218 



THE ARCTIC PRAIRIES 



Another, a dwarf but 8 feet high, was 12 inches 

 through. It had 205 rings plus a 5-inch hollow which 

 we reckoned at about 100 rings of growth; 64 rings 

 made only If inches; the outmost of the 64 was 2 

 inches in from the outside of the wood. Those on the 

 outer two inches were even smaller, so as to be ex- 

 ceedingly difficult to count. This tree was at least 

 300 years old; our estimates varied, according to the 

 data, from 300 to 325 years. 



These, then, are the facts for extremes. In Idaho 

 or Connecticut it took about 10 years to produce the 

 same amount of timber as took 300 years on the edge 

 of the Arctic Zone. 



White spruce 



(Like a red banana) 



Black spruce 



(Like a purple plum) 



