They are the priests of pines, and seem ever to be addressing the surrounding forest.

The Yellow Pine is found growing with them on warm hillsides, and the White Silver Fir on cool northern slopes; but, noble as these are, the Sugar Pine is easily king, and spreads his arms above them in blessing while they rock and wave in sign of recognition.

The main branches are sometimes found to be forty feet in length, yet persistently simple, seldom dividing at all, excepting near the end; but anything like a bare cable appearance is prevented by the small, tasseled branchlets that extend all around them; and when these superb limbs sweep out symmetrically on all sides, a crown sixty or seventy feet wide is formed, which, gracefully poised on the summit of the noble shaft, and filled with sunshine, is one of the most glorious forest objects conceivable.

Commonly, however, there is a great preponderance of limbs toward the east, away from the direction of the prevailing winds.
No other pine seems to me so unfamiliar and self-contained.

In approaching it, we feel as if in the presence of a superior being, and begin to walk with a light step, holding our breath.