STEEP TRAILS 



The largest tree of this species that I have 

 myself measured was nearly twelve feet in 

 diameter at a height of five feet from the 

 ground, and, as near as I could make out under 

 the circumstances, about three hundred feet 

 in length. It stood near the head of the Sound 

 not far from Olympia. I have seen a few others, 

 both near the coast and thirty or forty miles 

 back in the interior, that were from eight to 

 ten feet in diameter, measured above their 

 bulging insteps; and many from six to seven 

 feet. I have heard of some that were said to 

 be three hundred and twenty-five feet in height 

 and fifteen feet in diameter, but none that I 

 measured were so large, though it is not at 

 all unlikely that such colossal giants do exist 

 where conditions of soil and exposure are sur 

 passingly favorable. The average size of all 

 the trees of this species found up to an eleva 

 tion on the mountain-slopes of, say, two thou 

 sand feet above sea-level, taking into account 

 only what may be called mature trees two 

 hundred and fifty to five hundred years of age, 

 is perhaps, at a vague guess, not more than a 

 height of one hundred and seventy-five or 

 two hundred feet and a diameter of three 

 feet; though, of course, throughout the richest 

 sections the size is much greater. \ ^ 



In proportion to its weight when dry, the 



