256 PRACTICAL FOREGTKY. 



around the branches, seldom in rows or ranks as in the Firs. 

 We have five native species. 



Picea alba, Mlchx. — White Spruce. — Leaves needle-shaped, 

 four-angled, one half to an inch long, and distributed all 

 around the branch, those on the underside cui-ving upward ; of 

 a light silveiy-greeu color. Cones one to two inclics long, 

 oblong-cylindrical, with entire scales. Seeds small, with thin 

 wings, about three-eighths of an inch long. A very beautiful 

 tree, especially wliile young. A leather small tree, but some- 

 times fifty feet high. Native of the northern portion of the 

 United States, extending far northward into British America. 

 Wood hght-colored, rather tough and flexible, sometimes used 

 for masts and spars for boats and small vessels on our lakes. 

 There are a few handsome cultivated varieties, the best kno%vn 

 are the Blue Spruce (var. cceridea), with dark bluish-gi-een 

 leaves, and the "Glory Spmce" (var. aiirea), with golden- 

 tinted leaves. 



P. En^relmanni, Parry. — Engelmann's Spruce. — Leaves nearly 

 an inch long, strongly keeled below, abniptly, but not sharp- 

 pointed. Cones one and a half to two inches long, and 

 about thi-ee-fom'ths of an inch in diameter, ovate-cylindrical, 

 and veiy much scattered on the tree. Scales rhombic, with 

 upper ends appearing as though broken off. 



In general outline this species resembles the next, but grows 

 to a larger size, or from sixty to one hundred feet high, with 

 stem two to three feet in diameter. AVood white, soft, or in 

 very old trees, reddish and rather coarse-grained, resembling 

 that of the Eed Spruce of the Eastern States. In Northern 

 New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and northward to British 

 Columbia, in the moimtains at high elevations, often reaching 

 up to the very border of what is teimed " timber fine," or be- 

 tween eleven and twelve thousand feet. 



P. nigra, Poiret. — Black or Double Spruce. — Leaves very short 

 or about a half inch long, stiff and somewhat quadrangular, 

 very dark green. Cones from an inch to an inch and a half 

 long, ovate, or ovate-oblong, duU reddish brown when mature. 

 Scales veiy thin, roundish, with an uneven margin. Seeds 

 small, with rigid wings. A large tree, seventy-five feet high, 

 sometimes higher in deep woods. Wood light-colored, but 

 sometimes reddish, light, strong, well known in all of our 

 Northern States under the name of Eed or Black Spruce tim- 

 ber, and lumber of various forms. The Eed or Black Spruce 



