PINUS BALSAMEA. 
Balm of Gilead Fk*. 
For Class, Order, Gen. Char. &,c. 
see PiNUS SyLVESTRIS. 
Spec. Char. Leaves solitary, flat, imperfectly 2-ranked. 
Cones cylindrical, erect, with short-pointed scales. Crest of 
the Anthers pointless. 
This tree is a native of the colder climates of North America, 
particularly Canada, Nova Scotia, and New England ; like the other 
species of fir, it delights in high, cold, dry situations, and though it 
has long been cultivated in England, either the climate or soil is not 
congenial to it, for it does not appear to thrive, and seldom survives 
many years. 
The Pinus Balsamea is an elegant tree; it seldom exceeds the 
height of forty feet ; the trunk is straight, from twelve to fifteen 
inches in diameter, covered with a smooth whitish grey bark ; the 
leaves are placed in double rows, are short, hnear, but broader for 
their length than either the Pinus Larix or Sylvestris, and less pointed ; 
of a bright green colour on the upper surface, and marked with 
glaucous lines underneath ; the male catkins are ovate ; the crest of 
anthers kidney-shaped, pointless, or furnished with short spines ; 
the female C9,tkius are furnished with numerous ovate, notched 
bracteas ; the cones stand erect on the branches, and when ripe 
(which is in October) are of a beautiful deep glossy purple colour, 
and exude a great quantity of transparent resin. 
Canada Balsam, as it is improperly called, is the produce of this 
tree : as we have already said it is the purest kind of turpentine, but 
the term balsam is now confined to those resinous substances which 
contain benzoic acid. 
Properties and Uses. The Canadian turpentine yielded by 
this tree, is considered the best, and next to it the Chian ; both 
these species are more transparent, and have a more agreeable 
flavour than the other kinds. Canada turpentine is a transparent 
* Fig, a. represents a ripe cone. b. Scales of a female catkin, 1 its braoteolas. c, A 
seed- d. The anthers. 
VOL II. E ^ 
