THE SPECIES. 



35 



and stunted specimens. It seeks wet soil, is abundant around lakes, 

 where it sometimes forms pure forests, and along stream bottoms, and 

 again on high slopes where the moisture from melting snows is peren- 

 nial. Owing to its moderate demand for light, it often forms dense 

 forests, excluding every other form of plant life. It grows also at 

 higher elevations, mixed with fir and pine, and on lower ground may 

 reach a diameter of 4 and a height of over 100 feet. 



The botanical characters of 

 Engelmann spruce are seen in 

 its various parts. Its leaves 

 are about 1 inch long, and 

 often covered with a whitish 

 bloom, especially in younger 

 specimens. They are sharp 

 pointed and stand out in all 

 directions from the twig. The 

 cones are produced in num- 

 bers near the ends of the 

 branches. They are about 2 

 inches in length and three- 

 fourths of an inch in diam- 

 eter, with thin scales, and 

 bracts only minutely visible 

 at the base of the scale. When 

 ripe the scales of the cone 

 spread apart, and the seeds 

 from the tree tops are carried 



great distances. The bark of the tree is thin, scaly, and gray. The 

 wood is light in weight and color. At present lumber is not exten- 

 sively manufactured from spruce in Montana. 



The white spruce is reported as extending southward along the 

 Rocky Mountains into northern Montana. This species extends 

 across the continent from the Atlantic coast northward to Alaska. 

 It is probable that the white spruce is very sparingly distributed in 

 the Rocky Mountains within the United States, and is, of course, un- 

 important. It is described as a tree ordinarily less than 75 feet in 

 height, with a diameter of 1 foot, more or less. The foliage has 

 a light green color, with a whitish tinge, and the young shoots 

 have a fetid odor Avhen crushed. The leaves are somewhat shorter 

 than those of Engelmann spruce, and the cones, usually less than 2 

 inches in length, are soft to the touch. The bark of the tree is 

 brownish in color and broken into thin scales. This is botanically 

 known as Picea Canadensis. 



The blue xpruce (Picea pungens) is found chiefly in the central 

 Rocky Mountain region, but occurs as far north as the Yellowstone 



FIG. IS. Eugelmann Spruce. A, Mature cone; 

 B, leaf ; C, seed ; D, portion of twig ; about 



natural si/.c. 



