222 THE LARCHES 



long-lived, sometimes reaching the age of five hundred 

 years. Trees from sixteen to twenty inches in diameter are 

 from two hundred and fifty to three hundred years old. 



The heartwood is heavy and exceedingly hard for a coni- 

 fer. It is compact, strong, with close, satiny grain, of a light 

 red color, with thin and nearly white sapwood, and durable 

 when exposed to the weather or in contact with the ground. 

 The difference between spring and summer wood is dis- 

 tinct both in color and hardness. It is used for general 

 construction and especially for interior finish and cabinet- 

 work, where its red color, and the readiness with which it 

 takes on a fine finish, make it a great favorite with the 

 joiner and cabinetmaker. 



It is a prolific seed-bearer, but not always regular. The 

 cones are from one to one and one fourth inches long, 

 with a needle-like termination to the bracts which lie be- 

 tween the scales, and in this feature they slightly resemble 

 those of the Douglas Fir. The seeds are small, with a thin, 

 frail wing about twice as large as the seed. They have a 

 high rate of fertility, but abundant moisture is required for 

 both germination and the growth of seedlings. 



Whether any attempt has been made to propagate it in its 

 natural habitat is not known. Nurserymen in the East have 

 failed to secure good results in attempts to grow it. It is a 

 slow grower, and should seedlings be successfully grown 

 in the nursery, transplanting them into the soil of a moun- 

 tain-side would be fraught with uncertainty. Quite likely 

 seed planting where the trees are to stand would be best. 

 Experiment alone can determine what course must be pur- 

 sued to aid Nature in propagating it. The value of the tree 

 for economic purposes, notwithstanding its slow growth, 

 should stimulate efforts to reproduce it in some way, as it 

 grows where but few species as valuable can grow. Its thick 

 bark must serve to protect the old trees from fire, and if 

 fire should kill the younger growth there would still be 

 seed trees left, unless the lumberman's axe should prevent. 



