340 



The Firs, Proper. 



165. Cone and Leaves of the Abies amabilis, 

 of one-third the natural length 



ble beauty. Its range extends 

 from Washington Territory to 

 Wyoming and New Mexico. 



1381. THE NOBLE FIR 

 (Abies nobilis). In general 

 aspect, this resembles the 

 Western Silver Fir (A ama- 

 bilis), but the foliage is of 

 lighter green, and the branch- 

 es more rigid. It grows to a 

 height of 200 feet, with a di- 

 ameter of six to ten feet, and 

 it has a thick cinnamon-col- 

 ored bark, which is red on 

 the inside. This tree is known 

 also as the " Red Fir," and 

 forms forests in Northern 

 California. It is fouud on 

 Mount Shasta, at from 6,000 

 to 8,000 feet above tide ; on 

 the Cascade Mountains, and 

 on the Columbia River. Its 

 wood is said to be superior to 

 that of any other of the firs. 



1382. THE WESTERN BAL- 

 SAM FIR ( Abies grandis). This 

 is a large tree, nearly resem- 

 bling the Western Silver Fir. 

 It occurs in Oregon and Cali- 

 fornia, upon the Sierra Ne- 

 vada and Cascade Mountains, 

 along with the sugar and the 

 yellow pines, which are at 

 times scarcely superior to it 



in size. On. the Columbia and the Willamette, it is known as the 

 " White Spruce," to distinguish it from the Douglas Spruce. Most 

 of the lumber exported from Oregon is from these two trees. This 

 tree grows to the height of 200 to 300 feet, and a diameter of four 

 to six feet. In British Columbia it is limited to the coast, and its 



166. Cone nnd Leaves of the Abies nobilis, of 

 two-thirds the natural size. 



