8 
heavy rainfall and fog' prevalent on the west coast of Vancou- 
ver Island and northern coast of B. C. It is the principal tree 
on the Alaskan archipelago: 
ENGELMANN SPRUCE (Picea engelmanni) 
This is an important forest tree over parts of the interior 
of British Columbia, but is unknown in the coast region. It is 
a semi-Alpine tree, growing on elevated mountain slopes 
where there is sufficient moisture. Where it grows in dense 
stands, it forms a clean straight trunk, and reaches a maximum 
size of about four feet in diameter, and 120 feet in height. 
Usually about 30 inches in diameter is considered good timber. 
It is a very useful timber in many of the mining sections 
of the Province. It covers many of the mountain slopes in the 
central plateau region, and extends from the 49th parallel as 
far north as Babine and McLeod lakes in northern B. C. It is 
long-lived and very tenacious of life. Trees two feet in diameter 
are likely to be about 300 years old. On exposed mountain 
tops, where the struggle for existence is intense, a tree six 
inches in diameter may be 200 years old. 
WESTERN YELLOW PINE (Pinus ponderosa) 
This pine is confined to the dry interior plateau region of 
British Columbia. In contrast with all the trees previously 
described, this tree does not grow on damp ground, but thrives 
best in the dry arid valleys where the rainfall is light. It 
grows to a large tree in favorable localities, reaching as large 
as six feet in diameter occasionally. Usually about three feet in 
diameter with abundance of limbs and forming park-like 
groves. The wood is inclined to be resinous and only of 
moderate commercial value, and useful mainly for local pur- 
poses. It occurs over all the dry lower valleys of the southern 
interior of B. C., i.e., around Princeton, Nicola, Stump Lake, 
Kamloops, Clinton, etc. It is a useful tree for forming wind- 
brakes in the dry prairie country, as it will grow on any soil 
and thrive under the most adverse conditions. It grows to a 
good old age, reaching about 500 years. 
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