Trees and How to Know Them 



(Left) THE BALSAM FIR MEANS CHRISTMAS 



To children the beautiful and fragrant balsam tree means Christmas. Outdoors, 

 the fir, with its straight trunk and graceful, symmetrical branches, adorns many a 

 landscape of Canada and the northern United States. The balsam fir is particularly 

 attractive in wintry surroundings, when it is effectively outlined against a snowy 

 background. It is not a long-lived tree; it seldom survives ninety years. 



(Righf) THE SPRUCE AND ITS VARIED FORMS 



There are many kinds of spruce trees. The black spruce, pictured above, varies its 

 shape according to the natural forces with which it has to contend. On lowlands 

 the spruce grows narrow and tall, on mountains you may see dwarfed firs no more 

 than five feet tall. The cones of this spruce may remain on the tree for decades. 



averaging half an inch in length and growing in spirals along the 

 twigs. New twigs are yellowish brown and covered with short 

 reddish-brown hairs. Tiny flowers appear near the top of the 

 branches in May or June. Small, clustered grayish-brown cones 



