30 BULLETIN 153, U. S. DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE. 



NORWAY SPRUCE (Picea excelsa Link). 



Norway spruce has not been planted very extensively anywhere in 

 the eastern United States. Becanse of its compact crown, especially 

 when young, and the tenacity of its lower branches, this species has 

 found favor in the Middle West for windbreaks of one to three or 

 four rows. It will probably increase in favor. The tree prefers a 

 fresh, well-drained, loamy soil, but in New England has succeeded 

 fairly well on a sandy one. A young plantation on very sandy land 

 in central Michigan, however, while still alive, is making a height 

 growth of only 2 or 3 inches a year, while Scotch pine on a similar 

 site is growing at the rate of from 6 inches to 2 feet a year. 



Norway spruce is decidedly tolerant, and to obtain timber of the 

 best form it should be spaced as closely as 5 by 5 feet to 6 by 6 feet. 

 For windbreak purposes, however, the spacing should be not less 

 than 12 by 12 feet, in order to insure that the lower branches will 

 remain alive and bear foliage. Timber from such trees, while not 

 clear, is of fair quality, and has been used in the Middle West for 

 farm buildings. Norway spruce is also suitable for underplanting 

 old groves of trees with naturally open crown covers, such as black 

 walnut or cottonwood, and stands becoming open through deteriora- 

 tion. The species grows nearly as fast as white pine, and on loamy 

 soils would probably be a good tree to plant in mixture with the latter. 

 It appears to be hardy as far west as central Iowa, but west of that 

 it is ragged and scrubby when mature, at the age of about 40 years. 

 Some nurserymen attribute this to the severe winds in that region; 

 though the extremely high summer temperatures and low humidi- 

 ties may have something to do with it, since spruce is naturally a 

 tree of relatively cool regions with high humidities. Where exposed 

 to severe winds, as on the New England coast, the tree is likely to be 

 broken off or its top bent. 



For the Middle West, Norway spruce has been assigned a stumpage 

 value of $9 for lumber and $2.50 for cordwood, and for the northeast 

 region $5 for lumber and $1 for cordwood. 



BLACK WALNUT (Juglans nigra Linn.). 



Black walnut does well tliroughout the central hardwood region, 

 and as far west as the Missouri River. It is a hardy tree, and though 

 seldom planted in the Eastern States there is no reason why it should 

 not succeed there. For its best development, however, the tree 

 requires deep clay or sandy loam soils, which, of course, are also 

 excellent for agriculture. For this reason alone it is not likely to be 

 planted to any great extent. 



Black walnut is easily propagated by planting the nuts in the fall 

 on the permanent site. The tree is decidedly intolerant, and sheds 

 its lower brandies readily even with a relatively wide spacing. One 



