8 BULLETIN 327, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



smooth, but twigs of the far northwestern forms of this species are 

 apt to be finely downy. A notable distinguishing character of the 

 foliage and young twigs is the fetid, polecatlike odor they emit, 

 especially when bruised. Foliage a year old or older gives off a much 

 less distinct odor, while the odor of foliage from different trees varies 

 greatly in intensity. 



Th$ pendulous cones (Pis. II and III) are borne mostly at the top 

 of the tree, but occasionally a few are produced on the middle and 

 lower crown branches. They reach maturity by the end of one sum- 

 mer, when they may be light grass-green tinged with red or bright 

 rose-red. The small, light, yellow-brown seeds (PL III, a) are shed 

 in September. After shedding their seeds the cones are a light clay- 

 brown. Being lightly attached to the twigs, they usually fall from 

 the trees during autumn or by the following spring. They vary in 

 length from about 1 inch to nearly 2^ inches, but are usually about 

 If inches long. When open and dry the cone-scales are so thin and 

 flexible that they can be squeezed together without breaking them. 

 The seed-leaves (PL III, 5), which vary in number from 6 to 9, are 

 slender and from one-half to nearly three- fourths of an inch long. 



The wood of white spruce is pale yellowish-white, rather soft in 

 texture, straight-grained, and with very narrow growth rings; the 

 thin layer of sapwood is only slightly paler than the heartwood. 

 White spruce wood ranks fourth in weight among native spruces, a 

 cubic foot of seasoned wood weighing 25^ pounds. Commercially 

 the white spruce is one of the two most important timber spruces of 

 northeastern North America. 1 Here it is extensively cut for lumber, 

 which is used in general construction work and for interior finish. 

 Large quantities are also cut for paper pulp. In its western range 

 white spruce is locally used chiefly for lumber in rough construction 

 work. 



1 Stewardson Brown believes there is a second distinct species of white spruce which he 

 found in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta and British Columbia. He describes this tree 

 as growing at low altitudes in wet ground and on river bottoms, where it often occurs to 

 the exclusion of all other trees. Dr. N. L. Britton (" North American Trees," p. 58, 

 1908) has given this species the common name " Western white spruce " and states that 

 it ranges "from Wyoming and Montana north and westward into British Columbia." 

 Mr. Brown's description of the tree follows : 



"This species has been referred by authors to Picea canadensis (Mill.), B. S. P., and 

 P. mariana (Mill.), B. S. P., to both of which it bears a certain resemblance, but from 

 two months' experience with the tree during the past season in the region from Banff, 

 Alberta, to Field, British Columbia, I am satisfied that it is quite distinct from either, 

 and therefore propose for it the following name : 



" Picea albertiana sp. nov. — A slender tree, attaining a height of over 15 meters. 

 Twigs and sterigmata smooth and shining or occasionally slightly granular but never 

 glaucous, yellowish brown when young, becoming darker with age ; sterigmata strongly 

 reflexed and standing out frequently more than 1 millimeter from the twigs ; leaves pale, 

 blue or blue green, surrounding the stem and crowded toward the upper side, at the ends 

 of the branches, 1.5 to 2.5 centimeters loag, f»u-r-sided, with three, four, or sometimes five 

 rows of stomata on each side, incurved, acute, or acuminate with a rigid tip ; cones 



