Form and size: A large tree with a broad-based pyramidal head, and a
trunk conspicuously tapering toward the apex. The branches extend
almost to the ground.

Range: The hemlock is a northern tree, growing in Canada and the United
States.

Soil and location: Grows on all sorts of soils, in the deepest woods as
well as on high mountain slopes.

Enemies: None of importance.

Value for planting: The hemlock makes an excellent hedge because it
retains its lowest branches and will stand shearing. In this respect
it is preferable to the spruce. It makes a fair tree for the lawn
and is especially desirable for underplanting in woodlands, where
the shade from the surrounding trees is heavy. In this respect it is
like the beech.

Commercial value: The wood is soft, brittle, and coarse-grained, and is
therefore used mainly for coarse lumber. Its bark is so rich in
tannin that it forms one of the chief commercial products of the
tree.

Other characters: The _fruit_ is a small cone about ¾ of an inch long,
which generally hangs on the tree all winter.

[Illustration: FIG. 10.--Twig of the Hemlock.]