76 



The Firs 



gathered in Canada and Maine, by puncturing the bark with a tube, through 

 which the bakam flows into a vessel to which it is attached. It is a greenish yel- 

 low, transparent, viscid liquid of an aromatic terebinthinate odor and a bitter, some- 

 what acrid taste, slowly drying upon exposure into a transparent mass. It is used 

 as an external apphcation to cuts and bruises, and by microscopists in mounting 

 various objects for examination. 



As an ornamental tree the Balsam fir has been superseded by the more desirable 

 firs from western America and Asia. It grows rather rapidly. 



2. FRASER'S BALSAM FIR — Abies Fraseri (Pursh) Lindley 

 Pinus Fraseri Pursh 



This southern fir, also called She balsam Fir, Balsam fir, Silver fir. Healing 

 balsam. Double spruce. Double fir balsam. Mountain balsam, and Lashhom, 

 occurs in the higher mountains of Virginia and West Virginia to North Carolina 

 and Tennessee, where it sometimes forms forests, and reaches its maximum 

 height of 25 meters, with a trunk diameter of 7.5 dm. 



The branches, spreading regularly in whorls, form a fine symmetrical cone 



until the lower branches decay with age 

 and fall off. The bark is about i cm. 

 thick, and smooth, at first, becoming 

 roughened by close papery scales of a 

 red-brown color, changing to gray, and 

 roughened by conspicuous balsam " blis- 

 ters." The twigs are rather stout, hairy 

 and yellowish brown, becoming smooth 

 and darker with age. The winter buds 

 are about 5 mm. long, blunt and cov- 

 ered with resin. The leaves are flattish, 

 narrowly linear, 1.2 to 2.5 cm. long, 

 nearly 2 mm. wide, and rather thick, 

 somewhat keeled on the lower side, 

 dark green and shining above, white be- 

 neath, especially when young; on lower 

 sterile branchlets they are straight, 

 spreading outwardly at right angles; on 

 fertile and upper branchlets they are 

 usually crowded, curved, and almost erect, obtuse or sharp-pointed. The stami- 

 nate flowers are 5.5 to 8 rrnn. long, almost sessile, and reddish. The pistillate 

 flowers are oblong-oval, light greenish yellow. The erect cones are 5 to 8 cm. long, 

 oblong-cylindric to ovoid-cyUndric, rounded at each end, purplish when young; 

 the fan-shaped scales, about 1.5 cm. long, 2 cm. broad, are compactly arranged, 

 becoming dark purple with age; the papery bracts are elongated, longer than the 



Fig. 58. — Fraser's Balsam Fir. 



