FIR - COMMERCIAL WOOD Under this heading are grouped the true firs of the botanical genus Abies. Douglas fir, which is known by a wide variety of names, is a distinct genus, and not a fir at all; neither does it have much in common with the true firs since it is much heavier and stronger than these woods.
Of the various true firs, the most important Table 83 Factory Uses of Fir Red FIR Purpose Per Cent Boxes and Crates 72 Mill Work 28 Total 100 Alpine FIR Boxes and Crates 62 Mill Work 33 Excelsior 3 Other Uses 2Total 100 Balsam FIR Boxes and Crates 76 Mill Work 20 Car Construction 1 Refrigerators and Kitchen Cabinets. 1 Woodenware and Novelties 1 Other Uses 1 Total 100 White FIR Mill Work 72 Boxes and Crates 27 Other Uses 1 Total 100 are the balsam fir (Abies balsamifera) of the Northern States; the white fir (Abies concolor) of the Rocky Mountain and Pacific Coast region; the Alpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa), which grows in high altitudes in the Western mountains; the noble fir (Abies nobilis), which is most abundant in Oregon; and the red fir (Abies magnifica) of California. The balsam fir of the East, and the Alpine fir of the West, are small trees of very similar character. The white, noble, and red. firs are among the large trees of the regions in which they are found. The wood of all the firs is very light in weight, soft, not strong, brittle, and even-grained, with no great variations in texture. The firs are not largely sawed at present. Fir lumber is chiefly used for boxes and crates, for which purpose the light weight and softness especially fits these woods. The firs also furnish much material for wood pulp.
So far as reported, the factory uses of the firs are summarized in Table 83.
The noble fir is used for the same general purposes as are the other true firs.
Uses reported for balsam fir include: Boxes Frames (door) Boxes (herring) Frames (window) Cases Ironing-table tops Cases (packing) Molding Cases (sardines) Refrigerators Ceiling Sash Clapboards Sheathing Cloth boards Shooks Crates Siding Dairy supplies Suit-case frames Flooring Trim