2o8 The Ottawa Naturalist. | February 



Brunswick was red spruce proper {P. rubra). Mr. Stewart en- 

 quired if it was known that black spruce grew any merchantable 

 size anywhere. No one had ever heard of black spruce making 

 merhantable wood. 



Prof. Macoun had collected the three spruces at Eastman's 

 Springs, near the Mer Bleue. In the latter bog the black spruce was 

 common. He had noted a law in the fruiting of spruces, namely, 

 that white spruce always had the top cones on the tips of the 

 branches hanging down ; red spruce had them half-way down ; 

 whilst black spruce had its cones close to the trunk, and these 

 stay on for ten years, and even over twenty years. White spruce 

 lose their cones soonest, red next. You will generally find the 

 cones of the white spruce tree on the ground. Pollination in 

 spruces was also discussed by Prof. Macoun. He stated that 

 whereas the tops of spruce trees were often crowded with cones, 

 as much as a bushel at the very top, the lower limbs of the tree 

 were covered with pollen. 



Regarding the character of colour of the wood of the spruces, 

 it was noted that the wood of the white spruce was white, that of 

 the black spruce more resinous and hence darker, while the colour 

 of the wood of the red spruce was very near that of the black, 

 hence the term "black spruce" given to red spruce in New 

 Brunswick and elsewhere. In the discussion, Messrs. Campbell, 

 Clarke, Attwood and others took part. Through the kindness of 

 Prof. D, P. Penhallow, of the Botanical Laboratory of McGill 

 University, Montreal, Mr. Ami was able to show, with the aid of 

 the microscope, thin sections of the three spruces discussed dur- 

 igg the evening. Microscopical sections revealed the structure of 

 wood beautifully, and marked differences were observed. The 

 microscopical test was always crucial and proved most satis- 

 factory. 



What is Nature Study ? 



Putting the definition of the Nature Study movement in one 

 concrete sentence, I should state it as follows : *' The Nature 

 Study movement is the outgrowth of an effort to put the child 

 into contact and sympathy with its own life." 



L. H. Bailey, Ithaca, N.Y. 



