Balsam fir.

The spruces.

Hemlock.

Wild cherries.

White cedar.

Timber larger than on the continent.

Curran ts and berries.

seen it have very good effects in colds and coughs. The timber is valuable on account of its durability, making the best knees for ship building, and the best trunnels of any wood which grows in this climate.

5‘“, Fir (pinus balsam/a.) This tree yields a fine balsam, contained in small blisters on the outside of the bark, (commonly known by the name of Canada balsam) it is used both internally and externally. The timber of this tree is coarse and brittle, and is seldom used where pine can be obtained, where the grain of a fir tree does not twist so much as to prevent it being split, it makes good rails for fencing, for which it is much used, and also for lath wood.

6‘“. Spruce (pinus canadensis.) Of this we have three varieties, 15‘. The black spruce, which often grows into a large tree, fit for masts and spars: of the tops of this tree, the spruce beer, now so well known in England, is made. 2“. White Spruce, this is a wood of very little value, but being light, is sometimes used for spars and rafters, where that quality recommends it. 3". Red Spruce, this wood is not so valuable as black spruce, but much superior to white spruce, it sometimes grows on old cleared lands which have been long out of cultivation, in which situation, it forms very ornamental groves, its figure being regularly conical, and feathered to the ground.

7‘", Hemlock (pinus abies.) This tree is next in size to the white pine, to which, however, it is much inferior; its chief value is for making wharfs or building in the water, in which situation it is more durable than any other timber of this climate; the bark is excellent for tanning leather, and the tops yield a medicine, which has been found very powerful in scorbutic complaints;

Wild Cherry (prunus virginiana.) Of this we have several varieties, which have not yet been properly distinguished, but none of them are of any value, the only use ever made of them is to put them into spirits, for which they are said to answer as well as the best cherries, making good cherry rum and cherry brandy, the trees grow in great numbers in land newly cleared, unless kept down by its being cultivated, and are particularly fond of situations where the original timber has been destroyed by fire, they are of very quick growth, but never grow to a size to make their timber of any value, and do not live above fifteen or twenty years.

White Cedar (thu/a occidental/s.) This tree is common only in the north west corner of the Island, where it occupies a considerable district, it is a very different tree from the red cedar of more southern climates.

Having gone through the catalogue of forest trees, I think it proper to observe, that the timber of the Island, is allowed to be much better than the like species on the neighbouring part of the Continent, being of a finer, and closer grain and texture, not so subject to shakes and defects, the pines, black birch, beech, and maple, are also larger than they are generally found on the adjacent parts of the Continent.

It is not in my power to describe with scientific accuracy, the indigenous shrubs and

vegetables of the Island; many of them are known only to me by trifling names which

can convey no information, I shall therefore only briefly take notice of the most common.

The Black Currant (ribes nigrum) is very common in low rich moist land

Wild Gooseberry (ribes grossu/aria) is also very common in the borders of the forest, and is often found in the old French cleared lands

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