38 Common Trees 



HEMLOCK 



Tsuga canadensis, (L.) Carriere 



THE HEMLOCK, also called Spruce Pine and Hemlock 

 Spruce, is an important forest tree with a very pleasing 

 and graceful appearance. As an ornamental tree it has few 

 equals and as a timber tree it stands in the front rank. 



HEMLOCK 

 One-half natural size. 



The leaves are flat, H of an inch long, rounded or notched 

 at apex, dark green and glossy above, with two white lines 

 on lower surface, joined to the twigs by short and slender 

 woody stalks. They are spirally arranged, but appear as if 

 arranged in two flat rows alongside the twigs. A third row 

 of small leaves point forward on the top of the twigs. 



The cones are oblong, light brown, 34 of an inch long, 

 short-stalked. They often persist throughout the winter. 

 The cone-scales are about as wide as long. 



The outer bark is reddish-brown and scaly; the inner is 

 cinnamon-red. If one takes a pocket knife and bores into 

 the inner bark and finds it cinnamon red he has a positive 

 distinguishing characteristic of this tree. The twigs are very 

 slender, grayish-brown, at first hairy, and rough when needle- 

 leaves are shed. 



The wood is hard, weak, brittle, liable to splinter and 

 difficult to work. It is used for coarse lumber, boxes, crates 

 and pulp, and the bark is rich in tannin. 



The Hemlock is found from Nova Scotia to Minnesota 

 and south to New Jersey and Pennsylvania and along the 

 mountains to Alabama. It is common on moist sites in 

 nearly all parts of New York except Long Island and Staten 

 Island. It is a shade-loving tree and not very windfirm. 

 It usually reaches a height of 60 to 80 feet, but may become 

 100 feet high and 4 feet in diameter. 



