98 TIMBER 



Black Spruce (Picca nigra) is a medium-sized but 

 important tree in the eastern States chiefly used for the 

 manufacture of pulp, and great quantities of this as well 

 as of white spruce are used for that purpose. Others of 

 the species are Red spruce (P. rubens), closely allied to 

 the above, Engelmann spruce (P. engelmanni), and Sitka 

 spruce or Tideland spruce (P. sitchcnsis), which grow 

 plentifully in British Columbia, and the latter particularly 

 is largely used on the west coast for doors, window frames, 

 and shelving and interior finishing, and is a valuable pulp 

 wood. Spruce is one of the resonance woods and is a good 

 deal used as sounding boards for pianos, violins, etc. 



Myrtle or Laurel (Umbellularia calif ornica), a Calif ornian 

 tree, produces timber of light brown colour of great size 

 and beauty, and is very valuable for cabinet and inside 

 work, as it takes a fine polish. 



Cherry is found extensively in the western States and 

 Canada. The wood is fine grained and of moderate hard- 

 ness, the colour a beautiful reddish or yellowish brown, not 

 difficult to work, has a satin-like surface when smoothed, and 

 takes a fine polish which somewhat resembles mahogany ; 

 the pores are small and indistinct, the medullary rays very 

 distinct but fine. The Black Cherry (Prunus scrotina), a 

 tree of 50 to 80 ft. high, is especially esteemed and can be 

 obtained in wide boards ; cherry mellows and grows richer 

 in colour with age, the varieties with wavy textures are 

 particularly beautiful ; the timber is mostly used for cabinet 

 work and furniture, turnery, walking-sticks, etc. The wild 

 cherry of Canada also goes by the name of buckthorn. 

 Stained birch is often used as a substitute for cherry. 



Oaks. There are something like fifty species of oak in 

 the United States and Canada : it is the White Oak (Quercus 



