318 



THE FIR TRIBE. 



both young and old, extend their roots horizon- 

 tally, or in a direction parallel to the surface of 

 the ground, — tap-root they have none, for such 

 an appendage would be useless to trees often grow- 

 ing in soil but a few inches deep. The roots 

 being, moreover, close to the surface, or even 

 partially above it, acquire a hardness and tough- 

 ness which enable them to resist the action 

 of the wind on the head of the tree much more 

 effectually than in the case of trees w^hose 

 juicy roots run deep into the ground. It is a 

 well-ascertained fact in physics, that any given 

 number of separate strings wdll support a much 

 heavier weight than if they were united into one 

 rope. This fact might have been inferred from 

 the roots of the Fir-tribe, for being required to 

 resist a greater degree of force than the roots 

 of other trees, they are smaller, and proportion- 

 ally more numerous, thus being stronger in them- 

 selves, and presenting a larger surface of resist- 

 ance to the surrounding soil, that is to say, being 

 both less liable to snap, and to be torn out from 

 the ground. Moreover, as they extend in all 

 directions, they are prepared to resist the violence 

 of the mountain tempest, no matter from what 

 quarter it may proceed. 



From the centre of this web of wiry roots 

 rises a stiff column of solid timber, the strength 

 of which is not impaired by being divided into 

 branching arms, but the whole substance is 

 thrown into one trunk, so that here the least 

 possible amount of surface is exposed to the 

 action of the wind. The Firs, too, are emi- 

 nently social trees ; it rarely happening in the 

 mountains that one stands alone : but though 



