156 FOREST commissioner's REPORT. 



State, those with the rockiest and scantiest soil, AVithin that 

 distribution it is on precisely the most meager soils as a rule 

 that spruce is most prominent in the natural growth, while 

 the more fertile and better drained regions are turned over to 

 predominant hard woods. With elevation in vertical height, too, 

 goes cold and roughness in climate, and it seems to be pre- 

 ciseh^ that degree of rigor which in our State is secured by 

 the highest seneral elevation of the land that ministers to the 

 finest development of spruce. These elements, of course, 

 affect the result in combination, and the effect of each would 

 be hard to disengage from that of the rest. In general, how- 

 ever, their weight in the connection is clear. Spruce seems 

 to love the rou<>hest conditions that our State has to oiler. 

 The coldest slopes, the highest elevations bjirring the actual 

 mountain tops, the most meager soils down to those which it 

 itself produces and maintains are conditions on which spruce 

 thrives. Here it is iit liome. Here it is easiest for it to 

 maintain its predominance over other native species. 



A brief consideration of just how spruce stands in our coun- 

 trv will be of value. If it is to be a topic in literature a 

 nomenclature should, for convenience and accurac}' of desig- 

 nation, be established. That will not here be attempted. 

 For that we should wait till more thorough and rounded study 

 of our forests has been made. 



ftanmli" in Little of our spruce is foun<l in pure groves. 

 luudwo'ods. j^j^^^.j^ ^^£ j|. j,-i(]eed stands on what is really hard 



wood land — land, that is, on which deciduous trees form not 

 less than two-thirds or three-fourtlis of the natural cover. 

 Here, in fact, it is common knowledge among lumbermen, are 

 found the largest and finest spruce trees. The usual maximum 

 heiaht of sj^ruce in Maine might be fairly set at eightv feet, 

 and two feet at breast high is a large diameter. These dimen- 

 sions are attained as frequently as anywhere in hard wood 

 land . 



Fine quality also seems to go along with this situation. 

 (Ireat length in a tree ensures that it tapers slowly, and con- 

 sequently yields well to the saw\ Spruce in hard wood 



