The Pine Family 123 



and has never been extensively used or much valued as a build- 

 ing material. 



The range of this species is mixed with that of the preceding. 

 The following extract from the report of Mr. T. W. Dwight to 

 the Dominion Forestry Branch indicates about all that is known 

 of them, as well as the confusion which exists both as to oc- 

 currence and identity. 



"These two species of pine are found as scrubby trees on the 

 poorest sites. Owing to their infrequent production of cones and the 

 difficulties involved in distinguishing them, the exact occurrence 

 of the two species was not determined. It is probable that white- 

 bark pine alone occurs on the higher ridges in the mountains proper 

 and that limber pine is mainly confined to the higher elevations in 

 the foothills. Neither species reaches merchantable size except 

 occasionally, nor is of great importance from the standpoint of form- 

 ing a soil-cover on poor sites, since they are not aggressive enough in 

 natural reproduction to bring about much practical benefit." 



"Limber pine, under favorable conditions, reaches a size of 18 

 inches in diameter and 60 feet in height, but even then is very sub- 

 ject to having forked tops and crooked boles. Most of the limber, 

 however, and all of the white-barked pine are stunted, and on exposed 

 sites are reduced almost to creeping shrubs. The root system is 

 rather shallow and the trees are subject to wind-fall, although mainly 

 on account of the shallow soil and exposed site which they habitually 

 occupy. Their capacity for resistance to climatic extremes is very 

 great, as they are nearly always subjected to frequent frosts and 

 severe storms. Their tolerance is small, probably less than that 

 of lodgepole pine, and this factor is to a considerable degree responsible 

 for their not extending their range to lower sites. The amount of 

 cone production is very small in this region, and is the main reason 

 for the small number of trees of these species. As the seeds are large, 

 they will germinate on a moderately thick humus as well as on mineral 

 soil." 



