PICE A ALBA, LINK. 17 



Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, through the provinces of Quebec 

 and Ontario to Manitoba and British Columbia, northward beyond 

 all other trees, within 20 miles of the Arctic sea. 



Maine, frequent in sandy soils, often more common than 

 P. rubra, as far south, as the shores of Casco bay ; New Hamp- 

 shire, abundant around the shores of the Connecticut river, 

 disappearing southward at Fifteen-Mile falls ; Vermont, 

 restricted mainly to the northern sections, more common in 

 the northeast ; Massachusetts, occasional in the mountain- 

 ous regions of Berkshire county ; a few trees in Hancock 

 (A. K. Harrington) ; as far south as Amherst (J. E. Hum- 

 phrey) and Northampton (Mrs. Emily H. Terry), probably 

 about the southern limit of the species ; Rhode Island and 

 Connecticut, not reported. 



West through the northern sections of the northern tier of states 

 to the Rocky mountains. 



Habit. A handsome tree, 40-75 feet high, with a diameter 

 of 1-2 feet at the ground, the trunk tapering slowly, throwing 

 out numerous scattered or irregularly whorled, gently ascend- 

 ing or nearly horizontal branches, forming a symmetrical, 

 rather broad conical head, with numerous branchlets and 

 bluish-green glaucous foliage spread in dense planes ; gum 

 bitter. 



Bark. Bark of trunk pale reddish-brown or light gray, on 

 very old trees ash-white ; not as flaky as the bark of the red 

 spruce, the scales smaller and more closely appressecl ; young 

 trees and small branches much smoother, pale reddish-brown 

 or mottled brown and gray, resembling the fir balsam ; branch- 

 lets glabrous ; shoots from which the leaves have fallen marked 

 by the scaly, persistent leaf-cushions ; new shoots pale fawn- 

 color at first, turning darker the second season ; bark of the 

 tree throughout decidedly lighter than that of the red or 

 black spruces. 



Winter Buds and Leaves. Buds scaly, ovoid or conical, about 

 \ inch long, light brown. Leaves scattered, stout as those of 

 P. rubra or very slender, those on the lower side straight or 

 twisted so as to appear on the upper side, giving a brush-like 



