WESTERN YEW 



(Taxus Brevifolia) 



THE Pacific yew is an interesting tree, useful for many minor pur- 

 poses, but it is not procurable in large quantities. Its north and 

 south range covers more than 1,000 miles, from Alaska to central 

 California; while the species occurs from the Pacific coast eastward to 

 Montana. It approaches sea level on some of the Alaskan islands, and 

 toward the southern part of its range it reaches an altitude of 8,000 feet. 



In Idaho it is called mountain mahogany, but apparently without 

 good reason. Its color may bear some resemblance to that wood, but it 

 is different in so many particulars that the name is not appropriate. The 

 names western yew and Pacific yew are used interchangeably. Some- 

 times it bears the simple name yew; but since there is a yew in Florida, 

 and another in Europe, it is well to give the western species a name which 

 will distinguish it from others. The northwestern Indians called it 

 "fighting wood," which was the best description possible for them to 

 give. They made bows of it, and it was superior to any other wood 

 within their reach for that purpose. In fact, if they could have picked 

 from all the woods of the United States they could scarcely have found 

 its equal. It is very strong, though in elasticity its rating is under 

 many other woods. It is of interest to note that five hundred or more 

 years ago, the European yew (a closely related but different species) had 

 nearly the same name in England that the northwestern Indians gave 

 the western yew. It was called "the shooter yew," because it was the 

 bow wood of that time, and "bow staves," which were rough pieces to 

 be worked out by the bow makers, were articles of commerce. The 

 search for it was so great, and so long-continued, that yew trees were 

 well-nigh exterminated in the British Isles. It was, next to oak, and 

 possibly above oak, the most indispensable wood in England at that time. 

 It is instructive to observe that Indians who used the bow found the 

 western yew as indispensable in their life as the English armies found the 

 European yew at a time when the bow was the best weapon. 



The northwestern Indians put this remarkable wood to other uses. 

 They made spears of it, and sometimes employed them as weapons of 

 war, but generally as implements of the chase, particularly in harpooning 

 salmon which in summer ascend the northwestern rivers from the Pacific 

 ocean in immense schools. The Indians whittled fishhooks of yew 

 before they were able to buy steel hooks from traders. Some of those 

 unique hooks are still in existence, and speak well of the inventive 

 genius of the wild fisherman of the wilderness. A proper crook was 



