THE PINE SUB-FAMILY. 241 



scattered spirally around the branchlets; finally scale- 

 shaped, imbricated, mostly appressed, with generally an 

 acute apex ; numerous, and persistent, light green color. 

 Branches, horizontal, and spreading. Cones 2 Inches long, 

 ovate, terminal, solitary ; with numerous, prickled, stipi- 

 tate, scales. Cotyledons, from 3 or 4 to 6. 



This species is a native of the Sierra Nevada range 

 of mountains in California. As its discovery has 

 been conceded to several persons, we are unable to say 

 with any certainty to who'm belongs the honor. The 

 English naturalist Lobb is supposed by many to have first 

 met with it near the source of the river Stanislaus, and 

 other writers attribute its discovery to Douglas, in the 

 year 1831 ; but perhaps the most probable statement is 

 the one generally believed throughout the section of coun- 

 try of which these trees are natives, and is, that a com- 

 pany of miners on a prospecting tour came accidentally 

 upon the Calaveras group, and the trees became thence- 

 forth the wonder of the botanical world., One of * the 

 best descriptions of this species is given by Bayard Taylor, 

 in his interesting work entitled " Home and Abroad." 



After a graphic account of the immense size of these 

 vegetable giants, he describes the felling of one of the 

 largest specimens, which was a mass of solid wood ninety 

 feet in circumference, and was performed by two sets of 

 hands with the aid of long pump-augers. We give the 

 description in the author's own words. " After a steady 

 labor of six weeks the thing was done, but the tree stood 

 unmoved ; so straight and symmetrical was its growth, so 

 immense its weight, and so broad its base, that it seemed 

 unconscious of its own annihilation, tossing its outer 

 branches derisively against the mountain winds that strove 

 to overthrow it. A neighboring pine of giant size was 

 then selected, and felled in such a way as to fall with full 

 force against it. The top shook a little, but the shaft 

 stood as before ;^ finally the spoilers succeeded in driving 

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