222 GYMNOSPERMS 



mostly south of San Francisco, at a higher elevation on the west- 

 ern slopes of the Sierra Mountains. S. scmperoircns (fig. 238) 

 grows in dense stands, with average large trees 100 meters high and 

 5 meters in diameter, and 1,000 years old. 5. gigantea is in scattered 

 groups connected by straggling specimens. It is not so tall, the 

 larger trees rarely reaching 100 meters in height, but the diameter 

 ranges from 4 to 1 1 meters, and some are known to be 4,000 years 

 old. Many of these trees have their own names. The General Sher- 

 man tree would make 50,000 feet of lumber; but, fortunately, S. 

 gigantea does not make good lumber, and so is not in such danger as 

 S. semperoirens, which is an excellent lumber tree and would prob- 

 ably become extinct if it were not for the extensive reservations. 



Perhaps the most remarkable tree in the world is Taxodium mu- 

 cronatum, the "Big Tree of Tule," near Oaxaca, in southern Mexico. 

 It is 16 meters in diameter, and does not seem to have a single dead 

 twig (fig. 239). 



In the Eastern Hemisphere, Agathis australis, the Kauri, of New 

 Zealand, may be the most interesting tree (fig. 240). Like Sequoia, 

 it might be in danger of extinction were it not for extensive reserva- 

 tions; for the lumber is excellent, looking like that of Pinus strohus 

 but much harder and taking a finer polish. The tree often reaches 50 

 meters in height and 2 meters in diameter, with a beautiful cylin- 

 drical trunk which may measure 26 meters up to the first branch. 

 The largest trees have a diameter of 3 meters where the branching 

 begins. 



Cryptofncria japonica is not so large, but reaches 60 meters in 

 height and is a beautiful tree. The lumber is excellent and the tree 

 is popular for streets and parks. Reforestation is so elTicient in 

 Japan that there is no danger from lumbering. 



Some of the smaller conifers are interesting. Larix lyallii, the 

 Alpine larch, 13 meters high and .6 meter in diameter, is known to 

 have reached an age of 700 years. Picea engelmannii, the Engel- 

 mann spruce, often grows in rocky, wind-swept places, and, here and 

 there, stunted specimens, not more than 15 centimeters in diameter, 

 may be 200 years old. Still more extreme dwarfing has been noted on 

 Vancouver Island. A tree of Picea sitcJicnsis, less than 30 cm. in 

 height and only 19 mm. in diameter, was 86 years old; and another 



