STUDIES OF TREES IN WINTER 



During a brief interval in the early spring, 

 when the first young leaves fringe the branches 

 in delicate green, this tree is really lovely, but 

 after that there is little to attract us in its stiff, 

 formal outline and dark foliage, and in winter 

 it is most unprepossessing. 



The wood is heavy, hard, strong, and very 

 durable. It is used for the knees of vessels 

 and ship timbers, for posts, telegraph poles, and 

 railway ties. 



The generic name, Larix, comes from the 

 Celtic word lar, meaning fat, and was .given to 

 this genus on account of the resin produced by 

 the tree. The larch is found throughout the 

 Northeastern States. 



European A lar e tree > 8o * > /"* hi g k - 

 Larch The branches are more pendu- 



Larix decidua fo^ ^^ ^ CQngs aye ^^ ^ 



large as those of our native species. 



The cones of both the American and Euro- 

 pean larches hang on the branches through the 

 winter, and as those of the European are an 

 inch or more long and about as broad, while 

 those of the American are half that size, the 

 trees are easily distinguished from each other. 

 Even in the accompanying photographs this 

 difference is discernible. 



At one time in England the plan of intro- 

 188 



