220 TREES OF MINNESOTA. 
uneven margin; seeds small, with rigid wings. In Maine and 
elsewhere a large tree, forming valuable forests. In this section 
occasionally a large tree, but generally small, and seldom cut for 
timber. 
Distribution —Northern United States, Canada and northward, 
forming large forests in some sections. In Minnesota it is found 
in the White Pine belt, though most common in the extreme 
northern portions. Generally found in swamps known as mus- 
kegs, on which the trees, with their roots half submerged, make 
a very slow growth. One specimen, the rings of which showed 
it to be seventy-three years old, was only one and one-eighth 
inches in diameter. 
Propagation—By seeds. When plants are desired they may 
be easily gathered from the woods in this state. 
Properties of Wood.—Light, soft, strong, compact and satiny; 
color, reddish with nearly white sapwood. Specific gravity, 
0.458; weight of a cubic foot, 28.57 pounds. 
Uses.—The Black Spruce is a poor ornamental tree, as it soon 
loses its lower branches, which with its dead persistent cones 
and dark-colored bark makes it appear unsightly. It is also a 
short-lived tree on dry land in this section. Most of the Christ- 
mas trees in our market of recent years have been of this kind, 
although the Balsam Fir is also used. The wood is used here to 
some extent and elsewhere in large quantities for paper pulp, for 
which purpose it is highly esteemed. In the eastern range of this 
tree its wood is largely used for flooring, masts, spars, general 
house and ship building, sounding boards for instruments, and 
for any other purpose where a light, stiff wood is needed. The 
gum which this tree exudes is valued as chewing gum, and the 
gathering of it is quite an industry in some sections. The 
essence of spruce is made by boiling the young branches in water 
and evaporating the decoction. It is used in the manufacture of 
spruce beer, which is a pleasant and wholesome beverage, and 
it is sometimes useful on long sea voyages as a preventive of 
scurvy. 
