(96) 



Balsam Fir Abies i 



The balsam fir occurs but sparingly in the lower Hudson 

 Valley, it being chiefly a northern tree and abundant in the 

 Adirondacks. It forms, when isolated, a broad, symmetrical 

 tree of cone-like shape scarcely exceeding 75 ft. in height. 

 The trunk is covered with a smooth gray bark which has 

 numerous resinous blisters spread throughout it. The resin 

 exuded is the well-known Canada balsam of commerce. The 

 branches are arranged in successive and sometimes widely 

 separated whorls; in age they droop slightly at their ends. 

 There are usually two kinds of leaves on the balsam fir, those 

 on the cone-bearing branches and those found only on 

 branches not cone-bearing. On the former they are about 

 y 2 inch long and sharp-pointed, but on the sterile branches 

 they are twice as long and usually rounded at the tip. 



The cones, which stand erect on the branches, instead of 

 drooping as they do in most of our evergreens, are from 2 to 

 4 inches long and composed of numerous roundish scales. 

 The tree may often be found with only the naked stalk of the 

 cone clinging to the branch; as the scales fall off, from the 

 top downwards, thus releasing the seeds, while the stalk is 

 still fast to the branch. 



This evergreen, which in the Hudson Valley region prefers 

 moist situations, has been lately used in making paper, but for 

 general purposes its wood is too soft and coarse-grained 



Red Cedar Juniperus virginiana 



Because of its use in making moth-proof chests, and in the 

 manufacture of lead-pencils, the red cedar or juniper, is one 

 of the trees that comes more closely in touch with every- 

 day affairs than almost any other Hudson Valley evergreen. 

 It is common throughout the area in soil that will maintain 

 scarcely any other trees, loves rocky and exposed places and 

 will stand any amount of abuse from the elements. 



The tree is tall, straight, and spire-like, with the lower 

 branches somewhat spreading and the upper always erect. 

 The trunk, which is covered with shedding, fibrous bark, is 



