THE LARCHES OR TAMARACKS.
The notable characteristic of the small genus, larix, is that the narrow leaves are shed in the autumn. here is a tall pyramidal conifer which is not evergreen. It bears an annual crop of small woody cones, held erect on the branches, and the leaves are borne in crowded clusters on short lateral spurs, except upon the terminal shoots, where the leaves are scattered remotely but follow the spiral plan. Larch wood is hard, heavy, resinous, and
almost indestructible. The tall shafts are ideal for tele graph poles and posts.