On the very large number and size of trees in the northern countries

IN the northern forests there is a great abundance of firs and pines, juniper and larch,¹ and they are so tall that they can reach the level of high towers. For this reason those that rise nearer the sea are suitable for the yards and masts of great ships, especially the pine trees. These, because of the resin and pitch innate in them, are naturally resistant to rains, so that they do not rot quickly but last for a long period. Yet the cones of firs or pines are not put to any good use, as they are in Italian regions, where a delightful medicine is prepared from them.²