TREES GROWING IN RICH SOIL. 



231 



the branchlels. Oval, or cylindrical; very soft to the touch and falling at the 

 end of the year. Scales : broadly obovate; rounded or twolobed at the apex; 

 entire. 



As the tall shaft of the white spruce raises itself above the 

 level of surrounding things and spreads its branches until 

 they form a cone-shaped outline, it stands distinct and clear 

 against the monotonous skyline. Nature shows us many little 

 differences : nothing to her is insignificant. We notice therefore 

 that the needles of the spruces have fine and sharp points and 

 that they are arran,:;cd all about and on every side of the little 

 i)ranchlets. The fir trees have blunt-pointed needles, and the 

 under sides of their twigs are not covered by them. That this 

 tree may not be confused with the black spruce, its bark and 

 foliage are both lighter in colouring ; and the scales of its 

 cones are thinner and more papery to the touch than either 

 those of the black or red spruce. (Pages 227 and 258). Of its 

 clear, exquisitely white or faint yellow wood the best specimens 

 have been compared to satin-wood. It is much used for fine 

 interior finish. 



BALSAfl FIR. 



BALn OF OILEAD FIR. 



Abt'h balsdmea. 



{Plate CXXF.) 



FAMILY SHAPE HEIGHT RANGE TIME OF BLOOM 



Pine. Pyramidctl; branches, ^o-to/eet. Northward to Minn. April, May. 



horizontal. 



southward to 11'. I 'a. 



Bark: grey; smooth and horizontally marked as thongh with blisters. Little 

 branchlets growing at an angle of forty-five degrees to the larger ones. Leaves : 

 one-half or barely an inch long; simple; growing singly and flatly along the 

 branchlets; needle-shaped; notched or blunt at the apex; very flat; straight; 

 grooved above and having a raised ridge below; dark blue-green above; 

 silvery bluish white below ; evergreen. (9i/^«r." aromatic. Cones: small; from 

 two to hardly four inches long; violet colour when young, becoming light 

 iirown ; growing erectly on the upper sides of the branches. Scales : broadly 

 rounded; flat and thin; opening and falling when the seeds are ripe. The 

 inner bract of the scales tipped with a bristle. Sceih : resinous. 



Here we have the Christmas tree, the one most often 

 chosen from the forest to be the central figure of gay and 

 human scenes. But who that has read Anderson's story, ** Der 

 Tannenbaum," can help sympathising with the little stranger 



