MECHANICAL PECULIAEITIES. I I / 



task of breaking the proudly extending arm, the snow- 

 storm never fails to accomplish the ruthless work of 

 destruction, in which it annually deals. 



The branches of the larch, it will be observed, are 

 splendidly constructed to bear a great weight of snow 

 without breaking ; they are formed in three regular 

 bends or curves. That at the junction with the stem 

 is downward, the next bend is upwards, and again the 

 most remote is downwards. The peculiar manner in 

 which the branch at its junction with the stem is 

 bracketed or buttressed, is also as great a marvel as 

 anything in nature. Let any one look closely into 

 and see the swell of woody matter which surrounds 

 the basement of the branch, like a skilfully constructed 

 ferrule, and he will exclaim, " How wonderful ! " 

 Another remarkable provision of nature is the shed- 

 dincr of the leaves. If the larch, like all the other 

 coniferae, retained its foliage in winter, it could not 

 possibly endure the hardships to which it is exposed. 

 Even in its defoliated state the snow lodges upon it, 

 and shatters its branches seriously at times ; but if the 

 far-stretchiuGj branches were at the same time covered 

 with foliage, in addition to their copious spray, the 

 snow would so completely lodge upon them, as utterly 

 to denude the tree of every branch. 



The principal objection to larch wood as a commer- 

 cial and economic product is its tendency to warp and 

 twist after being sawn or manufactured. There is 

 found to be a great difference in the wood of one tree 

 compared with that of another, and it has not been 



