trunk and 

 branches, which the spruce does not. 



Cedar is not plentiful in the Hoosac Valley region, 

 our only species being American Arbor Vitae {Thuja 

 occidentalism, often called white cedar. Northward this 

 tree forms extensive cedar swamps, which are rich 

 haunts for species of Orchidacecs. 



On the border of the third swamp, and in the heart 

 of it as well, grow High Huckleberry bushes ( Vacci- 

 nium corymbosuni) . Blueberries are known in New 

 England as huckleberries, and this common swamp 

 species grows very tall. These bushes before me were 

 over twelve feet in height. The Dwarf I^ow Blueberry 

 ( Vaccinium vacillans) grows from one to two feet high. 

 The Early Dwarf species ( Vacciniiun Pe?insyhanicum) 



