CHAPTER XXXIX. 
THE SPRUCES. 
White Spruce.—Its Attainable Height and Size.—Its Northern Nativ- 
ity.— Principal Uses of its Wood.— The Oil Extracted from its 
Branches.—The Black Spruce.—Atmosphere Favorable to its De- 
velopment.—Its Wild Luxuriance.—Description of its Cones.—Man- 
ner of Securing its Seed.—The Red and Blue Spruces.—Their Re- 
semblance to the White Spruce.—The Norway Spruce.—Its Height. 
—Peculiarities of its Growth.—Its Age of Maturity and Where Indig- 
enous.—Its Resinous Extract.—Uses of its Bark.—Importation of 
Young Trees to England and Uses to Which Put.—Durability of its 
Wood.—Effect of Soil on the Qualities of its Wood.—Its General 
Appearance and Persistent Growth.—Its Usefulness as Shelter.— 
Its Properties Preferable to those of the Black Spruce.—Manner of 
Saving and Sowing its Seed.— Hemlock Spruce.—Where Indige- 
nous.—EHlevation Favorable to its Thrift.—Texture and Character- 
istics of its Wood.—Peculiarities of Grain.—Its Beautifying Charac- 
ter.—Its Value Compared with other Timber Trees.—Balsam Fir.— 
Its Nativity.—Its Height and Size.—Medicinal Properties and Or- 
namental Advantages.—Fraser’s Fir.—Where Found and General 
Characteristics. 
WHITE SPRUCE. 
Tuis tree sometimes attains the height of sixty feet, 
with a diameter of from fifteen to twenty inches. It is 
found from the northern portion of the United States to 
the Arctic Ocean, but is not quite so common as the 
black spruce in the United States and Canada. Its 
principal use is for the masts and spars of vessels, and 
also as a substitute for white pine in floors, rafters, and 
beams of buildings, as it is much tougher and does not 
warp or crack. Spruce-beer is manufactured from a con- 
centrated oil or essence that is extracted from the small 
branches. 
