Excerpt from Studies in Forest Pathology, Vol. 1: Decay in Balsam Fir (Abies Balsamea, Mill.)

Until about thirty years ago very little balsam fir was out either for pulp wood or lumber but, from that time Onward, as the available supplies of pine and spruce became scarcer or more inaccessible, this species was utilized in gradually increasing quantities until, during the ten-year period ending in 1922, there was approximately half as much balsam fir as spruce used for pulp wood in Quebec. Since, during this period spruce constituted about two-thirds of the total amount of timber utilized for pulp, it is evident that balsam fir formed about one -third of the total cut for this purpose. There is no reason to believe that the latter species will become of less importance in the pulp wood industry, - rather the indications are that in the future it will be used to a much greater extent than is the case at present.

For several reasons there has always been a prejudice against the use of balsam fir for pulpwood, the principal objections raised being (1) inferior fibre as compared with spruce, (2) occurrence Of more resin in this species than in spruce, (3) low yield per cord, and (4) tendency to decay. As far as actual length of tracheids or fibres of balsam fir is concerned, the wood seems to com pare very favourably with spruce. Thus, the average length of tracheids in the former is millimetres while in white spruce, red spruce, and black spruce the average lengths are and millimetres respectively. However, there is no doubt that the tracheids of balsam fir are weaker than those of spruce and, as the wood is used at present, yield a lower quality of pulp than does spruce. The reason for the second Objection is difficult to under stand on account of the fact that neither resin cells nor resin canals occur normally in balsam fir as they do in spruce. When resin canals do occur in the former it is as the result of injury or wounding, and it would not be at all likely that much resin would be produced in this way as occurs naturally in spruce. The bark of balsam fir, however, is very rich in resin and it is possible that the resin complained of may be due either to the wood having been imperfectly rossed, or to the accidental transference in some way Of resin from the bark to the surface of the wood. In any case it is not due to the inherent quality of the wood, but rather to faulty processes of treatment.

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