The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-12-31
The White Spruce.

DIR. Hoskins has sent White Spruce
log to swell the Vermont exhibit at
New Orleans. This tree, though COM
mon enough in Canada, and found to
some extent near here, it is said, is not
found in other sections of our state
Newport ETpreSs.
We have been astonished to learn
how little is known in New England of
this beautiful evergreen, the White
Spruce (Picea Albo). We have two
fine specimens growing upon our lawn,
but of course we did not want to cut
one of them, even to oblige our friend
Colonel Mead, the Vermont commits
sioner to the New Orleans exposition.
So we started out to find a tree In the
first place we tried the lumber yard and
log piles of our nearest neighbor, the
International Lumber Company, which
saws up good many carloads of spruce
logs daily. But the experienced mana
ger of that corporation had never heard
of White Spruce, and when we showed
him branch from one of our trees he
said it was fir, and not spruce. Then
we tried young farmer in the neigh
borhood, brought him home, and
showed him the trees, desiring him to
search his fathers and other woodlands
for a good specimen. He, too, de-
clared that the trees were fir, but as
there was true fir close by, we were
at last able to convince him that he
was mistaken. After searching part
of two days, he found very good
specimen, about foot through, from
which was cut the log above referred to.
The White Spruce is northern spe-
cies, which does not naturally grow
much south of forty-fve degrees north
latitude in New England. But it grows
well when planted much farther south,
and it is great wonder that it is not
more planted. 1t is a rapid grower,
spreading out at the bottom symmetric-
ally, and forming magnificent pyra-
mid of evergreen, no way inferior to the
best specimens of the Norway Spruce
(Picea Ercelsa), so often planted for or
nament, but so short-lived in its beauty.
On this subject Mr.. John Robinson,
writing ON Ornamental Trees" in the
Massachusetts Agricultural Report for
1880, page 27, says: cit Ghe Nor
way Spruce, perhaps more extensively
planted than any other tree as an orna-
mental evergreen, does not fulfill in
this country the promise of its earlier
growth. AT first the trees make rapid
Roadway, and are of a dense habit,
which in favorable locations is retained
for good many years; but, long before
they reach maturity, they more gen.
orally become bare in appearance, and
IN no aody equal to the White Spruce
(Picea AIba) Of northern New Eng
land, which for ornamental planting
for wind breaks or hedges, should
always be preferred"
The White Spruce has notified whitish
bark, when young, with lighter colored
and much longer foliage than the com
mon or Black Spruce (Picea Nigra). Gray
says of it manual, page 423), Leaves
pale or glaucous; cones cylindrical
about two inches long, pale, the scales
with an entire edge; handsomer tree
than the Black Spruce, more northern
in aspect more like a Balsam Fir. North
ern borders of New England, Lake
Superior, and northward." We have
seen this species growing quite abun
dainty along the border of the Salem
Pond,' on the road from Derby Cente
TO West Charleston. Scattered speci
mems can be found among the blacl
growth in Orleans county and adjoin
ing parts of Canada. 1t should b.
more generally cultivated.
-------------sS -