20 THE ADIRONDACK SPRUCE 
less than six inches in diameter, are common. Such 
trees have survived on the little sunlight which could 
penetrate the heavy crowns above them, and, although 
not in vigorous health, are capable of continuing the 
struggle to an advanced age. This ability to tolerate 
heavy shade is common to large numbers of forest 
trees, among which both the Beech and the Hard Maple 
excel the Spruce in this regard. But few trees possess 
the wonderful capacity of the Spruce to recover from 
long years of suppression and grow almost or quite as 
vigorously and rapidly after it is ended as though all 
the conditions of life had been favorable from the be- - 
ginning. It is to this capacity more than to any other 
that the Spruce owes its presence in the Adirondack 
forests. Slow of growth in youth, and germinating for 
the most part under heavy shade, the Spruce could not 
survive in the hardwood forest, where it reaches its best 
development, except by the combination of these two 
qualities, the ability to bear shade, and the power to 
flourish when the suppression is over as vigorously as 
though it had never been. 
This power of tolerance is not restricted to early life, 
although very marked at that time, but continues into 
age as well. Thus, at Ne-Ha-Sa-Ne several trees but 
nine inches in diameter were found to have more than 
200 annual rings on the stump, and of eighteen Spruces 
with diameters ranging from 8.5 to 9.4 inches, but seven 
were younger than I50 years, and none were younger 
than 100. One Spruce stump 4.5 inches in diameter 
had 121 annual rings. These trees had grown for years 
