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

184
FOREST TREES OF THE PACIFIC SLOPE.
nish poor saw timber, but would give good blocks for pencils and other minor
commercial uses. As a forest tree, western juniper deserves special attention
on account of its unusual ability to thrive at high elevations, on dry wind-swept
situations. Few other trees can so persistently withstand such exposure.
LoNGGVITY.-While the age limit of this tree has not been fully determined,
it is known to be exceedingly long-lived. Its height growth is always slow,
as is also its diameter growth when it is exposed, as it usually is, to fierce winds
and grows rooted in crevices of rock. But even in such situations it grows persistently,
producing thick trunks out of all proportion to its height. The wood
of such trees is very fine-grained, indicating very great age. In protected mountain
coves and on fiats with deep washes of loose earth, large trunks show their
more rapid diameter growth in their coarser grain. Trees of this type, from
20 to 48 inches in diameter, are from 125 to 300 years old. A study of finegrained
stems grown in exposed places would doubtless show large ones to be
from 500 to 800 years or more old.
RANGE.
Idaho, southeastern Washington, and eastern Oregon southward to southern California.
Arid hills and high plains of Idaho, southeastern Washington, and eastern Oregon;
also high elevations in Cascades of Oregon and Sierras of California southward, in
latter State, at least to San Bernardino Mountains. At north, possibly also in southern
interior British Columbia, Montana, and in northern and western Nevada, but range
there, as in Washington and Idaho, still imperfectly known.
WASn~xNGTON.-Only four localities known in arid southeastern part-at 591 feet
elevation in Ryegrass Coulde (northwest of Fishhook Ferry) on Snake River, Franklin
County; Yakima Canyon bottom, Kittitas County; Columbia River Canyon bottom below
Sentinel Bluffs, at 1,800 feet, Douglas County; north side of Columbia River, for several
miles each side of mouth of John Day River. Should be detected elsewhere in State.
OREGON.-Arid canyons, bluffs and mesas throughout eastern part and on both slopes
of main divide of Cascades; generally from 500 to 6,000 feet, but sparingly on west slope
of Cascades, at 1,600 to 5,200 feet, and not on Umpqua-Rogue River Divide nor on
northern slopes of Siskiyous. Noted at Corvallis in Willamette Valley.' East slopes of
Cascades up to 6,000 feet elevation. East of Cascades, noted in Deschutes River Valley,
on Columbia River and tributaries in northern Wasco County, and on Mutton Mountain
plateau (between Simnasho and Warm Springs), at 2,900 feet, on Fly Creek Desert (between
Matolius Creek and Squaw Creek) ; from a point 9 or 10 miles northwest of Farewell
Bend to Prineville and eastward to Wagontire Butte, where it is especially abundant.
Generally distributed over Klamath-Deschutes Divide and throughout Klamath
River Basin eastward to Goose Lake National Forest, being common here on Drews, Dry,
and Chewaucan creeks, and also in Warner Valley, where it grows on east and west
sides of Warner Mountains. In northern part of State probably goes eastward through
Blue, Wenaha, and Powder River mountains. Noted on Columbia River and branches
in north Wasco, Sherman, and Morrow counties, on south side of the Columbia, near
Blalocks and on John Day River (Gilliam County), in Juniper Canyon at 950 feet, and
on Columbia River (Umatilla County), and in Blue Mountains, generally below pines, as
in Maury Mountains and mountains south of Prineville.
CALIFORNIA.-Northeastern part and mainly on east slopes and summits of Sierras
southward to the San Bernardino Mountains. At north, from ridges east of Surprise
Valley (Nevada) and both sides of Warner Mountains, westward to Shasta River Valley
at a point northwest of Mount Shasta; here abundant at 2,500 to 3,500 feet from point
few miles east of Edgewood northward to I.ittle Shasta Valley, lower slopes of Siskiyous,
and hills east of Hlornbrook. Reported in Trinity Mountains at high altitudes about
alpine lakes at head of Canyon Creek. Locally noted in northern California as follows:
Above Cedarville (Warner Mountains) ; Modoc Bluff, 6 miles west of Alturas, at 5,000
feet; west of Warner Mountains in Fandango Valley; Upper Goose Lake Valley, at
7.000 feet; Lower Goose Lake Valley; Devils Garden (west of Goose Lake), at 5,000
feet, from lake to Willow Creek-few miles southeast of Steel Swamp and southward to
Warm Springs Valley, near Canby; between Tule Lake and Iost River; from point 15
miles south of Tule Lake to one 10 miles north of Lookout and eastward to Round Valley
and Adin; Pitt River (Modoc County), at 4,900 feet; west of lower Klamath Lake
from Brownell to Picard; Klamath Hot Springs at junction of Shovel Creek with
Klamath River; ridge east of latter, at 2,700 to 4,300 feet. Southward, from northern