110 FAMILIAR TREES 



soil that in England or Scotland, can be profitably 

 cultivated for agricultural crops, that the Spruce has 

 not been so extensively planted as the Pine and the 

 Larch, which flourish in drier and more barren soils. 



The wood of the Spruce is generally white, more 

 elastic, less resinous, and consequently lighter, than 

 that of the Scotch Pine. When grown in the open, 

 where large branches may be broken off, it is apt to be 

 very knotty ; but in denser forests, where it is drawn 

 up, it is fine and even in grain. It has been largely 

 imported from Norway "in the round," for masts, 

 spars, scaffolding, and ladders. These are, however, 

 the smaller trees, imported with the bark on. The 

 larger trees are sawn up, and are known as White 

 Baltic, Norway, Christiania, or Danzig deal. They are 

 much used in building, both for joists and for floor- 

 ing, while of late years immense quantities have been 

 brought over in a manufactured state as door and 

 window frames or cheap furniture. This timber is un- 

 doubtedly inferior to that of the Scotch Pine, and one 

 cause which has hitherto militated against its employ- 

 ment for some purposes, such as paving-blocks, is the 

 fact that it is found very difficult to treat with creosote. 

 By the recently introduced system known as Powel- 

 lising it may, however, be easily treated with a sac- 

 charine solution. The waste is used in Sweden and 

 Belgium for matches and paper-pulp. The wood is 

 durable when kept dry, and its grain adapts it for 

 carving, polishing, or gilding. 



The resin, though less abundant than that of the 

 Pines, is of considerable A*alue. It oozes as a fine 

 yellow turpentine, known as " Spruce rosin " or 



