Handbook of Trees of the Nortiiekn States and Canada. 



25 



This handsome Spruce considerably re- 

 sembles the Balsam Fir in habit of developing 

 when isolated a symmetrical narrow pyramidal 

 head of dense folia^^e, and then usually does 

 attain a greater heiglit east of the Rocky 

 Mountains than 50 or tiU ft. When crowded 

 in forests it attains a much greater height, 

 sometimes even 150 ft., with straight trunk 

 3-4 ft. in diameter. Its bark is reddish brown, 

 rough with irregular scales and its foliage has 

 a marked and characteristic rank odor. In 

 company with the Aspen, Canoe Birch, Balsam, 

 Black Spruce, etc., it be:autifies the banks of 

 streams and lake shores of the far north, 

 scarcely finding even in the climate of our 

 northernmost states a temperature cold 

 enough for its best development. 



The physical properties and uses of the wood 

 of the White Spruce are quite the same as 

 those of the Red Spruce. A cubic foot when 

 thoroughly seasoned weighs 25.25 lbs. 2 



Leaves Mi-1 in. Ion'?, incurved and crowded on 

 the top of the branchlets, 4-sided with stomata on 

 each side, glaucous green and with sharp rigid 

 tips ; branchlets glaucous. Floirers appear in 

 May, oblong-cylindrical : staminate reddish yel- 

 low : pistillate greenish rod with broad rounded 

 entire scales and denticulate bracts. Con's 

 nodding, slender, oblong-cylindrical, nearly sessilo. 

 about 2 in. long, mostly falling in autumn ; obtuse 

 at apex and with very thin nearly orbicular scales 

 truncate or sometimes refuse and entire at apex ; 

 seeds about % in. long with large wing oblique at 

 apex. 



1. Syn. Pica alba Link. 



■-'. .\. W., IV, 100. 



