THE RED SPRUCE. 23 



years on the stump). The tree measured 28 inches in diameter and 

 97 feet in height, and a merchantable log 65 feet in length was cut 

 from it. The central stem measured 200 cubic feet (from 1,200 to 

 1,500 board feet). When cut it was in thrifty growing condition 

 with a long, full crown. The trunk was sound throughout except 

 for a slight discoloration and softness in the sapwood near the top. 

 The late Chas. H. Green, of White Kiver Junction, Vt., gave the fol- 

 lowing details of a tree cut in Pittsfield, Vt., at an elevation of about 

 800 feet above the White River. The tree was cut into four 14-foot 

 logs and a top log of 24 feet. The top diameter of the fifth log was 

 22 inches and the top diameter of the butt log 36 inches. The total 

 scale was 3,590 feet. The tree was upward of 320 years old on the 

 stump and was broken off at a height of 120 feet, where it had a 

 diameter of 5 inches. A companion tree of 30 inches on the stump 

 made six 14-foot logs, the last of which was 12 inches at the top end. 

 He stated that when the logs reached the bank it was decided to 

 blast them open in order to run them in a small stream and that when 

 they reached the Connecticut River the rivermen used them as 

 boats while poling logs out of the eddies. 



SUSCEPTIBILITY TO INJURY. 



PIKE. 



Spruce is particularly suceptible to injury by fire on account of its 

 slow growth in early life, the resinous character of its exudations, 

 and its shallow root system. Ground fires are a menace to young 

 spruce for a much longer period than to many of its associates. Its 

 slow growth delays the formation of a protective corky layer of bark; 

 and the long persistence of its lower branches lays it open to complete 

 destruction by fires which its less tolerent neighbors would escape by 

 having their crowns sufficiently elevated to be out of reach of serious 

 damage. 



On many of the situations where spruce grows the soil is very 

 shallow. It is here dependent in large measure upon the humus and 

 moss cover for the protection of its superficial root system. A surface 

 or ground fire in such a place would almost certainly destroy this 

 protective layer, even though it was not of sufficient intensity to 

 scorch the trunks of the trees. Serious damage to the roots would 

 almost inevitably result, thus causing the death of the stand outright 

 or creating a condition favorable to windthrow. 



On account of the tolerance and consequently the relatively heavy 

 crown of spruce, a large quantity of inflammable debris is left on the 

 ground after lumbering, which makes the fire menace much greater in 

 spruce stands than in those of the pine and other species in the region 

 of its occurrence. This menace persists for several years, probably 

 not less than from 7 to 10 years, even when the tops are lopped. 

 Lopped tops in contact with the ground will have commenced to 



