De I. VNER VEW D Forest Trees of the Pacific Slope

128 FOREST TREES OF THE PACIFIC SLOPE.
levels on west than on east slope. Grows in well-drained, shallow, gravelly sand to
moist, sandy loam, or in porous rocky soils; best on sandy loam; good drainage necessary,
as is also abundant, freely flowing soil moisture.
In pure, limited stands and small groups (Vancouver Island, Olympics, high levels
in Cascades), but more commonly In mixture. In British Columbia, above Douglas fir
with western and black hemlocks, and western white and white-bark pines; in Washington
and Oregon, at low altitudes with western hemlock, noble and lowland firs, western
red cedar, and Douglas fir; moderately high up, sparingly with lodgepole and western
white pines and yellow cedar; near upper limit, with black hemlock, alpine fir, Engelmann
spruce, and white-bark pine.
CLIMATIC CONDITIONS.-Climate equable, with abundant precipitation, moderate
humidity, long growinu season, and small seasonal and daily variation in temperature.
Annual precipitation averages about 45 inches; 2 feet of snow, which soon disappears.
Temperature rarely below zero or above 90° F.
TOLFRANac.-Moderately tolerant of shade, In this ranking close to noble and lowland
firs and Engelmann spruce. Endures more shade than Douglas fir, western white pine,
and western larch, but less than Pacific yew, western red cedar, yellow cedar, and western
hemlock. Long suppressed young growth under dense shade eventually dies if
overhead light is not admitted.
REPRODUCTIoN.-Prolific seeder. Some seed borne locally nearly every year, but heavy
seeding occurs at rather irregular Intervals of 2 to 3 years. Seed of rather low rate
of germination, and vitality very transient. Considerable seed eaten by squirrels.
Reproduction fairly abundant. Moist duff and moss-covered humous soil with moderate
light favors best germination and growth of seedlings.
Noble Fir.
Abies nobilis Lindley.
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS.
The woodsman's and lumberman's name for this tree is "larch," or sometimes
"red fir." Why either, especially "larch," should be used it is difficult
to understand. There is little, except possibly the thin foliage of this fir, to
suggest likeness to any of the true larches or tamaracks, and little also about
the tree to deserve the name "red fir." It is said that "larch," first applied
in Oregon some twenty-five years ago, was used in order to avoid the prejudice
against its admirable timber, which would have been aroused if the lumber had
been offered as "fir." Perpetuation of such a misnomer is confusing, even for
so good a reason. It prevents lay people from acquiring a useful and correct
knowledge of the natural relationships of these important forest trees. It is
hoped therefore that " larch " will be replaced oy the name " noble fir," which
serves to popularize the tree's technical name.
In the deep forests which this fir inhabits it is, when at its best, one of
the most magnificently tall and symmetrically formed trees of its kind. The
remarkably straight, evenly and only slightly tapering trunks are often clear
of branches for 100 feet or more. Large trees are from 140 to 200 feet in height,
or exceptionally somewhat taller, and from 30 to 60 inches in diameter; trees
6 to 7 feet in diameter occur, but they are rare. The crown of such closely
grown forest trees is an open, short, narrow, round-topped cone; the short,
stiff-looking branches stand out straight from the stem in distant whorls or
groups, while the closely-leafed branchlets appear like stiff fingers against the
sky. The heavy lower branches sometimes droop. Young trees 10 or 12 inches
thick often bear their characteristically open, sharply conical crown down to
the ground. The short branches stand out stiffly, almost straight, from the
smooth grayish-brown trunks. Bark of old trees is rather thin-about 1 to 1P
inches thick-and very characteristically divided by narrow seams into fiat,
narrow ridges. These are broken into long, irregular plates, which are soft
and flake off easily, revealing a clear, dark reddish-brown beneath the ashy-