This section is from the book "Trees And Tree-Planting", by James S. Brisbin. Also available from Amazon: Trees and Tree Planting.
This 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 concentrated oil or essence that is extracted from the small branches.
 
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