FIR TREE. 



The hemlock spruce fir (A. Canadensis}. The 

 deciduous silver fir (A. Brunoniana). The sa- 

 cred Mexican fir (A. rcligiosa). The hairy fir 

 (A. hirtella). The Indian silver fir (A. Smithi- 

 ana). 



2. SPRUCES. The oriental fir (A. orient alis). 

 The white spruce fir (A, alba). The black or 

 red, spruce fir (A. ntgro). The Douglas fir 

 (A. Douglassii\ The Men? ; es fir (A. Menzicsii). 



3. LAIICHES. The common larch fir (A. larix). 

 The red larch fir (A. microcarpa). The black 

 larch fir (A. pendula). 



4. CEDARS. The cedar of Lebanon fir (A. 

 cedrus). The sacred Indian fir (A. deodara). 

 See CEDAR OF LEBANON. 



Michaux enumerates 14 species of pines 

 and spruces including firs, as found in differ- 

 ent portions of the United States and Canada. 

 His methodical arrangement of these is as 

 follows : 



Two-leaved Pines with smooth Cones. 

 Red (Norway) pine, or Pinus rubra. Com- 

 mon in Canada and the Northern Sections of 

 the United States, but not seen in Pennsylvania 

 south of Wilkesbarre. It is called in the state 

 of Maine Scrub-pine. This species is found 

 farther northward than any other pine, being 

 seen in the environs of Hudson's Bay. Yellow 

 pine (Pinus mitis). This species abounds in 

 the Middle States. In the south it is called 

 Spruce pine, and Short-leaved pine. 



Two-leaved Pines with thorny Cones. 

 Jersey pine (Pinus Inops). This species is 

 not confined to the southern portion of New 

 Jersey, but is seen in Maryland, Virginia, and 

 others of the Southern and Western States. 

 Table mountain pine (P. pun gens'). Found only 

 on the Table mountain in North Carolina. 



Three-leaved Pines with smooth Cones or very small 



Thorns. 



Long-leaved pine (Pinus australis). This tree 

 so extremely valuable for its timber, tar, and 

 other resinous products, is known in the coun- 

 tries where it grows, and the places to which 

 it is exported, by different names. In the 

 Southern States, where it abounds, it is called 

 Yellow pine, Pitch pine, and Brown pine. In Eng- 

 land and the West Indies, Georgia pitch pine. 

 Pitch pine (P. rigida), is found throughout the 

 United States except the region west of the 

 Alleghanies. It abounds on those mountains 

 as they traverse Pennsylvania and Virginia. 

 Loblolly Pine (P. TWa). This is common in 

 lower Virginia and more Southern States. 



Five-leaved Pines. 



White pine (P. strobus). One of the most in- 

 teresting of American pines. It is diffused 

 over a great extent of country in the Northern 

 and Eastern States, being the loftiest and most 

 majestic production of the American forest. 

 Its wood is most valuable for building and 

 other purposes. 



Spruces. 



These have very short leaves disposed singly 

 round the branches. The American species 

 are, black or double spruce (Abies nigra), common 

 in the Northern States and British provinces; 

 also in the northeastern parts of Pennsylvania, 

 478 



FIR TREE. 



and Black Mountain of South Carolina, and 

 sometimes in the White Cedar Swamps in 

 New Jersey near Philadelphia and New York. 

 In the northern sea-ports the spars of ships 

 are mostly of black spruce. It is largely ex- 

 ported to Europe. White, or single sprure (A. 

 alba). Common in the same northern regions 

 of the States. Pond pine (P. serotina), com- 

 mon to the maritime parts of the Southern 

 States. 



Spruces with lateral Leaves. 



Hemlock spruce (Abies Canaflcnsis), natural to 

 the coldest regions of the United States and j 

 British Provinces. It is always larger and 

 taller than the black spruce. American silver \ 

 fir (Abies balsamifera), or Balm of Gilead;! 

 common in the state of Maine and the British 

 Provinces. 



FISH (Lat. Pisces; Germ. Fische ; Du. Vis- 

 chcr ; Dan. and Swed. Fisk). A term used in 

 natural history to denote every variety of ani- 

 mal inhabiting seas, lakes, rivers, ponds, &c. 

 that cannot exist for any considerable time out 

 of the water. The most natural and popular 

 division of this subject is into fresh and salt- 

 water fish. 



According to Linnaeus, there are about 400 

 species of fish with which naturalists are ac- 

 quainted, but those yet unknown are supposed 

 to be still numerous, and many species will 

 probably remain forever undiscovered. The 

 anatomy and physiology of fish offer a wide 

 field of study for the inquiring mind. Their 

 extraordinary fecundity is truly astonishing. 

 Fish in general are less nourishing than other 

 animal food, but are not difficult of digestion, 

 when in a fresh state, to a healthy stomach. 

 To a dyspeptic stomach, however, fish is apt to 

 prove irritating. Except in London and a few 

 sea-port towns, the consumption of fish in 

 England is not great. See BREEDING PONDS. 



FISH, AS A MANURE. The fish which are 

 usually employed as manures in England are 

 sprats, pilchards, herrings, sticklebacks, and 

 whale blubber. These are very rich fertili- 

 zers ; the fleshy or muscular portions abound- 

 ing in oil. The scales are composed of coagu- 

 lated albumen and phosphate of lime ; their 

 bones are full of oil, and the solid portion is 

 composed of phosphate of lime and carbonate 

 of lime, in different proportions. 



Sprats. In the English counties of Essex, 

 Kent, and Suffolk, the use of this manure is 

 very general, although the practice is not of 

 very long standing. The quantity applied per 

 acre varies from 25 to 45 bushels, the poor 

 gravelly soils requiring more than the loamy 

 lands. They are spread by hand, from seed 

 baskets, and on winter fallows intended for 

 oats, on which, especially if the summer is 

 not too dry, it produces most luxuriant crops, 

 of a peculiar dark-green colour, yielding 10 or 

 11 quarters per acre, and that on land of a 

 very second-rate description. The effect of the 

 application, however, remains only for one 

 crop. They produce an equally good result if; 

 mixed with earth, and suffered to remain and 

 dissolve, for some time, in the heap, before 

 they are carted on the land. In this way they 

 answer exceedingly well for turnips. Thejr 



