FOREST TREES AND FOREST SCENERY 



a similar tortuous habit in the growth 

 of their branches: the pitch pine of 

 our eastern coast States and the lodge- 

 pole pine of the Rocky Mountains. 

 These, however, have an esthetic value 

 for quite a different reason. In the 

 case of the pitch pine it is due to 

 a natural peculiarity otherwise rare 

 among conifers; for, this tree has the 

 power of sprouting afresh from the 

 stump that has been left after cutting 

 or forest fires, thus healing in time the 

 raggedness and devastation resulting 

 from necessity, neglect, or indifference. 

 The lodgepole pine of the West per- 

 forms the same patient work over burned 

 areas through the remarkable power 

 of germination belonging to its seeds, 

 even after being scorched by fire. 

 Thus both of these trees not only fur- 

 38 



