164 



16.— White Fir. Balsa^i Fir. Black Balsa^i. (Ahies concolor^ 



Lindl. and Gordon.) 



Found in l!^ew Mexico and soutliern Colorado (westward in central 

 Utah, northern xlrizona, southern California to Oregon), it is most 

 abundant along the Pacific coast, occupying nioist slopes and canyons, 

 between 3,000 and 9,000 feet elevation. It commonly grows to a height 

 of 100 feet, with a diameter of 4 feet and over. The wood is soft, very 

 light, and little used for lumber, except in temporary constructions, and 

 .for domestic purposes. 



Description. — Leaves i to 2, sometimes 3 inclies long, thick to tliin, flat, blimt to 

 -awl-poiuted, or slightly notched at the tip; in tvro ranks, chiefly on the upper side 

 of the branchlets; pale green, whitish beneath. Cones nearly sessile, 2f to 5 

 inches long, and IJ to 2J inches in diameter; ovate, cylindrical, pale green, dull pur- 

 ple, or light reddish brown ; scales f to 1| inches broad. Bark light gray. Branches 

 quite regularly in whorls. 



17. — Western Hemlock. [Tsicga Mertensiana, Carriere.) 



A Western representative of the Eastern Hemlock {Tsuga Cana- 

 densis Carr.), but much larger and with finer-grained wood. It ranges 

 from western Montana westward to the Pacific coast, and north of the 

 United States boundary ) southward on coast through uorthein Cali- 

 fornia, forming large forests at elevations between 1,000 and 4,000 feet. 

 It is quite adaptive in point of soil conditions, thriving on poor dry ridges, 

 but prefers a moist soil. Probabh- reaches its greatest development in 

 Oregon and Washington Territory; ISO feet high, and G to 8 feet in 

 diameter. The wood is rather heavy, hard, and quite free froui resin, but 

 somewhat lacking in strength ; . employed to some extent for coarse 

 lumber, while the bark supplies an imi3ortant demand for tanning. 



Description. — Leaves flat, very narrow, ^ to f of an inch long, blunt at the top, 

 tapering suddenly to a slender stem (petiole). Cones ovate-cylindrical, i to f of au 

 iuch long, light brown, with delicate pubescence ; sscale few (and much longer than 

 those of Tsuga Canadensis). Crown roundish to somewhat conical ; brauchlets numer- 

 ous, slender, drooping. 



18, — Tsuga Pattoniana, Engelm. 



An alpine species having about the same range as the Western Hem- 

 lock {Tsuga Mertensiana, Carr.). It occupies dry slopes and ridges be- 

 tween 2,700 and 10,000 feet, but is reduced to a shrub as it approaches 

 the timber-line. The wood is light and soft. 



Description. — Leaves y to £ of an iuch long, about four-angled, rather sharp-pointed, 

 or blunt tapering to a stem at base. Cones 2 to 3 inches long, cyliudrical-ovate. 

 Bark thick, much cracked, reddish-gray; branchlets pubescent. 



10.— Douglas Spruce. "Eed Spruce." Yellow Fir. Eed Fir. 

 Oregon Pine. (Pseudotsuga BougJasii, Carriere.) 



A remarkably large and one of the most important timber trees, 

 quite geuerall.y distributed throughout the Eocky Mountain region 



I 



