25 



abundant, but its "wood is of an inferior quality, although the deals made 

 from it are mixed with those of the black spruce, without distinction. A 

 resin exudes from knots and wounds in the trunk of this tree, whence it 

 is gathered, melted, and boiled to free it from impurities, and it is uni- 

 versally known in the province as " gum," being used for rendering water- 

 tight the seams of water-pails and bark canoes. The balsam or silver fir 

 is found in greater or less abundance all through New Brunswick. As 

 the white pine decreases the silver fir will come more into notice and 

 demand, it having been undervalued when compared with the former. 

 Canada Balsam, which must not be confused with the "gum " mentioned 

 above, is procured from this tree. 



The white pine is annually becoming scarcer in this Province, as in all 

 the other Provinces, but is still extensively exported from New Bruns- 

 wick, not only as square timber, but also in the shape of masts, spars, 

 deals, plank, boards, scantling, clapboards, palings, shingles and laths ; 

 also in boxes, barrels, water-pails and tubs. Almost all this timber 

 within reach cf the tributaries of the St. John has been cut, except on 

 the streams flowing into that river from Maine. The hemlock or hem- 

 lock spruce forms a large proportion of the evergreen forests of the Pro- 

 vince, but is only of secondary importance. Large quantities are shipped 

 to Great Britain in the shape of lathwood, from which split laths are 

 made. The butternut is abundant on the rich alluvial banks of the 

 rivers, and considerable quantities of furniture are made from it for 

 home use- Very little is as yet exported, but the large size which it 

 attains here and its various good qualities must soon cause a demand to 

 spring up. There are two species of ash here (the white and the black 

 ash) ; abundant everywhere. As the wood of these trees differs more 

 owing to soil or situation than that of any other, several varieties have 

 been stated as existing, but a close examination reveals the fact that 

 they may all be referred' to one or other of the two species named. It is 

 among the exports of the Province in the form of staves and planks. 

 The black ash is of smaller size than the white ash, and its wood is 

 neither so strong nor so durable, and is not therefore in as great request. 

 Easily separating into strips, it is largely used in the manufacture of 

 baskets. The cedar abounds throughout New Brunswick, the trees stand- 

 ing so thick that the light can hardly penetrate their foliage. It is chiefly 

 exported in the form of posts and palings and railway sleepers, but, as it 

 enters now into the list of woods used for the top timber of the higher 

 class of colonial ships, more attention is given to it than formerly. The 

 oak, of which three species are found in this Province (the white, red 

 and grey), is abundant in the interior, and is in demand for many pur- 

 poses. The basswood tree grows to a large size in the New Brunswick 

 forests, but is not much valued as timber, and is not extensively used. 

 It grows in large quantities in the northern part of the Province. There ' 

 are three species of poplar in the Province the balsam poplar, the 

 American aspen and the common poplar. The wood of the latter is 

 used for saw gates in water-power saw mills, but none of the above trees 



