ration: FIG. 123.--THE DIGGER PINE]

The road climbs the foot-hills by many turns and windings through
canons and up and down ridges. At an elevation of about two thousand
feet specimens of the yellow pine appear. The trees increase in
size and grow more closely together as we ascend. We soon find
ourselves in the edge of the forest belt which extends unbroken
northward to the arctic zone, and upward to the line of almost
perpetual snow.

The yellow pine, so named from the color of the bark, sometimes
attains a diameter of six feet, but does not form so dense forests
as we shall find higher on the mountains. The rays of the warm
sun, reaching down between the trees to the carpet of needles and
"bear clover," draw out their spicy fragrance. The yellow pine,
although it does not afford as good a quality of lumber as some
of the other pines, is one of our most important trees because of
its wide distribution through nearly all mountains of the West.
It has a much wider range in elevation than most trees, one variety
reaching upward nearly to the timber line.

[Illustration: FIG. 124.--A YELLOW PINE FOREST]

After getting well into the yellow pine forest, we soon come upon
other trees that contend with the pines for a footing upon the
slopes and for a bit of the sunshine. Among these the black oaks
deserve special mention, for in places they form dense groves upon
the ridges. The cedars, with their rich brown bark and flat, drooping
branches, are easily recognized. As these trees grow old they become
gnarled and knotty and very picturesque.

[Illustration: FIG. 125.--SUGAR PINE]

We first meet that "king of pines," the sugar pine, upon the more
shaded mountain slopes. Although higher up, on barren, rocky ridges,
this tree grows to noble size, yet it cannot withstand heat and
dryness. Our attention may be first called to the sugar pine by the
slender cones, ten to fifteen inches in length, which are scattered
over the ground. Then, as we look up to see whence the cones come, our
eyes light upon the smooth trunks, often over six feet in diameter
and reaching up one hundred and fifty feet before the branches
appear. From the ends of the long, drooping branches hang slender
green cones. The name of this pine is derived from the fact that
a white sugar gathers in little bunches at the spots where the
trunk has been injured. This sugar is pleasant to the taste and
somewhat medicinal.

[Illustration: FIG. 126.--ZONE OF T