We are all familiar with the sweet, woodsy smell of the Christmas tree. No other tree can take its place. It brings visions of the country, of the woods and fields and flowers, and it will always be dear to us.
The balsam fir can always be distinguished from the spruce by the fact that the needles only come out at the sides of the twig instead of from all directions, as in the spruce, and its end is blunt, whereas that of the spruce is sharply pointed.
Fig. 128. Balsam Fir
The bark of the tree is gray and has tiny blisters which contain the balsam, Canada balsam it is usually called, well known for its healing qualities.
The cones are from two to four inches long, stand upright on the branches, and the wood is not very valuable.
66. The Cedars. No list of evergreen trees would be complete without the cedars. In this group is the well-known hedge tree, arbor vitæ, sometimes erroneously called white cedar. It is famous for its flattened, bright green, scaly leaves, with their strong, pungent odor.
This tree is usually so trimmed that we have very little knowledge as to its real shape and height if allowed to grow naturally; but it is said to reach a height of fifty feet under favorable conditions.
