50 HOUGH'S AMERICAN WOODS. 



outer side near base, much thickened, with prominent transverse ridge and armed 

 with a strong flat curved prickle ; seeds rounded triangular, nearly ^4 in. long, and 

 with wings broadest near the center. 



The Table-mountain Pine in forest growth occasionally attains the 

 height of 60 ft. (18 m.) with a trunk diameter rarely more than 2 or 

 3 ft. (0.90 m.). When growing in the open it does not often surpass 

 30 or 40 ft. in height, and it there develops a rather flat or round- 

 topped head. It is found in localities producing its cones when only 

 a few feet in height. The bark of trunk is of a dark reddish brown 

 color with large irregular scaly plates and ridges. 



HABITAT. In its natural distribution this pine is confined to the 

 dry gravelly slopes and ridges of the Alleghany mountains, with a 

 few out-lying stations, from Pennsylvania to North Carolina. It is 

 uncommon and local northward, but is quite abundant in the southern 

 part of its range, where in places it forms nearly exclusive forests of 

 considerable extent. It thrives well when planted far outside of its 

 natural range. 



PHYSICAL PROPERTIES. Wood light, soft, not strong, compact, 

 with numerous resin-ducts and of a pinkish brown color with abund- 

 ant lighter sap-wood. Specific Gravity, 0.4935 ; Percentage of Asli, 

 0.27 ; Relative Approximate Fuel Value, 0.4922 ; Coefficient of 

 Elasticity, 80330 ; Modulus of Rupture, 726 ; Resistance to Longi- 

 tudinal Pressure, 354; Resistance to Indentation, 115; Weight of a 

 Cubic Foot in Pounds, 30.75. 



USES. The principal use of the Table-mountain Pine is for fuel 

 and charcoal, though it is used to some extent for lumber for general 

 construction purposes. 



GENUS TSUGA, CARB. 



Leaves linear, short-petiolate and articulated to persistent bases, flat in most 

 species, mostly appearing 2-ranked by a twist in the base of the leaf and white 

 stomatose beneath (but not 2-ranked and stomatose both above and below in one 

 species) with a single dorsal resin-duct, evergreen. Flowers in middle spring, 

 monoecious; the sterile subglobose clusters of stamens from the axils of the leaves 

 of the previous year; the stipes surrounded by numerous bud-scales; anthers 

 tipped with a short spur or knob and cells opening transversely; pistillate aments 

 terminal on the'branchlets of the previous year, erect; bracts somewhat shorter 

 than the scales. 



Tall somewhat pyramidal trees of the temperate regions of North America, 

 Japan, China and the Himalaya Mountains, with horizontal and drooping branches, 

 slender twigs and graceful flat sprays of foliage. Seven species are known of 

 which four are inhabitants of North America, two of the Atlantic and two of the 

 Pacific states. (Tsuga is the Japanese name of the Hen^lock-tree.) 



