SPRUCE FIR. 215 



loves a cold soil, and rather sheltered situ- 

 ations. 



The finest specimens of these trees which 

 this country now boasts of are at Blenheim, 

 Harefield Park, and at Temple Newsham. 



The air that is impregnated with the exha- 

 lations of these trees is reckoned very whole- 

 some, particularly for phthisical persons; and 

 the fresh cones boiled in whey, and beer 

 brewed with the tender tops of the branches 

 of the spruce, are accounted good in invete- 

 rate scurvies. 



From the resin which this tree yields by 

 incision, Burgundy pitch and turpentine are 

 procured. 



The American spruce, alba and nigra. 



The cones, both of the white and the black 

 spruce, were sent from Virginia to England by 

 Mr. Bannister, about the year 1700, and 

 several trees were raised from them, in the 

 gardens of Compton, Bishop of London, at 

 Fulham, and at some other places. About 

 the same time cones were also brought from 

 Newfoundland, from which many fine trees 

 were raised in Devonshire. The white spruce 

 is known by a pale bluish-green leaf, and it is 

 from this variety principally that the essence 

 of spruce is obtained, which is so celebrated 



p 4 



