MOUNTAIN TREES 



dren to continue the beneficent work of 

 conserving the forest cover. The young- 

 est of these are fresh with the newness 

 of life, symmetrical, prim and beautiful 

 in their dress of silver, bluish-green 

 foliage, but the older ones after reach- 

 ing the half-century mark begin to lack 

 this convention of form and are becom- 

 ing unsymmetrical and shaggy like their 

 hoary forebears. 



Some of the prettiest of the firs are 

 those with spike tops. Such trees have 

 either been lightning struck, injured by 

 a Tussock moth, or have nourished a 

 mistletoe which has circled and killed 

 the branches. I have often noticed how 

 the birds enjoy these naked spired 

 branches as look-outs. I remember an 

 old hawk who spent about half his time 

 in such a spike-topped fir. 



Trees growing in full light have 

 heavy, silver-green, plumy branches 

 while those deep set in the forest shade 

 have the leaves arranged sparsely in 

 thin flat sprays much like the redwoods. 



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