52 BOTANICAL SURVEY OF THE C(EUE DALENE MOUNTAINS. 



occasionally and uproot thousands of trees of otlier species. We there- 

 fore find among the groves individuals which far surpass in age and 

 diameter any of the other trees of Hie region. Specimens have been 

 seen 4 meters (13.5 feet) in diameter. If the growth of such an indi- 

 vidual was approximately in the same ratio as is that of trees 1 to 1.5 

 meters (3.2 to 4.!) feet) in diameter, it would have been not less than 

 1,200 years of age. Probably it was far older, for with advancing age 

 comes slowness of growth. 



The altitudinal range of the species is between 050 and 1,500 meters 

 {2,100 to 4,900 feet). The tree grows from 20 to 50 meters (05 to 104 

 feet) in height, with a diameter which varies from 1.5 to 2.5 meters (4.0 

 to 8.3 feet). The length of mown is commonly three-fourths of the total 

 length of the tree, but is subject to considerable variation in thisrespect. 

 Where it grows in very close and pure groves it may not be above one- 

 half the whole length. 



The bark of the tree is tough and stringy, and is used by the Indian 

 tribes of the Northwest in making mats, baskets, etc. The sapwood is 

 white, and forms a mere narrow zone 1 to 3 cm. (0.4 to 1.2 inches) broad. 

 The heartwood is reddish, pleasantly odorous, light, entirely free from 

 resin, and does not contain much sap. In large trees it is more or less 

 rotten, and sometimes the whole trunk of the tree is only a thin shell 

 the balance having decayed. 



Probably not less than SO per cent of the trees 1 meter (3.3 feet) and 

 upward in diameter are rotten at the core. As the center of the tree 

 is not much used in any case, a moderate quantity of rot does not mate- 

 rially lessen its value. The grain of the wood is rather coarse, it splits 

 easily, and is brittle. It is a moderately rapid grower, and is more uni- 

 form in this respect than any other of the < Iceur d'Alene conifers. The 

 principal use of the tree is in the manufacture of shingles. It is also 

 occasionally sawed into lumber for inside finishings. This is said to take 

 a fine polish and to acquire a deeper color with. age. As the wood is 

 very durable when in contact with the soil, it is largely employed for 

 fence posts, telegraph poles, bridge piles, and the like, It makes very 

 inferior fuel, and is rarely used as such in the region where it grows. 

 Owing to the knotty character of the wood, the waste of material iii 

 shingle making is enormous. The shingles are sawed out of the wood 

 between the knots and the balance thrown away. When a shingle 

 mill is located near a stream its presence is always made known by The 

 great quantities of knotty rejected shingle bolts and blocks that litter 

 the banks of the stream. 



Owing to the rapid growth of the tree, it is early fit for various uses. 

 At 20 to 50 years it will furnish rails, fence posts, and telegraph poles. 

 At 150 to 350 years the tree is in prime condition for shingle bolts and 

 and lumber. Above this age the rot at the core is apt to extend so far 

 toward the periphery that the value of the tree is small. 



