THE SPRUCE AND HEMLOCK 17 



HEMLOCK (Tsuga canadensis) 



Distinguishing characters: Its leaves are arranged in 

 flat layers, giving a flat, horizontal and graceful appear- 

 ance to the whole branch (Fig. 8). The individual leaflets 

 are dark green above, lighter colored below, and are marked 

 by two white lines on the under side (Fig. 10). 



The leaflets are arranged on little stalks, a character- 

 istic that does not appear in the other evergreen trees. 



Form and size: A large tree with a broad-based pyram- 

 idal head, and a trunk conspicuously tapering toward 

 the apex. The branches extend almost to the ground. 



Range: The hemlock is a northern tree, growing in 

 Canada and the United States. 



Soil and location: Grows on all sorts of soils, in the 

 deepest woods as well as on high mountain slopes. 



Enemies: None of importance. 



Value for planting: The hemlock makes an excellent 

 hedge because it retains its lowest branches and will stand 

 shearing. In this respect it is preferable to the spruce. 

 It makes a fair tree for the lawn and is especially desirable 

 for underplanting in woodlands, where the shade from 

 the surrounding trees is heavy. In this respect it is like 

 the beech. 



Commercial value: The wood is soft, brittle, and 

 coarse-grained, and is therefore used mainly for coarse 

 lumlier. Its bark is so rich in tannin that it forms one of 

 the chief commercial products of the tree. 



Other characters: The fruit is a sm.all cone about | 

 ( f an inch long, which generally hangs on the tree all winter. 



