magnified), often attaining 250 to 300 feet, 

 with a diameter of 8 to 12 feet, by far the 

 largest fir in the world, and the cones, cylin- 

 drical and erect, like green parrots perched 

 upon the limbs, are six to eight inches high, 

 the largest fir cones known. Extending from 

 end to end of the Sierra, and mingling with 

 the Giant Sequoia, the Douglas Spruce, and 

 the four kingly pines described, they dominate 

 certain regions of the middle altitudes of the 

 Sierra by sheer force of numbers, giving a 

 fir character to the forest unexcelled for 

 grandeur, enlisting the profound admiration 

 of foreign visitors to the Sierra. The bark of 

 the Red Fir becomes very thick, and, although 

 black outside, it is madder-red within, readily 

 detected when broken, suggesting the name 

 of the tree. The lumber is valued for vari- 

 ous purposes. 



A closely related species is the Shasta Fir 

 (A. Shaitensis), large trees clothing th-.- 

 flanks of Mount Shasta and some of the high- 

 est peaks on the other end of the Sierra. This 

 tree is particularly distinguished by its higher 

 locality and smaller cones, with broad, feather- 

 like bracts, protruding a half inch or more 

 from between the scales. Soon becoming de- 

 clined, they nearly conceal the dark green 

 cone with their lighter drapery. 



A big brother of these two is the White 

 Fir (A. Lowiana), found at lower altitudes, 

 and with small, narrow, naked cones, three to 

 four inches long; bark ckrk outside, but 

 greenish white within. 



A third species is the Lowland Fir (A. 

 prandis), a noble tree, abundant in the Puget 

 Sound region, and reaching our coast in the 

 northern counties ; cones two and one-half to 

 three inches long; the leaves dark green, and 

 shining above, white lined with minute breath 

 ing pores below. 



(50) 



