500 OUR WOODLAND TREKS. 
sides of the trunks, as the latter make their straight 
upward growth, dying off as the Trees advance in 
age. With few exceptions they are evergreen, 
with more or less needle-shaped and rigid leaves. 
The character of the wood in this order of Trees 
—the familiar ‘deal’—is peculiar. It is elastic, 
highly resinous, and consequently, highly combus- 
tible, its fibres being arranged somewhat loosely, 
and in parallel lines. It is, however, very durable 
in use. The Trees of this order, and their fruit— 
the cones, or seed—vary, of course, greatly in size, 
according to the species. But they are mostly 
rapid growers—as rapidity of growth is measured 
amongst Trees. To attain perfection they require 
periods of time varying from fifty to a hundred 
years; but many of them, including nearly all the 
European species, will generally be found to com- 
mence cone-bearing at the age of twenty years. 
In our own woodlands the Pinaster is the Conifer 
which most rapidly perfects its timber; the period 
required for this purpose being about forty years, 
or at most fifty years. After half a century, 
however, its period of decline commences. Like 
all the fast-growing Trees, however, its timber is 
