PART I. 

 THE SPRUCE INVESTIGATION. 



THE SPRUCE IN WEST VIRGINIA. 



Before entering into a de- 

 tailed discussion of the re- 

 sults of investigations to de- 

 termine the cause of trou- 

 bles, which from time to 

 time resulted in the death 

 of great quantities of spruce 

 timber, it seems desirable to 

 give a review of some re- 

 sults of observations regard- 

 ing the spruce, the areas oc- 

 cupied by it in the State, 

 and the conditions which 

 have from time to time con- 

 tributed to its destruction. 



COMMON AND TECHNICAL 

 NAMES. 



As is unfortunately the 

 case with many of our com- 

 mon species of plants and 

 animals, there has been 

 much confusion, due to the 

 many common and scientific 

 names applied to the spruce 

 of the Allegheny Moun- 

 tains. It is known in differ- 

 ent localities as pine, yew 

 pine, spruce, spruce pine, 

 hemlock, black spruce and 

 red spruce. 

 Fig. i. -A typical specimen of the Black It has also been described 



Spruce on left of pictnre, and , 



soil in which it grow. under a number of technical 



