BALSAM FIR. 15 



UNSOUNDNESS. 



In comparison with spruce, balsam is a short-lived tree, and is apt 

 to become defective by the time it reaches large size. A log from a 

 large tree which may seem apparently sound will, when cut up into 

 blocks, often show heart rot m some portion of its length, or, still 

 more frequently, the fibers at the center wUl be of soft texture, 

 making its use uneconomical. Decayed heart is not so common in 

 young, small-size trees, and since small logs contain more sap and 

 produce better fiber than large ones, balsam of small diameters is not 

 only suitable for pulpwood, but is to be preferred to the large sticks. 



Knots, though more numerous in small sticks than large ones, are 

 not a serious objection. They can be cheaply removed by passing 

 the chipped wood through a tank of water, in which the knots sink and 

 the wood is carried off from the surface. 



Balsam fir cut in winter produces firmer and harder paper than 

 when cut in summer. 



The general tenor of nearly all the answers to the circular letter 

 was that balsam fir is undoubtedly inferior to spruce in every respect, 

 but that it has come into the pulp industry to stay. It fills a place 

 in the economy of paper making, and its drawbacks are of such a 

 nature that they may be to a great extent, if not entirely, overcome by 

 intelligent eft or t. 



BALSAM FIR LUMBER. 



The increased demand for spruce by pulp men, who were able to 

 pay higher prices for it than the lumbermen, compelled the latter to 

 turn their attention to hemlock and balsam. Hemlock enters now 

 more and more into building operations, supplanting spruce; while 

 balsam fir, not bemg as strong as spruce, is relegated to uses for 

 which strength is not a prime requirement. The total cut of balsam 

 fir for lumber in 1909 was reported as 108,702,000 board feet. 



Balsam fir is softer and more brittle than spruce; it decays rapidly 

 in the ground, and when green does not hold nails well; but being light 

 and tasteless it makes a very desirable box material, especially for 

 foodstufi^s. It is extensively used for cheese-box headings, staves for 

 fish and sugar barrels, sardine cases, butter boxes, and the like. It is 

 easUy worked, and is well adapted for molding, novelty, bevel, and 

 drop siding. It is of straighter grain than spruce, and in seasoning is 

 less subject to warping and twisting, which makes it the better of the 

 two woods for fence boards, small joists, planing, scantling, laths, and 

 shingles. Its white color often makes it desirable for house finishing, 

 and some consider it superior to spruce for violins. It saws easier, 

 dries quicker, and is claimed to hold paint better than spruce. It has 

 also been found to be suitable for rough lumber, flooring, ceiling, 

 studding, crating, furniture, sheathing, children's carriages, toys, 

 small frames, matches, square timber, excelsior, etc. In the form of 



