xiv INTRODUCTION. 



down to Pennsylvania in mountainous regious, and even to North Carolina, 

 and as far north as Oregon and Hudson Bay. 



Etymologij.— Tsuga is Japanese for "yew-leaved" or "evergreen." The 

 name Canadensis comes from Canada, the home of the tree. The origin of 

 hemlock, the common name, is not so easily determined ; it is suggested that it 

 comes from hem, the edge or border, and loc, fasten, inclose, alluding to the 

 use of the tree in liedgiug. Again, hem means "injure" or "cripple," and 

 may allude to the poisonous properties of the cicuta, called hemlock. 



History. — The hemlock is an American tree ; it was taken to Europe soon 

 after the settlement of northeastern America, and grows well in the northern 

 parts of England. 



Use. — As an ornamental tree the hemlock is a favorite in large grounds. 

 When not crowded it rises to the height of 40 to 80 feet, a perfect pyramid, 

 its lower branches resting on the ground. Its foliage is the most delicate of 

 all the Coniferae. It bears the knife well, and makes a compact and beautiful 

 hedge. The wood is soft, easily split, and has a very coarse grain ; yet it is 

 strong, holds a nail well, requires a great force to produce a cross fracture, 

 and is very durable. It is largely used in the frames of edifices, for joists and 

 for sheathing, being the cheapest of all the soft-wood lumber. The lumber is 

 obtained from the stripped trunks, which are sawed into 13-feet lengths, 

 which during the following winter are drawn to the frozen streams and left 

 till the spring thaw, when they are floated down to the saw-miUs, where they 

 are sawed into boards, scantling, and ceiling laths, and thence sent to 

 market. 



The bark is highly charged with tannin, and is used in immense quantities 

 for manufacturing leather. It is obtained by felling the tree in the early 

 summer, when the sap is in its greatest activity ; girdles are cut around the 

 trunk and large branches by means of an axe, and with a wedge-shaped bar 

 the bark is stripped ; it is then piled to dry. Its value is estimated by the 

 cord. 



