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

FOREST TREES OF THE PACIFIC SLOPE. 135
value of this wood, in its better grades, is yet to be determined. Firmness and
good working qualities must render it useful for a number of the purposes to
which pine is put, while its clean trunks would yield saw timber of the best
form.
LONGEVITY.-It appears to be rather long-lived, but much fuller investigations
are required to establish age limits. Trees from 20 to 36 inches in diameter
are from 225 to 370 years old. Very large trees would certainly show much
greater ages. The differences to be brought out in the longevity of this fir as it
grows on high exposed slopes and as it exists in heavier forests of lower and
more protected locations are likely to be most interesting and profitable contributions.
The so-called Shasta red fir (Abics magnifica shastensis Lemmon, fig. 54) is
a form of the ordinary red fir discovered and described in 1890 a by Prof. J. G.
Lemmon. In every way, except in the form and protrusion of its cone-scale
bracts, and in the usually shorter full form of the cones, this tree is identical
in appearance with the type species. Moreover, the habits of the two trees
are the same; in fact, may be standing side by side. The exact range and
occurrence of this tree has not been fully worked out. Following its first detection
on Mount Shasta, California, it was found on the coast and cross ranges
of northern California, and also on the Cascade Mountains, Oregon. Later it
was observed by the writer on the divides of Kaweah River watersheds and
elsewhere, far south of Shasta, in the southern Sierras. The distinction of these
trees, possibly so far as is now known only by the cones, is of no importance
from the forester's standpoint.
RANGE.
High mountain slopes and ridges from southern Oregon and northern California southward
over west side of Sierras.
ORaaON.-Southern Cascades northward to mountain south of Davis Lake (lat. 43°
85') ; west slope, at 5,200 to 8,800 feet; east slope (here extending 2 to 6 miles down
from summit), at 6,000 to 8,800 feet. On Umpqua-Rogue River Divide and Sisklyous
from Siskiyou Peak westward, but absent from coast ranges, Klamath Gap, and ridges
of upper Klamath River Basin.
CALIFORNIA.-Northern part and southward in coast ranges to Lake County; also
throughout Sierras, and chiefly on west side. In northern part of State eastward to
mountains north of Mount Shasta between Shasta Valley and Butte Creek; here it
occurs on Mount Pomeroy, at 7,000 to 7,500 feet, on summit of Goosenest Mountain,
ridge east of Butte Creek, Glass Mountain, at point 14 miles south of Tule Lake at 6,700
to 7.500 feet, and probably into Modoc County. Mount Shasta National Forest, generally
at 5,000 to 8,000 feet. Locally noted on Scott Mountains; Mount Eddy; Mount Shasta,
at 5,500 to 7,500 feet-sometimes to 8,900 feet. Westward in Siskiyou County to Marble
Mountain ridge (west of Scott Valley), where it occurs on east slope at 5,000 to 5,700
feet on Salmon Summit west of North Fork of Salmon, Trinity Summit on boundary
between Siskiyou and Humboldt counties-here on west side above 4,800 feet. Klamath
National Forest, above 6,000 feet. Highest summits in Trinity National Forest, between
5,000 and 8,000 feet; sometimes down to 4,000 feet, and common on Canyon Creek near
lakes and on higher parts of Yola Bull Ridge. Throughout Stony Creek National Forest
(Coast Range) on Sanhedrin range southward to Pine Mountain, at about 5,000 to
7,000 feet; abundant on St. Johns, Iron, and Hull mountains and headwaters of Grindstone
Creek, Black Buttes, and Snow Mountain, at 7,000 feet. Lassen Peak,
Plumas, and Diamond Mountain National forests have scattered bodies above 6,000
feet; south side of Lassen's Peak, above 5,500 feet. Northern Sierras, commonly on
west slope at 4,800 to 7,000 feet; eastward to Grizzly Mountains and on east slope to
Smithneck Creek and Sardine Valley. Locally noted in Plumas County at Bucks Valley;
Grizzly Mountains and southward to Penman Peak; Spanish Creek Ridge; South side
Frenchman's Hill and westward to Walker Plain. Sierra County, Yuba Pass and eastward
down to 5,800 feet (west of Sierra Valley) to Sardine Valley and Smithneck Can-
It is suspected that this tree was distinguished by Carrilre as early as 1867, but It
Is impossible to be sure now that his description refers to this tree,