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 hi 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 River 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. 
FIRE. 
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 
