76 THE SCOTCH FIR. 



firs of various fpecies yield the important 

 produces of turpentine, tar, and pitch. 

 They abound in a refinous juice, which, 

 exuding from the tree in its natural Mate, 

 is turpentine. The fame, when forced 

 out by a clofe-fmothered fire, is tar ; and 

 this, thickened by boiling, becomes pitch. 

 Rofin is the refiduum of turpentine from 

 which the eflential oil has been diftilled. 

 From all thefe uies, the fir may be called 

 ihefailor's tree with as much propriety as 

 the oak. Indeed, the eariieft veffels built 

 for navigation were conftrucled with this 

 material, and in the antient poets the pine 

 is conftantly employed as a metaphorical 

 term for a Jbip. Even at prcfent, the 

 cheapnefs of fir timber in the north of 

 Europe and America caufes many vefTels to 

 be built of it alone, which have the ad- 

 vantage of fwimming light, though they 

 foon decay. 



The white inner rind of the Scotch r 

 is ground to powder and mixed with rye 

 meal in order to make bread in feafons of 



fcarcity, 



