spruce n OED ~ sb 4 (1670-), DAE 1 (1630-) for sense 1; for combs. in sense 3: OED ~ beer b (1690-), DAE (1706-), DC (1741-); DAE 6 ~ bird (1900); DC ~ game (Nfld: 1770); OED 5 ~ partridge (1774-), DC (1771 -); DC ~ tea (1783-).
1 Spruce fir, a coniferous tree of the genus Picea, freq with specific epithets black, scrub, white.
1613 Willoughby Papers l6a/70 The turpentine that commeth from the firr and pine and frankincense of the
spruce is likewise sent. 1620 WHITBOURNE 10 There are Firre and Spruce trees, sound, good. and fit to mast Ships withall; and as commodious for boords and buildings as the Spruce and Firre trees of Norwav: and
out of these came abundance of Turpentine. [1663] 1963 YONGE 56 As soon as we resolve to fish here, the
ship is all unrigged, and in the snow and cold all the men go into the woods to cut timber, fir, spruce, and
birch being here plentiful. 1708 OLDMIXON 11 As for the Product of the Country, Fir and Spruce Trees are
the most remarkable, being reckon'd as fit for Masts. [1766] 1971 BANKS 120 The Countrey is Covered with
wood fir is the only Tree which can yet be distinguished of which I observed 3 sorts (1) Black Spruce [Picea mariana (Mill.) B S P] of which they Make a liquor Called Spruce Beer. [1794] 1968 THOMAS 59 The Spruce Tree is the most prevalent wood of this Country ... It answers for a great many purposes; of it, they have no Domestic article but what the Spruce has some concern. The following is a list of the principal uses to which This Tree is applicable in Newfoundland: Yeast, to raise Bread with / Essence of Spruce, the common drink here / Building Houses / Bark to cover their Houses with / Firing / Building Fish Flakes / Preserve the Sails of their Vessels / Oars, for their Boats / Masts and Yards for Ships / Cattle browse on its tender Branches / Making Pudings with. 1842 BONNYCASTLE i, 291-2 The pinus nigra or black spruce, is also not a very large tree ... in this country ... It is used here for fences, posts, and other small work, as well as in ship building in parts not exposed. From its boughs or sprigs, essence of spruce, in Canada, and spruce beer, the common beverage here, are made. Ibid The pinus alba or white spruce, is very abundant, and grows to a good size... This species of fir or spruce is largely employed in Newfoundland in shingles or wooden slates for covering roofs, for staves for fish and oil barrels, and for many of the builder's uses. 1905 PROWSE 145 Spruce is particularly plentiful, and I am of opinion that this Island is bound to become a large pulp-producing area. [1951] 1965 PEACOCK (ed) iii, 749 "Gerry Ryan": It's hard for a man to make money / When there's only scrub spruce to be found. 1967 BEARNS 42-3 White Spruce [Picea glauca] ... is found in only scattered amounts throughout Newfoundland and Labrador... Black Spruce [Picea mariana] because of its high wood density ... is the most valuable pulpwood species in the Province. 1976 Evening Telegram 10 Jan, p. 3 When a large segment of the peasantry was graciously taken on to slash down black spruce at 85 cents per cord to fuel the newspaper barons of Britain, every maggot in the mess-camp beans was hailed as a special bonus.
2 Designating parts of the spruce fir used for various purposes: spruce bud [see BUD1], ~ longer [see LONGER], ~ paddle, ~ pole, ~ top.
T 141/67-652 [The bark would] be all done with buds, spruce buds. 1971 BOWN 120 With their spruce-bud 'tea' and bread and fish, they made a welcome meal. 1881 WHITE MS Journal 28 Feb 6 Spruce longers 6s. Q 67-103 The stages were made of spruce longers. T 181/2-65 There's nothing only a spruce paddle then. 1873 HOWLEY MS Reminiscences 26 Cutting some hard spruce poles and sharpening them at one end, we three spent a couple of hours up to our waists in water chasing the salmon from one end of the pool to another. [1771] 1935 Can Hist Rev xvi, 57 It was continual eating one thing or another, blubber, raw cod, spruce tops, &c. 1936 DEVINE 113 The beer was made of spruce tops and good West Indian molasses.
3 Attrib, comb spruce bark: concoction of spruce buds and boughs, used as a preservative for nets and sails; BARK n.
T 141/67-652 There was no such thing as cutch. [The] only thing that they knew to preserve linnet an' rope was the spruce bark.
spruce beer: fermented drink made from an infusion of the boughs and 'buds' of the black spruce.
[1712 (1895) PROWSE 273 Beer brewed with molasses and spruce.] [1766] 1971 BAN KS 139 Spruce Beer [is] the Common Liquor of the Country The receipt for making it take as follows as Perfectly as I can get it Take a copper that Contains 12 Gallons fill it as full of the Boughs of Black spruce as it will hold Pressing them down pretty tight Fill it up with water Boil it till the Rind will strip off the Spruce Boughs which will waste it about one third take them out & add to the water one Gallon of Melasses Let the whole Boil till the Melasses are disolvd take a half hogshead & Put in nineteen Gallons of water & fill it up with the Essence. work it with Barm & Beergrounds & in Less than a week it is fit to Drink. [1776] 1792 CARTWRIGHT ii, 152 Why I should now have the scurvy I cannot imagine, as I have tasted very little salt flesh, or fish for these twelve months past; have drank great plenty of good spruce-beer, but no drams of any kind, nor have I been the least heated with liquor. [1794] 1968 THOMAS 119 Our people were ashore at this place brewing Spruce Beer, Cutting Wood. 1832 MCGREGOR i, 221 Spruce beer is a very common and excellent beverage, particularly for people who live so much on fish and salt meat. [c1851] 1954 INNIS 402 The establishment of De Quetteville and Brothers, of Jersey, bring about 50 men every year from Jersey, and engage 5 or 6 more with their boats, to fish during the season, at payment of 4s per hundred fish, with firewood and spruce beer, the parties finding themselves in everything else. 1936 DEVINE 111 Not to say gallons, but barrels and barrels of spruce beer could be sold out in a day. T 222-66 Frequently during these dances spruce beer would be served, which is a drink made from spruce buds, and not too alcoholic. 1970 PARSONS 124 Sometimes [they] make Spruce Beer and get drunk; in such a case a fight usually starts, and only the priest is able to handle the situation.
spruce bird: any of several birds, crossbill, grosbeak, etc, which frequent spruce forests.
1870 Can Naturalist v, 156-7 The spruce birds (Loxia leucoptera) have a very pleasing note, much resembling the song of the canary. 1959 MCATEE 62 ~ Pine Grosbeak (Nfld., 'Labr.') Ibid 63 ~ Dusky Redpoll (As feeding on the seeds of spruces. Nfld.). 1964 Evening Telegram 28 Oct, p. 5 The black-polled warbler, one of our commonest birds, but rather shy and secretive, is called the 'spruce bird.' This too, is an excellent local name, for the little bird seems to spend most of its time in spruce trees of all sizes. 1967 Bk of Nfld iii, 283 Red Crossbill: Spruce Bird (from feeding on the seeds of spruce.)
spruce bread: bread made with a concoction of spruce boughs as yeast. See 1794 quot in sense 1 and spruce yeast below.
M 69-76 Spruce bread was made the same way as the Hop bread only preparing the Spruce was a little different than preparing the hops. Small spruce branches [were] put in the old iron pot and let it steep for about three to four hours. It was put in a large jar with three potatoes cut in small pieces. The potatoes made it work fast. After this was done the jar was put away in a warm place for about three days until it worked. It was then readv for the flour.
spruce game: see spruce partridge below.
[1770] 1792 CARTWRIGHT i, 21 But I got shots at an otter, a black-duck, and a spruce-game, with my Hanoverian rifle, and killed them all. 1792 ibid Gloss i, xv ~ A bird of the grouse genus.
spruce mope: Newfoundland red crossbill (Loxia curvirostra pusilla) (1964 JACKSON 14); cp MOPE.
1951 PETERS & BURLEIGH 382 ~ The crossbill is so named from its peculiarly crossed bill. It seems to be adapted for prying open the tightly closed spruce or pine cones in order to extract the seeds.
spruce partridge: Canada or spruce grouse (Canachites canadensis) (1959 MCATEE 24).
[1771] 1935 Can Hist Rev xvi, 57 There are more spruce Partridges in the woods than I have seen anywhere in this country. 1818 CHAPPELL 224 There is a bird very common in the woods of this country, which is called, by the settlers, 'a spruce partridge.' 1861 DE BOILIEU 75 Before heavy frost sets in, we are busily engaged in trapping—chiefly for their furs—animals and birds of all kinds, such as ... white and spruce partridges, and the ptarmigan. 1908 HUBBARD 155 On the way back four red-throated loons, two old and two young, and a spruce partridge were taken.
spruce tea: drink made from an infusion of spruce boughs.
1881 Nineteenth Century ix. 92-3 Suppose my tea give out, perhaps make some spruce tea. [1883] 1963 GARLAND 26 All the time that I sat there they fed me on bread and hot spruce tea.
spruce yeast: fermenting mixture made from black spruce boughs. See spruce bread above.
[1794] 1968 THOMAS 59 The people of this Country use Spruce yeast and nothing else to raise their Bread with.
