114 



FOEEST TREES OF THE PACIFIC SLOPE. 



squarish at their upper ends (truncated) and with a small point extending 

 from the center. The pale yellowish brown seeds (fig. 42, a) have shiny, 

 faintly yellowish wings. Seed leaves, very slender and pointed, usually 6, 

 and about three-fourths of an inch long. Wood of this fir is little known com- 

 mercially, but likely to become better known and of greater value. It is light, 

 soft, but firm enough to be widely useful as lumber, moderately coarse-grained, 

 and straight ; varies in color from pale yellowish brown to pale brown. Its 

 qualities deserve thorough investigation, which will probably show them to be 

 superior to those of the softer fir woods. 



Fig. 42. — Abies yrandis, very ripe cone : a, seed. 



Longevity. — Little is known of the age limits of grand fir, concerning which 

 further studies are urgently needed. Probably only moderately long-lived. 

 One tree, 34§ inches in diameter, showed an age of 19G years. 



RANGE. 



Valleys and lower slopes from southern British Columbia to northern Idaho, western 

 Montana, Oregon, and northern coast of California. 



British Columbia. — Mainland near coast northward to upper end of Vancouver 

 Island ; locally noted at Stanley Park near Vancouver. 



Washington. — Stream bottoms and lower slopes of Cascade and coast mountains, 

 in northeastern part and in Blue Mountains at from sea level to 5,000 feet. Both sides 

 of Cascades (in Washington National Forest), up to 5,000 feet. Noted on Nooksak River, 

 near Ferndale, at 30 feet elevation ; East Sound at 50 feet ; at Skagit and Rainey passes ; 



