96 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



The rains have poured heavily upon 

 this pine encampment, as it has a way 

 of doing in semi-arid districts and 

 washed deep ravines toward the river 

 and cut sharp angular paths to the sea. 

 Some of the fissures are one hundred and 

 fifty feet or more in depth, somewhat 

 rounding, imitating in soft sandstone 

 miniatures, the granite formations of 

 Yosemite. In other places sheer walls 

 have been gashed from flat table lands 

 with a formation reminding forcefully 

 of the Grand Canon. Sulphur and iron 

 out-croppings have streaked these 

 deeply eroded walls with yellows, reds, 

 blues and grays. When the sky is blue 

 and the sun shines brightly upon these 

 mineral painted fissures topped with 

 yellow sands, the spot rivals the fam- 

 ously gorgeous painted desert colorings 

 of Arizona. 



' The surf that continuously dashes the 

 soft cliffs, have occasionally claimed 

 whole points, leaving jagged, raw looking 

 scars in the steep banks. Mesambry- 

 amtheum, coarse grasses, opuntias, obtain 

 a footing in the cracks of these bare 

 walls with daring flashed of color. The 

 trees lean away from these treacherous 

 shores with dramatic vigor, quite as if 

 in rushing flight from an enemy. They 

 rush up narrow defiles, huddle together 

 in canons, ambushing themselves behind 

 jutting cliffs. A few lie flat upon the 

 headlands, as if scouting, Indian fashion. 

 The whole impression of the place where 

 these stunted trees exist as best they 

 may, is as if danger lurked everywhere 

 and storm and destruction were ever 

 immanent. The form of the trees, the 

 gashed lands; the savage, brilliant 

 colors, combine in making a spot of 

 wild beauty as well as one of exceptional 

 scientific interest. 



Under cultivation in inland parks and 

 gardens the trees grow symetrically. 

 They are straight of trunk, full of crown 

 and much taller, with outward swinging 

 branches of greater length and of softer 

 curve. Here in the unprotected land 

 of their retreat, adverse conditions have 

 made them short, compact, tough. 

 Their branches are held close to the 

 trunk, the crown is small. They rarely 

 exceed a height of thirty five feet or a 

 diameter of fourteen inches. The bark 



of the older trees is of a redish brown 

 color, about an inch in thickness, com- 

 posed of wide flat scales broken into 



ITS GROTESQUE ARMS STRETCHING TO THE FAR, 

 FAR WEST. 



Drawn by E. Roorbach. 



