412 BOTANY. 



The genus Abies contains the Balsam Fir, A. balsamea, of Eastern 

 United States, the Silver Fir of Europe, A. pectinata, the Giant Silver 

 Fir, A. grandis, of Oregon and California, besides many others. All 

 furnish valuable timber, and from the first is obtained a fine turpentine- 

 known as Canada Balsam. 



Picea excelsa, the Norway Spruce of Northern Europe, is a large tree- 

 30 to 50 metres (100-150 ft.) high, from which white deal timber is ob- 

 tained ; from its turpentine Burgundy pitch is made. P. < Iba, th& 

 White Spruce of Canada, and P. Sitchensis and P. pungens of the 

 Western United States, are valuable ior timber, and are planted for 

 ornamental purposes. 



Larix Americana, the Tamarack or American Larch of Eastern 

 North America, and L. Europcea, the Larch of the mountains of Cen- 

 tral Europe, are valuable timber trees ; from the latter Venice turpen- 

 tine is obtained. 



The genus Pinus contains many important trees ; they may b& 

 grouped as follows : 



(a) Leaves in fives. 



P. Strobus, the White Pine of Eastern North America ; this is our 

 most valuable species, as it furnishes the greater part of the pine 

 "lumber" used in the Northern States ; it often attains a height of 

 50-60 metres (160-200 ft.). 



P. Lambertiana, the Sugar Pine of California, is like the preceding,, 

 but of greater size, being from 60 to 90 metres high (200-300 ft.). 



(b) Leaves in threes. 



P. au tralis, the Yellow Pine of the Southern United States, fur- 

 nishes a durable timber, used for flooring, shipbuilding, etc. Its tur- 

 pentine, which is obtained by cutting into the trees, yields spirits of 

 turpentine by distillation ; the residue is rosin. Tar is obtained by 

 slowly burning the wood in kilns ; and by evaporating the volatile- 

 matters from tar, pitch is produced. 



P. ponderosa, the Yellow Pine of the Rocky Mountains and California, 

 is similar to the former, but of greater size, being 30-100 metres higlt 

 (100-300 ft.). 



(c) Leaves in twos. 



P. sylvestris, the " Scotch Fir," or " Scotch Pine," is a native of 

 Northern Europe and Asia. Its timber is extensively used in England 

 under the names of Dantzic Fir and Riga Fir, in the building of ships, 

 docks, houses, etc. 



P. laricio is a less valuable tree of Southern Europe ; it is known in,' 

 this country as Austrian Pine, and, with the preceding, is commonly 

 planted with us for ornamental purposes. 



P. resinosa, the Red Pine of Canada, is a tall and slender tree, much- 

 used for making masts and spars. 



(d) Leaves single. 



P. monophyllos, the Nut Pine of the Utah- Arizona district, is pecu- 



