The Larches 



growing. In autumn they wake up, turn themselves about 

 (which seems quite unnecessary), and sitting quite erect 

 on the twigs, part their brown scales, daring the wind to 

 capture and carry off the winged seeds. There is plenty 

 of time, for the ripe cones remain where they are until the 

 second year. 



Western Larch {Larix cccidentalis, Nutt.) A pyramidal 

 tree, with naked trunk and sparse foliage at the top, loo to 250 

 feet high. Bark cinnamon-red, broken into thick plates, with 

 thin, scaly surface. Wood heavy, hard, strong, close grained, 

 red, durable. Buds small, globose, brown, hoary. Leaves 

 stiff, sharp, keeled below, triangular, pale green, turning yellow 

 in autumn. Flowers: pistillate sessile, oblong; bracts needle 

 pointed ; staminate stalked, yellow, globose. Fruits large, 

 oval cones ; scales hoary at base ; bract needle pointed, 

 s+>orter than scale. Preferred habitat, low, wet soil, at 2,000 to 

 3,000 feet elevation. Distribution, southern British Columbia in 

 Cascade Mountains to Columbia River; in Blue Mountains of 

 Washington and Oregon; to western Montana. Uses: Best 

 wood among conifers. Used for furniture and interior finish, 

 railroad ties, fence posts. 



The Western larch holds an enviable rank among American 

 forest trees. It is counted superior to all other conifers in the 

 value of its wood, which seems to have all good qualities. Its 

 hardness, fine colour and brilliant polish commend it to the maker 

 of furniture. As fence posts and railroad ties it lasts indefinitely, 

 compared with other timber. Trees 6 feet in diameter and 200 

 feet high are quite common in this species. Of such mighty 

 trunks a very small outer layer is sap wood. 



For the first fifty years this larch is pyramidal, but thinly 

 branched. From this age on the lower limbs die, and the tree 

 at length presents a bare trunk with a mere wisp of a top. 

 What wonder that growth is slow! One log 18 inches in 

 diameter showed 267 rings. In its fiftieth year it was but 9 

 inches in diameter. The last inch of wood was eighty years in 

 forming. No other tree has so inconsiderable a foliage mass to 

 maintain so large a body. 



The brown gum that exudes from wounds in the bark of 

 this tree seems not to be resinous, though it smells like turpen- 

 tine. It is sweet and resembles dextrine. As dextrine is a 



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