NORWAY SPRUCE 187 



not durable when exposed to the soil. The heartwood is 

 yellowish white, varying somewhat in color with locality, 

 with thin and quite white sapwood. There is little differ- 

 ence in color or hardness between spring and summer 

 growth. The medullary rays are small and inconspicuous. 

 It is of medium hardness but rather easily worked. In gen- 

 eral characteristics the wood closely resembles that of our 

 native Red Spruce, and can be used for the same purposes. 

 In Europe it is largely devoted to general construction, 

 where not exposed to the weather, and for interior finish. 

 It is not as heavy or as durable as the European Larch, 

 which is there largely used for outdoor work. The bark is 

 used in tanneries in Europe, though not heavily charged 

 with tannin. 



Norway Spruce is a moderate but frequent seed-bearer, 

 the cones ripening the first year. The percentage of fer- 

 tility in the seeds is not very high, but their abundance 

 compensates for that. It may be grown by planting seeds, 

 but growing plants in a nursery is largely followed in 

 Europe. There is little difficulty in growing a supply of 

 plants and the treatment in the nursery beds should be the 

 same as for White Pine, and, like that, it is best to trans- 

 plant them in the nursery once before setting them out in 

 the forest, as they are rather slow growers for the first 

 four or five years. After that, they grow vigorously, and 

 in suitable soils as rapidly as White Pine. It will, no 

 doubt, prove in some situations a useful companion for 

 that tree, being one of the very few species which can be 

 recommended or even tolerated for that purpose. They 

 can be set out in alternate rows or alternately in each row. 

 If no mishap comes to the Pines, the Spruces can all be 

 removed as thinning progresses; but if anything happens 

 to the Pines, then there will be a stand of Spruce ; or they 

 may be allowed to grow together until mature, if nothing 

 happens to either. It is more valuable for pulp than Pine ; 

 in fact, is as useful for that purpose as our native Spruces, 

 and it would bring a greater revenue from thinning than 



