121 



LIST OF FOREST-TREES, 



called non-reproductive trees (see 

 The universal use of the 

 ! i paire 1 1', ti'j. o. ) renders its pro- 

 l comparative value so well 

 knov : -vi 1 tlie reader from de- 



iieie on that point. The species 

 which experience hitherto has proved 

 !l deserving of the attention 

 of the ])rotital)le British planter are 

 The.w/rr/ 1 f ir, which attains to the height 

 .-.. hundred and ten feet and up- 

 wards, with a proportionate diameter, 

 in this climate (See pages 8089.) 

 It is very apt, during its first stages 

 rowth, to have its young shoots 

 cut by the spring frosts ; and this cir- 

 cumstance, we believe, is the cause of 

 the great m-irk'ct of planting this va- 

 luable fir. It has already been re- 

 marked, that it takes the lead of the 

 larch, Scotch pine, and spruce after 

 the first fifteen years of growth, and 

 therefore its slower progress at first 

 t not to prevent its being more 

 . sivi-ly planted than it has hitherto 

 1 ecu in every situation where the fir, 

 pine, or larch are proper to be planted 

 for profit or ornament. 

 The Jiulm <>f Gilcad fir in habit and 

 ..ranee approaches near to the 

 silver fir, but it is evidently inferior 

 in every respect, although a very hand- 

 jreentree. These two species 

 :'ten confounded together*. The 

 leaves of the silver fir are arranged 

 nearly on opposite. sides of the branch, 

 comb-like. The under sides of the 

 > have two white lines running 

 Inmthways, which eivethema silvery 

 > of the balm of Gilead 

 .lorter, blunter, and stand nearly- 

 lit, in double rows, on the upper 

 i t the branches ; \\hile, in the 

 ..re flattened and irre- 

 ,y single-rowed. According to 

 "f this tree is col- 

 ; in America, and sold under the 

 name of Hnlm "f Cih'tul. 



nsidored to at- 

 ;ndrcd and t \\enty-fi\e 

 Ired and fifty feet in height, 

 ^colt-h pineil is said to cou- 

 rt ion of the 

 vnniark, Sweden, and 



v Holltary, I! 



y Mi; nt, pressed 



: f.ilrnd Kir I.rurr* solit . 



rate, v vr, never 



flat, trnlenif the eonc*,l.ui in tlowi-r, acumi- 

 nate .reflex. 



Norway. The timber is held to be 

 inferior to that of the Scotch pine. 

 The latter is called red deal, and the 

 former white deal. This tree attains 

 to a large size on cold damp clays, 

 situated on declivities*. The white, 

 black, and red spruces are of inferior 

 value to the Norway. In America 

 the wood of the black spruce is sawn 

 into boards, and exported to the "West 

 Indies and to England : Michaux 

 states that they are sold at one-fourth 

 cheaper than those of the white pine. 



The Scotch pine, Pinus sylvestris, whe- 

 ther as regards its hardy habits, grow- 

 ing in severe climates and in soils 

 ungenial to almost every other kind 

 of tree, or to its value in the produc- 

 tion of useful timber, must stand in 

 the first rank of forest-trees. The 

 great elevation in which this tree will 

 grow was mentioned before at page 

 44. A large exportation of the tim- 

 ber takes place from Riga, Memel, 

 and Dantzic to England. In the 

 former places, according to Mr. Lam- 

 bert, it is called red deal, and in Lon- 

 don yellow deal. According to re- 

 spectable authority, this species fur- 

 nishes lour fifths of the tar consumed 

 in the dockyards of Europe-}-. 



The pinaster, having an inferior timber, 

 claims but little notice from the pro- 

 fitable planter ; however, it will grow 

 in situations exposed to the sea air, 

 and is an ornamental tree. 



* The resin, which concretes on the bark after 

 a wound, being boiled in water, and strained 

 through a linen cloth, is then called lUirgundy 

 pitch. Jly boiling the resin until the water is 

 evaporated, and by then adding wine vinegar, the 

 substance known under the name of coloplmniinii 

 is formed. 



t In iS07 tar and pitch were exported to Eng- 

 land from tin- 1'iiiled Stales to the amount of 

 lV,;,,oiMidoll;iis. The jinx-ess of extracting the tar 

 is nearly as follows: The wood is stripped of the 

 .saj), and cut into billets two or three feet long, and 

 about three inches thick. A circular mound is 

 prepared, slightly declining from the centre to the 

 circumference, \\hich forms a shallow ditch. The 

 diameter of the jiile is proportioned to the (puintity 

 of the wood; to obtain one bundled barrels of 

 tar the diaireter should be cighteenor twenty feet. 

 In the middle a conduit is made to the ditch, in 

 which is a reservoir to receive the resin as it 



ID lt:e ii nited mas*. The top of the 

 mound is coated \\ith clay, ai:d made bard and 

 -niooth, and on \\hich the wood is laid in rays. 

 The pile, when finished, is twenty feet at. the 

 baM-, and, at eii-hl fei-t in height, (went; 

 Ibnty feet in diameter, terminal mi' in a cone four 

 . Ii i-. then Mrcwcd with pine leaves, 



.-d with earth. It is ignited at the top 

 similar t<> the process of charcoal making. The 

 In.- should net slowly, so that a pile of the above 

 dimensions -limdd continue burning eight or nine 



tchll Ur reduced by evaporation, Mic,. 



,vu., vol. iii. n. 1-L'. 



