The Balsam Fir 



Adexa K. Burt 

 Lake Gecrge, N. Y. 



The fir holds an unique position among the evergreens in the 

 minds of most people who have lived for a time in the region where 

 it grows. Probably on account of the interesting psychological 

 fact of the curious association of the sense of smell together with 

 the memory of former experiences. The dehghtful odor of the 

 leaves is sure to recall to these fortunate persons, experiences of 

 outings in the forests and camping trips, or of balsam pillows carried 

 to village and city homes. 



When we stand a short ways off and look at the balsam fir, we see 

 an extremely beautiful myrtle green, slender, symmetrical cone of 

 shining dark foliage, almost black, resembling a spruce tree more 

 than any other in form. Spruce and balsam are always associated 

 together in the forest. And who shall describe the inexpressible 

 tenderness and immortal life of such an evergreen forest ? We can 

 walk along on a carpet of soft needles noiselessly in this forest of fir 

 and spruce and no matter what time of year, the trees \snll ever be 

 in their "spring" — and enjoying a perpetual youth. 



The fir is not a tree for warm climates, it likes snow, ice and high 

 mountains. Abris halsamea is distributed from Labrador through 

 Canada and New England to Minnesota south along mountains to 

 S. W. Virginia. It is a native American and has serv'ed for many 

 centuries as a Christmas tree. How many times has it been 

 chosen from the forest to be the central figure of gay and htmian 

 scene. But who that has read Anderson's ston*, "Der Tannen- 

 baum" can help s\-mpathizing v^nth the little stranger as it stands 

 alone amid its new and untried surroundings? Although it had 

 ardently longed to grow and to leave the quietude of the forest, and 

 see something of the world without, it had been hurt by the axeman 

 and it found almost stifling the air of the brilliantly lighted room. 

 It bled at its base and suffered. 



The stranger often asks when visiting the mountains, "which is 

 the Balsam?" The aromatic perfimie should be a sufficient means 

 of identification for anyone after the first whiff; but if this is not 

 enough it can be distinguished from the spruce at first glance by the 

 flattened appearance of the horizontal branches, an appearance 

 which is due to the usually horizontal position of the leaves. If 



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