72 HOUGH'S AMERICAN WOODS. 



USES. Lumber is manufactured from this tree to but very slight 

 extent and is little used. Its handsome form and vigorous growth 

 makes it useful, especially while young, as an ornamental shade-tree and 

 in the formation of wind-breaks. 



The boughs of this tree are sought by the Adirondack sojourner for 

 the construction of his bed, as they are more springy and suitable than 

 any thing else at hand and delightful beds they do make. The 

 fragrance with which they fill the camp is delicious, and in that alone he 

 feels largely repaid for the labor his trip has cost him. A pillow made 

 from these boughs is oftentimes carried home to serve, by its perfume, as a 

 reminder during the coming winter of the happy associations of his 

 camp-life and especially of the balsam-bed. 



GENUS LARIX, TOURN. 



Leaves needle-shaped, soft, deciduous, in clusters of many each, from lateral scaly 

 buds excepting along the shoots of the season, where they are scattered. Sterile flowers 

 terminating lateral scaly buds or spurs on shoots of preceding year, with 2-celled 

 anthers opening longitudinally; pollen grains, simple and globular. Fertile flowers 

 in catkins cones red while in flower, consisting of several or many carpellary 

 scales springing from the axils of bracts, and bearing each 2 ovules with orifices 

 turned downward. Fruit an erect, oval or roundish cone, with colored persistent 

 scales, and maturing the season of blossoming. 



(Larix is the Latin classical name of the Larch.) 



23. LARIX AMERICANA, MICHX. 



TAMARACK, AMERICAN OR BLACK LARCH, HACKMATACK. 



Ger., Amerikanische Larclie; Fr., Meleze Americain; Sp., Larice 



Americana. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS: Leaves filiform, short about 1 in. (2.54 cm.) in length 

 and very slender. Cones deep purple, ovoid, in. (1.90 cm.) or less in length, with 

 scales few, rounded, thin and inflexed on the margin. 



A beautiful tree, not often exceeding 80 ft. (24 m.) in height, of pecu- 

 liar aspect, with slender tapering and very straight trunk, rarely over 2-J 

 ft. (0.76 m.) in thickness of base, horizontal symmetrical branches and 

 thin lightish green foliage, which in autumn turns to a soft yellow color. 

 The bark is of a bluish gray color, and like that of the Spruce flakes off 

 when old in small roundish scales. 



HABITAT. North-eastern United States, north of Pennsylvania and 

 northward nearly or quite to the Arctic Regions, probably reaching its 

 greatest development in Canada, where it grows on moist uplands. In 

 the United States it is confined mostly to cold swamps interspersed 

 usually with the Balsam. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. Wood heavy, strong, hard, compact and 

 durable, of light brown color with lighter sap-wood and conspicuous 

 bold grain. Specific Gravity, 0.2636; Percentage of Ash, 0.33; Relative 



