already occupied by other trees or by grass, 

 because its seedlings cannot endure shade, and 

 its seeds will not germinate or take root except 

 they be brought directly into contact with 

 clean mineral soil. The lodge-pole, therefore, 

 needs the assistance of fire both to acquire and 

 to hold territory. Increase the number of forest 

 fires, and the lodge-pole extends its holdings ; if 

 we could stop fires altogether, the lodge-pole 

 would become almost extinct. 



The lodge-pole has an astonishing altitudinal 

 as well as latitudinal range. Scattered pretty 

 well over the mountain region of the western 

 United States, thence northward along the 

 coast over much of the head-waters of the 

 Yukon in Alaska, it occupies an enormous area. 

 Over this it adapts itself with marked success 

 to a variety of soil, moisture, and climatic con- 

 ditions, and covers ragged tracts from warm 

 sea-beaches to dry, cold mountain slopes eleven 

 thousand feet above the sea. In many places it 

 surrenders the traditional pole form of its race 

 and wins success by becoming thick-barked, 

 stocky, and limb-covered from top to bottom. 



