146 Forests and Trees 



tcred, and the leaves remarkably few for the size of the tree. 

 The cones are about one and a half inches long, with thin stiff 

 scales. The wood is dark orange, hard, durable and very 

 heavy. It is largely used for railway ties, and to some extent 

 in the manufacture of furniture. 



This magnificent tree is found only in the valley of the 

 Columbia River in British Columbia and southward. It occurs 

 scattered through the mixed forest of this region, both on moist 

 bottom lands and up the mountain slopes to an elevation cf 

 7000 feet, but reaches its greatest development in northern 

 Montana and Idaho. Any attempts to cultivate this tree have 

 so far been attended with little success. 



3. ALPIXE LARCH. Larix Lyallii. Parlatore. 



This tree, sometimes known as LyalPs larch, is a mountain 

 species and much smaller than the preceding. While it some- 

 times grows to a considerable size, the 

 high altitude at which it is generally 

 found makes it more commonly a small 

 tree or shrub. 



The leaves are very pale green, about 

 an inch long and four-sided, while the 

 cones are sometimes as much as two 

 inches long. 



Its range is confined to the Rocky 

 Mountains of Alberta and southern 



British Columbia, and its habits are 

 FIG. 19. -Alpine Larch. excdlently gtated in the following ex- 

 tract from a report of Mr. T. W. Dwight. 



"This species is confined very closely to the area next to the timber 

 line, although sporadic individuals may be found in mixed stands 

 lower down. The largest tree observed was 17 inches in diameter 

 by oo feet in height. Usually it is of stunted growth, reaching a 

 diameter of 7 to 8 inches and a height of 40 feet. The presence even 



