THE PINE SUB-FAMILY. 157 



young branchlets of the A., nigra furnish an excellent es- 

 sence for forming a popular drink known as "Spruce 

 Beer." Tanning properties are also contained in the bark 

 of some of the genus, and particularly in that of the A. 

 Canadensis, which, in some districts where these trees are 

 very abundant, is exceedingly valuable, and large numbers 

 of them are destroyed for this purpose alone. 



In parks and pleasure grounds the true Spruces are of 

 the greatest importance, combining as they do a regular 

 conical form with a graceful drooping habit, almost unob- 

 tainable in the other genera. Take, for instance, the pop- 

 ular Norway Spruce, which appears to combine in itself 

 all the points necessary to form a perfect tree, and we 

 have the type of the genus. 



It A. alba, Michaux. WHITE OR SINGLE SPRUCE. 

 Leaves, from \ to f or j- of an inch long, erect, rather slender, 

 rigid, scattered, needle-shaped, incurved, light glaucous- 

 green color. Cones, from 1 to 2 inches long, oblong-cylin- 

 drical, with entire scales. Seeds, very small, with the 

 wing f- of an inch long. 



We have always been pleased with the appearance of 

 this hardy little tree, on account of its compact habit of 

 growth, regular conical outline, and soft, glaucous-green 

 color ; and although the branches may have a stiff and 

 formal look, the general outline is so perfect that one loses 

 sight of this imperfection. Its greatest beauty is seen in 

 the young trees, for after having arrived at mature age 

 the foliage becomes deficient and the effect is lost in a 

 measure. 



The White Spruce is a native of the northern portions 

 of the United States, Canada, etc., extending very far 

 north to the extreme confines of vegetation, and is gener- 

 ally found along the cold mountain ranges in damp situ- 

 ations, or swampy ground. It grows from 25 to 50 feet 

 in height, according to the nature of the soil and the lati- 

 tude. Nuttall says that Dr. Richardson found it on the 



