258 CONIFKR.E. 



mJitnrinf,' in Hip mitunm of tlio Kivnu! ycnv. Scales of tlio oonra tliiii, not 

 tip[KHl, as in. t lie \niH\ with a thickened spiiio. Loiivcs rigid, foliaceous, 

 Hcattcj'id, not, rasciculiite, i)(r.sistcnt. for two or three years. 



Abies balsamea JMiushall.— y;»/.sa»( Fir. 



Dfftrriijlioii, — Cones cylindricul, 2 to 4 inclies long, erect on the upjicr 

 side of the spreading branches; scales mostly decidiions from the persist- 

 ent axis at malin-ity. Leaves ^ to 4 inch long, narrow, flat, rigid, bright 

 green ai)ove, silvery beneath, mostly sessile on horizontal f>rancheH, and 

 spreading in two direetio'is so as to seem 2-i'anked, 



A slendei", tapering tree, rarely more than 40 feet high ; branches dimin- 

 ishing in length in proportion to their height from the ground, forming, 

 luider favorable circumstances, a perfectly regular pyramidal head. Bark 

 rather smooth. l)eariiig rewin in V(>sicles. 



JJahilnl. — In cohl damp wockIs and swamps from New England to Penn- 

 sylvania, Wisconsin, and northward ; common in Canada, not foriuing for- 

 ests but dissemumtod among other trees. 



Abies Fraserl Pursh.— /V«.s(.';-'.s or Southern liaJmm Fir. 



Dcs'criftlion. — Cones oblong-ovate, 1 to 2 inches long, otherwise much 

 like the preceding. A small tree. 



Iluhital.-— Ill tho mountains from Pennsylvania to North Carolina. 



Abies Canadensis Micliaux. — Ih'mlvch; Hv.mlwk Spruce. 



Description. — Cones oval, -^ to J int^h long, hanging on tho ends of the 

 branches of the preceding year, persistent ; scales not falling away from 

 tho axis. Leaves linear, obtuse, \ inch long, scattered, somewhat 2-ranked, 

 dark green above, paler beneath. A largo tri'- often 70 to 80 feet liigh, 

 with a diameter of 2 to 3 feet ; in forests, with spreading branches at the 

 to]). Bark rougli and deeply-fuiTowcd ; wood light, cojv, "e-grained, but 

 comparatively strong, largely used for fences and outbuildings. 



J/ahitnt. — In hilly and rocky soil. In many n^gion.s it ioi-ms forests of 

 considerable extent, especially on west hillsides. Most common north- 

 ward. It is approaching extinction in many sections of tho Northern 

 United States, since it does not flourish as a second-growth tree. 



J*ari,H L'sed. — The resinous exudation of a[[ species. That procured 

 from A. balsamea is otKcial under the name Terebinth ina Canadensis — 

 Canada turpentine, or Canada balsam. It is contained in l)listers or vesi- 

 cles upon the bark and is collected by puncturing these and jiressing out 

 their contents. A. Fiaseri yields a balsam of identical character. The 

 resinous exudation of A. Canadensis is official under the name Pix Cana- 

 densis — Canada pitch or hemlock pHch. 



C()nstituenf.'<.- -Cimiiila tunitntine is a yellowish or faintly greenish, 

 tran.-ipr.rent, viscid li(|uid, of an agreeable terebitithinate odor, and a bitter- 

 ish, slightly acrid taste. Exposed to the air it slowly concretes, and forms 

 a mass which is brittle when cold. It is composed of volatile oil and 

 resiu. 



