THE SPECIES. 



47 



year, the seed-bearing rather few, the others numerous in the axils 



of the leaves. The pollen is scattered early, and the fruit is matured 



in one season. The cone always stands erect upon the branch, and 



its length, in different species, varies from 2 to 6 or 8 inches; it is 



cylindrical or oval in form. The cones of firs at maturity disintegrate 



upon the tree, so that seeds, scales, and bracts are liberated together, 



and the axis of the cone, like a spike, is left standing upon the branch. 



Two seeds are borne 



on the upper surface 



of each scale. The 



"bracts in both Mon- 



tana species are en- 



tirely covered by the 



scales in the ripe cone, 



though they are easily 



found when the cone 



is broken up. The 



cones are hard and 



compact, though the 



scales are thin. The 



wood of most of the 



firs is light in weight 



and color, soft, and 



not durable when ex- 



posed to the weather. 



The lumber of some 



species is good for 



certain purposes, but 



the species native to 



Montana are of no 



importance for lum- 



ber. There are two 



species of fir found in 



,, 



TlllS region. 



The lowland OT 



grand -fir (Abies 



grandis) reaches its best development in Montana in the Flat- 

 head country and the moister valleys in the western end of the 

 State and the panhandle of Idaho. Its general distribution, how- 

 ever, is more extensive, and reaches from British Columbia to 

 northern Idaho and Montana west of the Divide, and in the Cas- 

 cades to northern California. In western Oregon and Washington, 

 along the river bottoms, the tree often reaches a diameter of 5 

 and a height of 200 feet or more, with as much as 75 or 100 feet 

 clear of limbs. 



FIG. 29. Alpine Fir. A, Twig and cones in natural posi- 

 tion . E> bract, at a, and lower side of seed-bearing scale ; 

 C > upper side of seed-hearing scale with seeds in position. 



