THE SILVER FIR. 



393 



the same metal suspended to the girdle round 

 their waists. Thus accoutred, the peasants climb 

 to the summits of the loftiest Silver Firs, their 

 shoes being armed with cramping-irons, like spurs, 

 which enter into the bark of the trees and thus 

 support the climber, who also clings to the trunk 

 of the tree with his knees and one arm, while, 

 with his other hand, he presses his cornet to the 

 little tumours which he finds in the bark, to ex- 

 tract the turpentine within them. As soon as a 

 cornet is filled with the clear turpentine, it is 

 emptied into the tin bottle which is suspended 

 from his waist ; and when this bottle is full, its 

 contents are strained into a large leathern bottle 

 of goatskin. The straining is to free the turpen- 

 tine from the leaves and bits of bark and moss 

 which may have fallen into it ; and this is the 

 only preparation that is given to this kind of tur- 

 pentine, which is kept in the goatskins for sale. 

 Besides the turpentine collected from the tumours 

 or blisters, an inferior kind is produced by slightly 

 wounding the bark of the tree. In rich soils the 

 trees will yield their sap twice a year, namely, in 

 spring and August ; but, in general, the tumours 

 are formed only once a year, namely, in spring, 

 and are full of turpentine in August. The 

 tumours are sometimes round, and sometimes 

 oval ; but when the latter, their greatest length is 

 always in a horizontal direction. It is employed, 

 as well as the essential oil which is distilled from 

 it, both in medicine and in the arts. It is 

 the only kind of turpentine, produced by any 

 kind of Pine or Fir, which is used in the prepa- 

 ration of the clear varnishes, and by artists for 

 their colours." The bark may be employed for 



