374 Part IV. Chapter 2. 
Coniferous Forest Formation. Originally the entire northern division of the 
- state of New Hampshire was covered with a dense forest of conifers. It was 
primarily a spruce country‘) and the spruce Picea rubra (= P. rubens Sarg.) 
here attained fine dimensions. White pine, Pinus strobus, t00, covered large 
areas and was mixed with spruce over much of this country. Adzes balsamea 
occurred in mixture on the upper slopes and in the lower moister localities. 
There was originally very little pure hardwood in the forest, and if present it 
was confined to the lower slopes with the spruce in mixture. Associated with 
the trees mentioned above were Acer saccharum, Fagus americana (= F. 
ferruginea) and Thya occidentalis.. South of the northern forest mentioned, 
the flora belongs to the New England Area, but it may be stated here that 
some of the southern species like the white oak, Oxercus alba and the red 
oak ©. ruba, here reached their northern limits and mingled with those more 
characteristic of the north. 
In the White Mountain region Adies balsamea and Picea nigra (= P. 
mariana) grow together in about equal numbers (Abies-Picea-Facies). North 
of the mountains these trees with 7/Auja occidentalis, are the prominent ever- 
greens mingled with Picea alba about Connecticut Lake. In the southern part 
of New Hampshire, they are mostly confined to the highlands between the 
Merrimac and Connecticut rivers, the black spruce Picea nigra being there the 
most abundant tree. 7suga canadensis ranges from the base of the White 
Mountains southward along the highlands. (Tsuga-Facies). It has its 
northern limit in the vicinity of Umbagog Lake reaching an elevation of 
1,200 feet above the sea. Larir americana is found in swamps. — To sum 
up, the original forest formations of the White Mountain country were two 
viz., the coniferous forest formation including the spruce flat facies, the spruce 
slope facies and the deciduous forest formation. 
Spruce Flat Facies. Spruce flats occurred in the moister, lower situations, on the level 
or rolling land around lakes and streams and in the valleys. Picea nigra (= P. mariana) and 
Abies balsamea were the chief species, and on the wetter soils Picen nigra (= P. mariana), Thuja 
oceidentalis and Larix americana were also common. There was often considerable yellow birch, 
Betula lutea and red maple, SER rubrum. Pinus en and Tsuga canadensis were also found 
in great abundance in this formation. 
Spruce Slope Facies. en type of forest occurred on the steeper slopes where the soil 
is shallow. The prineipal species were Picea nigra (= P. mariana) and Abies balsamea in varying 
en and yellow birch, Betula Iutea, ehkhelig often to paper birch, B. papyrifera on the 
upper slopes. The stand was usually dense and where the forest was undisturbed the ground 
was covered with moss. This formation covered the greatest area of any of the forest types in 
northern New Hampshire?), finally characterized as a serubby growth near the mountain summits. 
Deciduous Forest Formation. On the lower slopes and deeper better soils 
hardwoods form a large part of the growth. Here Berula lutea, Acer saccharum 
and Fagus americana are the characteristic trees, with considerable spruce 
I) CHITTENDEN, ALFRED Er Forest Conditions of northern New Hampshire, U. S. Bureau 
of Forestry, Bulletin 55. 
2) CHITTENDEN, Ei er page 25. 
