98 
TIMBER 
Black Spruce {Picea nigra) is a medium-sized but 
important tree in the eastern States chiefly used for the 
manufacture of pulp, and great quantities of this as well 
as of white spruce are used for that purpose. Others of 
the species are Bed spruce (P. ruhens), closely allied to 
the above, Engelmann spruce (P. engelmanni), and Sitka 
spruce or Tideland spruce (P. sitchensis), which grow 
plentifully in British Columbia, and the latter particularly 
is largely used on the west coast for doors, window frames, 
and shelving and interior finishing, and is a valuable pulp 
wood. Spruce is one of the resonance woods and is a good 
deal used as sounding boards for pianos, violins, etc. 
Myrtle or Laurel {Umhellularia calif ornica) , a Calif ornian 
tree, produces timber of light brown colour of great size 
and beauty, and is very valuable for cabinet and inside 
work, as it takes a fine polish. 
Cherry is found extensively in the western States and 
Canada. The wood is fine grained and of moderate hard- 
ness, the colour a beautiful reddish or yellowish brown, not 
difiicult to work, has a satin-like surface when smoothed, and 
takes a fine pohsh which somewhat resembles mahogany ; 
the pores are small and indistinct, the medullary rays very 
distinct but fine. The Black Cherry {Pnums serotina), a 
tree of 50 to 80 ft. high, is especially esteemed and can be 
obtained in wide boards ; cherry mellows and grows richer 
in colour with age, the varieties with wavy textures are 
particularly beautiful ; the timber is mostly used for cabinet 
work and furniture, turnery, walking-sticks, etc. The wild 
cherry of Canada also goes by the name of buckthorn. 
Stained birch is often used as a substitute for cherry. 
Oaks.— There are something like fifty species of oak in 
the United States and Canada : it is the White Oak {Qiiercus 
