The Fir. 



tanning In the countries wliere it grows ; and, though it is 

 doubtless inferior to the bark of the Oak, it is used for the 

 tanning of leather, and very good and substantial leather 

 comes from the process. It is used for this purpose at 

 Boston and New Providence, and even in the State of New 

 York; and, Michaux says, sometimes so far south as 

 Baltimore. It is brought from the North, that is to say, 

 from the district of Maine, to the parts of the United States 

 just mentioned. Its deep red colour is imparted to the 

 leather ; and, Michaux says, that he has been informed 

 by tanners, that though of itself it is inferior to the Oak 

 bark, the two species united are better than either of them 

 alone. 



262. As to the Pines, Miller coxmt'^ fourteen sorts, and 

 Michaux adds several that Miller knew nothing about. 

 It would be useless to make particular mention of each of 

 these. I shall therefore notice only, first, the Scotch Pine 

 or Fir, {Pinus Sylvestm,) 2. The Norway Red Pine. 

 {Pirns Rubra.) 3. The American White Pink, {Pinus 

 Strobus) ; and, 4. The American Pitch Pine, {Pinus 

 Rigida) . 



263. As to the first of these, the Scotch Fir, every body 

 in England knows too much about it, seeing that it now 

 covers hundreds of thousands of acres that might have been 

 covered by some valuable Pine, or by some other tree; for 

 I know of no ground where the Scotch Fir will grow, on 

 which Birch or Locust would not grow. The second, 

 namely, the Norway Red Pine, is that which produces 

 the best timber ; the same Pine is found in abundance in 

 America, and is there also called the Red Pine. It attains 

 the height of seventy or eighty feet, and two feet or more 

 of diameter at its base. The cone is small, not being more 



