Teachers' Leaflet. 



517 



References. — " The Tree Book," Rogers. " Our Native Trees," 

 Keeler. "A Guide to the Trees," Lounsberry. " Familiar Trees," 

 Mathews. " First Book of Forestry," Roth. " Cornell Nature-Study," 

 Leaflet p. 333. 



THE NORWAY 

 SPRUCE. 



Preliminary Work. — This 

 particular spruce is selected 

 because it is grown everywhere 

 in our State as an ornamental 

 tree. However, in those 



schools situated in the Adiron- 

 dack region, a study should be 

 made of our native spruces. 

 The study of the Norway 

 spruce may well begin with a 

 geography lesson on the Nor- 

 way spruce by reading from 

 geography readers " Northern 

 Europe," p. 11; "Modern 

 Europe," chapter V; H. H. 

 Boysen's " Stories of Norse 

 Life." In the reading or the 

 talks about Norway emphasize 

 the fact that heavy snows 

 cover the lands in winter. 



Norway spruce. 



LESSON LXXXIL 



THE tree. 



Purpose. — To call attention to the peculiarities of the tree so that it 

 may be recognized at a glance. 



A sketch should be made of the tree if possible, paying especial 

 attention to its outline, and the angle at which the branches come off the 

 trunk. Note that it is a pyramid with a central stem, that the angle 

 between the lower branches and the trunk is much wider than between 

 the upper branches and the trunk. Note especially the peculiar way the 

 twigs droop on each side of the lower branches. By suggestion make 

 the pupils see that this peculiarity is a device for shedding snow. Snow is 

 one of the enemies of evergreens since it breaks their branches, and if a 

 tree is native to a snowy country it will succeed better if it sheds the 

 snow. Note that unless a spruce tree has been trimmed its lower branches 

 sweep the ground ; this is a point of beauty. 



