252 TIMBER AND TIMBER TREES. [CHAP. 



In consideration of the defects mentioned, there is 

 little to recommend the Swedish Fir to favourable 

 notice, beyond the fact of its being cheap and suitable 

 for the coarser purposes in carpentry. 



About 3,500,000 Swedish deals, 7,000 loads of 

 timber, and 18,000 fathoms of firewood, were imported 

 into London in 1874, besides a large quantity of boards 

 for flooring, &c., &c. 



THE t NORWAY FIR TREE 



is of straight growth and small dimensions, and balks 

 of about 8 or 9 inches square only are produced from 

 it, but even these are not now shipped in any con- 

 siderable quantity for the English market. 



The Norwegians appear to find it most advantageous 

 to convert their Fir timber (which is generally of a 

 coarse description and inferior in quality) into battens 

 of 6 to 7 inches in breadth, by less than 3 inches in 

 thickness, and into prepared flooring and match-boards, 

 which are sold by the "square " of 100 superficial feet of 

 I inch thick. They also produce a few deals of 3 x 9 

 inches, varying in length, for exportation ; and, as the 

 whole of these are manufactured and sold at a very 

 cheap rate, they pass readily into consumption for the 

 building of the lowest and poorest class of houses. 



Norway supplies, in addition to the timber, deals, 

 and battens, considerable quantities of small spars, and 

 Fir for firewood, to the London market. 



THE SPRUCE FIR TREE (Abies excelsa) 



is very abundant upon the mountain slopes in Norway, 

 and prefers generally a damp clayey soil to bring it to 

 the greatest perfection. In such situations, it frequently 



