170 THE BOOK OF EVERGREENS. 



obtaining some age, the trees generally present a rather 

 sickly and open appearance, which is the reverse of orna- 

 mental. On particularly favorable soils we have seen very 

 good specimens, but they are so rare that it is unwise to 

 expect perfection ; and especially is this the case on thin, 

 gravelly soils. 



'The timber of this species is valuable for many pur- 

 poses, the body of the tree furnishing long, straight logs, 

 and the wood is light, very elastic, and strong. As fuel, 

 however, it is quite inferior, owing to the quantity of air 

 contained in it, which causes a continual snapping, such 

 as is usually observed in burning chestnut. The celebrat- 

 ed Spruce-beer is made from an infusion of the young 

 branchlets of this tree, and furnishes a popular drink. 



VaFi r libra. $ Michaux. RED SPRUCE. Syn. A. rubra, 

 Poiret. We do not think this sufficiently distinct to form 

 a separate species. Michaux first examined it thoroughly, 

 and classed it as a variety of A. nigra ; and Loudon re- 

 marks: "As the variety appears tolerably distinct in 

 British gardens, as far as respects the color of the cones, 

 we have, for convenience' sake, given it as a species ; though 

 we entirely agree with Michaux in thinking it only a va- 

 riety." 



Although Poiret, Lambert, Pursh, and others, have de- 

 scribed it as a true species, they appear to have no founda- 

 tion for their claims, excepting in its larger and redder 

 cones and reddish-brown bark. However this may be, 

 the Black and Red Spruces are found growing in the same 

 localities, are equally valuable for timber, and in all char- 

 acteristics excepting those mentioned are precisely alike. 



Var. puinila, ICnight. Is a dwarf, stunted bush, only 

 3 or 4 feet in height, and forms a dense little plant with 

 quite slender foliage. Not yet found in our collections. 



5, A. obovata, Loudon. OBOVATE-CONED SPRUCE. 

 Syn. A. Wittrnanniana, Harticess ; A. Ajanensis, and A. 



