The Forest Resources of the Labrador Peninsula. 33 



"'knobs." This resin is the "Canada Balsam" of commerce, so 

 much used in the arts and for mounting objects to be examined 

 under the microscope. It is of the consistency of honey, and has 

 a pleasant aromatic odor and slightly bitter flavor. It is usually 

 collected in small iron cans fastented to a pole, and furnished at 

 the top with iron tubes sharpened at the end. The tube is pressed 

 against the resin blister to puncture it, and the gum flows down 

 the tube into the can. An average tree yields about half a pound 

 of balsam. 



The Banksian pine {Pinus banksiana, Lambert), gray pine, 

 scrub pine, jack pine, Labrador pine, or "Cypress," grows freely 

 on the dry, sandy drift ridges and rocky hills of the burned-over 

 areas of the western half of the peninsula between the St. Law- 

 rence and Whale Rivers, but does not thrive on the low swampy 

 land along the eastern coast of James Bay. The wood is close- 

 grained, soft, fairly strong, and weighs about 30 pounds per cubic 

 foot. In color it is pale brown or rarely orange, and the nearly 

 white sapwood is quite thick. Its suitability for mine props and 

 general construction work has not yet been appreciated. When 

 large enough it is suitable for railway ties, and occasionally is 

 sawn up for lumber. Recent experiments show that good pulp 

 can be made from it. It has a fuel value of 48, and a dry 

 weight of 30 pounds per cubic foot. 



The aspen {Populus tremuloides, Michaux) does not seem to 

 grow north of latitude fifty-four, and is somewhat fastidious as to 

 soil. It prefers gravelly hillsides or moist sandy spots in the 

 river valleys and along the lake shores. In the western part of 

 the peninsula it grows abundantly on the unmodified glacial till 

 of the drift ridges, but about the headwaters of the East Main 

 and Hamilton Rivers (where the ice sheet was thickest) it is 

 rather scarce. Its tiny seeds are provided with long silky hairs, 

 which scatter them far and near with every wind that blows, and 

 the seedlings grow rapidly in exposed situations. This explains 

 why the aspen is the most widely distributed tree in North Amer- 

 ica, and also why it is generally the first tree to take possession 

 of the soil on burned-over areas. Its roots prevent the washing 

 away of the soil from steep slopes, and its leaves and branches 

 afford shelter to the seedlings of longer-lived trees. It acts as a 

 nurse tree towards most conifers, and plays a most important 

 part in the re-stocking of our northern forests. With its pale 

 bark, slender pendulous branches and shimmering leaves, it is a 

 most graceful tree, and enlivens the sombre landscape with 

 broad bands of color, light green in summer, but in autumn 

 glowing like gold against the dark cliffs and gloomy conifers. 



The wood is close-grained, has a cottony fibre, and is quite 

 light and soft; but is neither strong or durable. The heartwood 

 is of a light-brown color, and the thick sapwood is nearl)' white. 



