CHAPTER XXVIII. 
FIRS. 
THE DANTZIC FIR TREE ( Pinus sylvestns ). 
The wood of this tree takes its name from the port of 
shipment, the forests from which it is drawn being spread 
over very large districts in Prussia proper, Prussian 
Poland, and upon the borders of Russia, whence the 
timber, after being prepared partly in the round and 
partly in the square state, is floated in large rafts down 
the River Vistula to Dantzic, advantage being taken of 
this mode of transit for bringing considerable quantities of 
■corn from the interior to be shipped to foreign maikets. 
These trees frequently grow to a great height, and 
throw out numerous branches; they yield the Dantzic Fir 
of commerce in the shape of rough spars foi masts, 
from small to medium sizes ; timber, varying from 11 to 
20 inches square and from 18 to 45 an< ^ occasionally 
even greater lengths ; deals of various thicknesses, fiom 
2 to 5 inches and 18 to 50 feet in length; railway 
sleepers, &c., &c., which are shipped in large quantities 
■chiefly to this country. 
The Dantzic Fir is known locally as Redwood, 
although its colour is whitish, and only slightly tinged 
with red. It is even and straight in the grain, tough, 
elastic, and easily worked, and as it is moderately hard 
' in texture, as well as of light weight (the specific gravity 
being only about 582), it is used more generally, and in 
much larger quantities, than any other kind of Fir for 
building purposes. It is characteristic of it to have a 
large amount of alburnum or sap-wood, especially upon 
