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

FOREST TREES OF THE PACIFIC SLOPE. 21
In dense forests, in which its most characteristic form is found, this pine has
a tall, slender shaft, with a peculiarly short-branched, narrow, symmetrical
crown; the branches are usually slender and drooping and in early life extend
over one-half or two-thirds the length of the trunk. Its height ranges from 90
to 100 feet, and its diameter from 21 to 3a, or, exceptionally, 4 feet. In open
forests, where the conditions are less favorable to its better development, it is
a short-bodied tree, 50 or (O feet in height, with one or several very long,
stout, horizontal branches extending from 10 to 15 feet or more beyond the
other slender branches. This striking character distinguishes the tree as far
as it can be seen. The bark of trees a foot or more in diameter is distinctly
broken into peculiar small, square blocks. No other tree associated with it
has this bark character. Bark of mature trees is rarely over 1 inches thick.
In dense stands the color of the bark is grayish-purple, while in open, windswept
stands it is a distinct cinnamon color. The action of wind constantly
tears off thin outer scales of bark and exposes the red-brown interior. Young
trees have thin, smooth, bright gray bark, as do also the branches and upper
stems of old trees. The foliage of this pine is bluish-green, with a whitish tinge.
The leaves are from 2 to about 4 inches long, borne 5 in a bundle (fig. 1). The
cones are matured at the end of the second summer, usually by the first of
September. They shed their seed soon afterward and fall from the trees within
a few months. The cones (fig. 2) vary in length from about 6 to 10 inchesoccasionally
slightly longer or shorter. In unweathered mature cones the tips
of the scales are red-brown or yellow-brown, the inner portion of the scales
being a deep red. The seeds (fig. 2, a) are reddish brown, with small blackish
spots. Seed leaves, 6 to 8 or 9.
Wood, very light and soft; heartwood, pale brown, of high commercial value.
LoNGEVITY.-A long-lived tree, attaining an age of from 200 to 500 years.
RANGE.
Middle and upper slopes of northwestern mountains from west side of Continental
Divide in northern Montana and southern British Columbia to Washington, Oregon, and
California.
BRITISH COLUMBIA.-Lateral valleys east of Columbia-Kootenai Valley, northward to
Donald, on Gold and Selkirk ranges (in region of heavy rainfall), northward to Great
Shuswap and Adams lakes; also on central ranges, in southwest to Coast Range, there
extending 51 miles up Homathco River to 2,235 feet elevation. On interior mountains
of Vancouver Island and southwest coast, but not yet found on Queen Charlotte Islands.
WASHINGTON.-Mountains of Northeast, Blue Mountains, and westward to Cascade and
Coast ranges, at elevations from 300 up to 6,000 feet. In northern Cascades, from near
sea level on Puget Sound up to about 3,000 feet; farther south on west side, at from
2,000 to 6,000 feet, and on the east side, at from 1,150 to 4,700 feet; eastward 5 miles
above Lake Chelan, and in Okanogan County to mountains west of Okanogan River (T. 36
N., R. 24 E.). Farther south, noted up to 6,000 feet, Tolt, Snoqualmie, Cedar, Green,
White, Yakima, Wenache, and Entiat river basins. In Olympics, from near sea level
up to 1,800 feet.
OREGoN.-On both sides of Cascades and on coast ranges, at from 3,000 to 6,000 feet
in north and 5,000 to 7,500 feet in south, extending eastward to Blue and Warner mountains.
On north side Mount Hood from 20 miles south of Hood River on the Columbia
at 2,000 to 4,300 feet; on south side from Camas Prairie to Government Camp. Cascade
National Forest (North) at 1,500 to 6,100 feet, throughout west slope north of McKenzie
River, on east slope south of Mount Hood in White River Basin, and at headwaters of
Warm Springs River and Beaver Creek. Eastward in Deschutes River Valley east of Cascades
to upper Paulina Creek Canyon. Cascade National Forest (South) only on main
divide southward (to T. 39, B., R. 5 E.), on west side at 5,000 to 7,500 feet, and not over
14 miles west of summit, except upper South Umpqua River Basin and on Siskiyous between
Sisklyou and Sterling peaks. Frequent on east side of Cascades, but confined to declivities
at 5,500 to 6,000 feet. Noted on Mount Mazama (Crater Lake) from 5,000 to above