﻿294 
  INTRODUCTION 
  TO 
  BOTANY 
  

  

  (fig. 
  227, 
  (7), 
  and 
  the 
  fir 
  trees 
  (Abies') 
  ; 
  the 
  Southern 
  bald 
  

   cypress 
  (Taxodium), 
  which, 
  with 
  the 
  tamarack 
  (Larix) 
  of 
  the 
  

   Northern 
  bogs, 
  are 
  deciduous 
  conifers 
  ; 
  the 
  Northern 
  white 
  

   cedar, 
  or 
  arbor 
  vitte 
  (Thuja) 
  (fig. 
  227, 
  !>), 
  and 
  the 
  Southern 
  

   white 
  cedar 
  ( 
  Chamaecyparis) 
  ; 
  the 
  red 
  cedar, 
  juniper, 
  and 
  

   low 
  juniper 
  (Juniperus) 
  ', 
  and 
  the 
  redwoods 
  and 
  "big 
  trees" 
  

   (Sequoia) 
  of 
  the 
  western 
  part 
  of 
  North 
  America 
  (fig. 
  222). 
  

  

  279. 
  Products 
  of 
  gymnosperms. 
  We 
  naturally 
  think 
  of 
  tim- 
  

   ber 
  as 
  the 
  chief 
  product 
  of 
  gymnosperms. 
  P>y 
  far 
  the 
  largest 
  

   part 
  of 
  our 
  primeval 
  forests 
  were 
  of 
  coniferous 
  trees, 
  and 
  these 
  

   are 
  still 
  much 
  more 
  abundant 
  than 
  all 
  other 
  kinds 
  of 
  trees. 
  

   The 
  pines 
  and 
  other 
  conifers 
  produce 
  over 
  three 
  fourths 
  of 
  

   the 
  timber 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States. 
  The 
  white 
  pine 
  (Pitni* 
  

   strobus), 
  the 
  long-leaf 
  pine 
  (Pinus 
  palustris) 
  (fig. 
  229), 
  and 
  

   the 
  loblolly 
  pine 
  (Pinus 
  taeda) 
  of 
  the 
  Southern 
  states, 
  the 
  bull 
  

   pine 
  (Pinus 
  ponderosd) 
  and 
  the 
  sugar 
  pine 
  (fig. 
  228) 
  of 
  the 
  

   Pacific 
  coast 
  and 
  the 
  Rocky 
  Mountain 
  region, 
  and 
  the 
  very 
  

   widely 
  distributed 
  spruce 
  (Picea) 
  are 
  used 
  in 
  large 
  quantities. 
  

  

  The 
  western 
  Douglas 
  fir 
  is 
  a 
  timber 
  tree 
  of 
  great 
  size 
  and 
  

   importance 
  ; 
  the 
  bald 
  cypress 
  of 
  the 
  South 
  has 
  produced 
  im- 
  

   mense 
  quantities 
  of 
  lumber, 
  though 
  the 
  available 
  supply 
  is 
  

   becoming 
  limited 
  ; 
  the 
  redwoods 
  of 
  the 
  Western 
  coast 
  are 
  im- 
  

   portant, 
  but 
  the 
  preservation 
  of 
  the 
  redwood 
  forests 
  is 
  limiting 
  

   their 
  output, 
  since 
  natural-history 
  interests 
  of 
  forests 
  sometimes 
  

   outweigh 
  their 
  importance 
  as 
  sources 
  of 
  lumber. 
  

  

  In 
  addition 
  to 
  ordinary 
  uses 
  for 
  construction 
  work, 
  railroad 
  

   ties, 
  and 
  fuel, 
  coniferous 
  woods 
  have 
  many 
  special 
  uses, 
  as 
  

   the 
  use 
  of 
  red 
  cedar 
  in 
  making 
  lead 
  pencils 
  and 
  moth-proof 
  

   chests. 
  Several 
  species 
  of 
  nut-bearing 
  pines 
  in 
  western 
  North 
  

   America 
  and 
  one 
  in 
  southern 
  Europe 
  bear 
  edible 
  seeds 
  which 
  

   are 
  used 
  as 
  food 
  ; 
  valuable 
  extracts, 
  as 
  pine 
  tar, 
  rosin, 
  and 
  oil 
  

   of 
  turpentine, 
  are 
  obtained 
  in 
  this 
  country 
  and 
  are 
  derived 
  

   chiefly 
  from 
  the 
  long-leaf 
  pine 
  (tig. 
  L'^9). 
  

  

  280. 
  Gymnosperms 
  once 
  more 
  abundant. 
  AVe 
  have 
  already 
  

   learned 
  that 
  during 
  the 
  carboniferous 
  age 
  the 
  ferns 
  and 
  their 
  

   relatives 
  were 
  the 
  dominant 
  plants, 
  but 
  fossil 
  remains 
  prove 
  

  

  