134 Forests and Trees 



4. SITKA SPRUCE. Picca sitchensis. (Bongard) Carriere. 



This is the largest of all our spruces, growing to a height 

 of one hundred feet, with a diameter of three or four feet, 

 but occasionally reaching a much greater size. The leaves are 

 about an inch long and stand out almost at right angles to the 

 stem. The bark is about half an inch thick, 

 brown or reddish in color, and broken on the 

 surface into large loose scales. The cones 

 are from two to four inches long, green and 

 often tinged with yellowish-red when young. 

 They fall off during the first winter. The 

 wood is light brown or reddish, soft and 

 straight-grained, and is a most valuable 

 lumber. During the war it has been largely 



FIG. lo. Sitka use( j ' m ^ construction of aeroplanes, its 

 Spruce. 



strength and lightness making it particu- 

 larly suitable for that purpose. 



This tree is found in moist, sandy or swampy soil along the 

 whole coast line of British Columbia. As its range does not 

 extend far inland it is sometimes called tide-water spruce. 

 It has been transplanted with some success to Europe and 

 eastern North America. 



5. COLORADO BLUE SPRUCE. Picea pungens. Engelmann. 



This is a beautiful and very variable tree, introduced from 

 the mountains of the southwestern States. It grows rapidly 

 and is easily recognized by the bluish green color of the leaves 

 during their first year. It seems fairly hardy through the 

 prairie region and is likely to be a valuable addition to the ever- 

 greens available for ornamental planting. 



