EVERGREENS 209 



and natural beauty to either our white or black 

 spruce. The Chinese consider the fir a symbol 

 of longevity. In northern Europe it stands for 

 peace and good cheer and is consecrated to the 

 Christ Child, hence it takes a prominent part 

 in the Christmas festivities. In Sweden two 

 fir trees are placed before the door on Christ- 

 mas Eve. Our favorite is the balsam fir, which, 

 in its youthful days, is a beautiful tree, having 

 bluish-green foliage, with a silvery under sur- 

 face, closely arranged upon branches which 

 curve gracefully upward at the tip. It is a 

 cousin to the silver fir of Europe, so remarkable 

 for its great height, grace, beauty, and valuable 

 timber. The northern camper loves to make his 

 bed of the elastic, fragrant balsam boughs, and 

 its needles make the highly prized "balsam" 

 pillows, which retain their fragrance for years. 

 The bark of the tree is dotted with little "blis- 

 ters, ' ' or reservoirs filled with resin. These are 

 drained and furnish the market with "Canada 

 balsam. ' ' 



The larch, or tamarack, and the bald cypress 

 are cone-bearing trees, but they are not ever- 

 green. The leaves turn yellow and fall in the 

 autumn. Both trees love the swamp lands, the 

 former favoring the North, and the latter the 

 South, and produce a resinous timber which is 



