20 FORESTS OF MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK. 



demands moisture and is generally restricted to regions of deep 

 snowfall. 



The alpine fir occurs in unmixed stands, but is often associated 

 with the mountain hemlock. At the lower levels of its range it is 

 a fair-sized tree 50 or 60 feet high. The crown of deep-green foliage 

 is broad at the base and tapers to the top, where it terminates in a 

 slender, pointed tip. At its upper limit it becomes a stunted shrub, 

 with wide extended branches resting on the ground. 



The alpine fir bears upright clusters of deep-purple cones. It 

 seeds sparingly each year. The seasons of heavy seed production 

 occur at intervals of three or four years. The wood is soft and splits 

 easily. It is of no commercial value. The tree is easily killed by 

 fire, which blisters the thin bark and frequently springs into the 

 drooping lower branches. 



GRAND FIR (ABIES GRANDIS.) 1 



The grand fir (fig. 14), like several other species, is generally 

 given the name of white fir on account of its smooth, light-colored 

 bark. It is a common tree in the river bottoms from British Colum- 

 bia south to northern California. In the Mount Rainier National 

 Park it occurs up to 4,000 feet The grand fir is a moisture-loving 

 tree and is usually found firmly rooted in deep alluvial bottom 

 lands along the banks of streams. With the Douglas fir, hemlock, 

 and red cedar it forms the dense forest characteristic of the lower 

 mountain valleys. 



In favorable conditions the grand fir grows to a height of from 

 100 to 200 feet and is a noble and stately tree. The trunk tapers 

 rapidly and bears a rounded pyramidal crown. In dense forests the 

 trunk is clear for half its height, but where the trees stand in the 

 open it carries its branches nearly to the ground. The leaves are a 

 bright and shining green. The large light-green cones mature early 

 in the fall. The wood is soft and very heavy before it is seasoned. 

 It rots in a very short time when laid on the ground. When dry it is 

 white, coarse-grained, light, and odorous. It is used for interior 

 finish and for crates and packing boxes, but is of little value com- 

 mercially. 



ENGELMANN SPRUCE (PICEA ENGELMANNl) . 



The Engelmann spruce (fig. 15) is a mountain tree ranging from 

 British Columbia to Arizona and New Mexico. It is common along 

 the summit and on the east side of the Cascade Range and occurs 

 on the northeastern and eastern slopes of Mount Rainier at elevations 

 of from 3,500 to 6,000 feet. 



This tree requires a moist soil and prefers cool northern exposures. 

 Up to 5,000 feet it commonly grows in sheltered basins at the head 



1 This species is known as silver fir in Yellowstone and Glacier Parks. 



