MASSACHUSETTS FOREST TREES 



HEMLOCK (Tsuga canadensis Carr.) 



THE Hemlock is found in most parts of the State, 

 though it is much more abundant in the western 

 sections. It delights in the moist, cool shade of rocky 

 ridges and river gorges. 



In the open, it is a beautiful, pyramidal tree with 

 branches extending quite or almost to the ground. In 

 the forest, it has a tall, gently -tapering trunk which is 

 surrounded by a rather 

 small, round head . As a rule, 

 it attains a height of fifty 

 or sixty feet and a diameter 

 of two or three feet. The 

 branches are slender, hori- 

 zontal or slightly pendulous 

 near the ends and 

 persist for a long 

 time. 



The bark on the 

 old trunk is cin- 

 namon red or dark 

 gray and divided 

 into narrow , 

 rounded ridges 

 which are covered 



. , . Spray and cone. One-third natural size. 



with scales. 



The leaves are from one-third to two-thirds of an 

 inch in length, oblong, dark green and lustrous on the 

 upper surface and whitish beneath. 



The cones are oblong, about three-fourths of an 

 inch long and light brown in color. The seed is small 

 and winged, maturing in the fall and shedding during 

 the winter. 



The wood is very light, soft and brittle. When 

 exposed to the air it perishes quickly. It is sawed into 

 coarse boards and used for cheap building material and 

 sometimes for fuel. The bark is of value for tanning. 



HEMLOCK 



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