42 The Farm Woodlot 



the trees every autumn and new leaves appear 

 in the following spring. The term hardwoods is 

 often used instead of broadleaf trees.) 



THE CONIFERS 



The cone-bearing trees are of first importance in any 

 scheme or practice of forestry. Pine, hemlock, fir, spruce, 

 redwood and cypress timber provide the greater part 

 of framework and finishing material in wood construction. 



Key to the Common Conifers 



I. Fruit a woody cone made up of overlapping cone-scales : 



seeds winged, two from each fertile scale. 

 A. Leaves needle-shaped, single or in clusters. 



1. Arrangement of leaves from 2 to 5 in a cluster, 



usually over 2 inches long, evergreen (or 

 persistent). The pines. 



2. Arrangement of leaves, in brush-like clusters, 



many not evergreen (deciduous). 



The larches. 



3. Arrangement of leaves single, short, scattered 



over the twigs. 



a. The leaves standing on short stalks and 



spreading out in all directions from the 

 twig : twigs rough after leaves fall. 



The spruces. 



b. The leaves not stalked, and appear to be 



arranged in two ranks : resin blisters in 

 bark of trunk: cones large, upright, 

 scales falling with the seed. 



The firs. 



c. The leaves on short stalks, and appear to 



be in two ranks : no resin blisters in bark : 

 cones small, pendant or pointing outward. 



The hemlock. 



