This tree is sometimes called the Red Fir, on account of the reddish-brown colour of the bark; Yellow Fir, by reason of the colour of the wood when cut up; and Scotch Fir, because it is commonly found in Scotland.

This tree grows in certain localities in England, thriving best on light sandy soil. By far the greater part of that used is exported from the Baltic ports of Prussia, Russia, and Sweden. It grows in Scandinavia and Northern Europe generally.

The Northern Pine has particularly well-marked annual rings, the prevailing colour in good wood being a bright very light yellow, which deepens in the thin dark autumn wood to a brownish yellow, owing partly to the larger amount of resin in the wood. The medullary ray is usually invisible, but can be detected very occasionally on close examination. The grain of pine is usually straight, and the wood can be obtained in considerable lengths. It is sometimes full of knots, but the extent of this defect depends on the particular kind, for the timber from different German and Russian ports varies very much in its characteristics.

The sapwood varies in quantity very much. It is inferior, and easily distinguished by its bluish tint.

Northern Pine is a very durable wood - in fact, it is doubtful if even oak is superior to it in this respect. In both wet and dry situations it stands the weather well, and, owing to its cheapness and reliability, it is much the commonest timber used in England. In judging this wood for quality the chief things to look for are: a bright yellowish colour with a good lustre in both spring and autumn wood, regular and narrow annual rings, showing a series of concentric, or as nearly as possible concentric, circles, not more than one-tenth of an inch wide on a transverse section. Rings of varying thickness are a bad sign, showing irregular and exceptional growth. A clammy surface which will stick on the sole of a plane and, when brought to a true surface, has not the shiny silky lustre of good wood, or wood which chokes the teeth of a saw, is bad. Shavings from good wood will always retain their cohesion better, and have greater elasticity than those from bad. A dull chalky appearance (usually found in loose-fibred, wide-ringed timber) is objectionable. Of the various kinds of the Northern Pine imported into this country, the Prussian is undoubtedly the best.

The practice is to name the kind of timber from the port of shipment. This custom was no doubt originated by the timber merchants, and though obviously defective, it still serves to indicate in a general way the quality and sizes of the timber to be obtained.

Stettin, Memel, and Dantzig send what are usually found to be the best timber, perhaps Dantzig the best of all.

The Russian Riga and Archangel deals are next in quality, and Swedish are most inferior.

The native Scotch Fir is of very poor quality, and is not much used except for provincial work, while the small amount of this timber in England is grown purely for landscape ornamentation, being practically useless for any woodworking trade.

Yellow deal is easy to work, clean, and when well-seasoned does not warp or twist much.