The Fill. 



way Spruce, it produces the deals that come from that 

 country, and it grows sometimes to the height of 150 feet. 

 The second and fifth sorts, which differ but little from each 

 other, do not appear to be of much use, except as orna- 

 mental trees. The first is of European origin, and it is 

 said to grow very high ; but that of America rarely exceeds 

 forty feet in height, and the wood, according to Michaux, 

 is inferior to that of the other Spruces. The third sort, 

 namely, Abies Alba, is also called the Single Spruce : it 

 rarely exceeds the height of fifty feet ; its timber is inferior 

 to that of the Black Spruce, and its boughs are not good 

 for the making of spruce beer. The fourth sort, namely, 

 the Ameiican Black or Double Spruce^ is a very valuable 

 tree : it attains the height of seventy or eighty feet, while 

 the diameter of the bottom of the trunk does not exceed 

 above twenty inches. It is used as masts for ships, and is 

 exceedingly useful in this respect. The knees of vessels 

 are, at Boston, sometimes made of the Black Spruce, formed 

 by the base of the trunk and one of the principal roots. 

 MrcHAUX says that it is tougher than the White Pine, but 

 more liable to crack. The tree will flourish in the coldest 

 and poorest of land; and Michaux says that the wood has 

 been proved to be, in Europe, superior to the Norway 

 Pine. The twigs of this tree are boiled in water, with a 

 certain quantity of treacle or sugar, and the mixture is left 

 to ferment. When the fermentation is over, the beer is fit 

 to drink. The essence of Spruce is obtained by boiling the 

 ends of the young branches in water, and then evaporating 

 the water by boiling, until you have an extract left ; and 

 this extract is the essence of Spruce, which is brought to 

 England in great quantities, but which might be made here 

 as well as in America. This being a matter of some little 

 im[)ortance, I ought to mention that Michaux notices, that 

 Sir a. B. Lambert asserts that it is the White Spnicc 



