Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XIII.djvu/540

 524: PINE succeeding in any location not too damp ; its light open top makes it less majestic than some other pines, but it has a grace and beauty not possessed by them ; its color is in fine contrast with that of other species, and its long leaves, always kept in motion by the air, make a pleasing sound. There are varieties with silvery foliage, and a dwarf variety which forms a broad Sat top. In the section of pines with three leaves in a sheath we have four species, the most valuable of which is the long-leaved or southern yellow pine (P. aus- tralis), which for usefulness ranks next to the white pine; it is readily distinguished from all our other pines by the great length of its leaves, which measure from 10 to 15 in., are bright green, from a long light-colored sheath, and are crowded at the ends of the branches ; the cones, often 10 in. long, are of a fine brown color and have thick scales, each of which bears a small recurved prickle. This species, which extends from North Carolina southward, often forms the entire growth on large tracts known as pine barrens, which are especially abundant in Georgia and Florida ; it is rarely found over 120 m. from the coast; its average height is about 75 ft. ; the naked trunk shoots up 50 or 60 ft., dividing at the top into a few spread- ing branches; the trunks for two thirds of their height have an average diameter of 15 to 18 in. ; the scales of the bark are very thin. The trunk has a remarkably small proportion of sap or new wood, the greater portion being heart, with the concentric circles of very equal width, and the wood very evenly charged with resin; the quantity and color of the wood is much modified by the character of the soil; it is very strong, compact, and durable, and being close-grained takes a fine polish ; under the name of Georgia pine, it is in great de- mand for ship building, flooring, and other uses, and is sometimes used for interior work, simply varnished, and in time it takes on a warm reddish brown color. As with other very resinous pines, whenever the tree is in- jured and vegetation ceases, the wood in a few months becomes surcharged with resin, and is then called "fat pine;" this often takes place where a branch is broken off, the resinous de- posit continuing to the heart of the tree and forming a pitch knot. Besides the great value of the wood, still more important are the products known as naval stores, turpentine, rosin, tar, and pitch, the preparation of which is described under their proper titles. Among the minor uses to which the tree is put is that of a substitute for brooms, the tuft of long leaves at the end of a branch of a young tree serving when tied for that use, whence it is sometimes known as the broom pine. The fat wood, especially the knots, are very generally used by the poorer classes in the pine districts for illuminating purposes. The seeds, which in all the rest of our pines are black, have a white skin, and the kernel has a pleasant flavor ; they are not produced every year, but in fruitful seasons they are shed in great abun- dance in October, and are greedily eaten by swine, wild turkeys, and other animals. The fallen leaves, which cover the ground in im- mense quantities, are known as pine straw ; it has been proposed to compress them into blocks for fuel, and attempts have been made to convert them into a fabric. Another south- ern species of the three-leaved section is the loblolly, or old-field pine (P. tceda which oc- curs from Delaware to Florida, growing in less sterile soil than the long-leaved pine. One of its common names expresses the fact that it springs up in old fields ; the land, having been cultivated until it is no longer profitable, is thrown out to be taken possession of by this tree and numerous weeds. The tree grows 80 or 100 ft. high, with a diameter of 2 or 3 ft., and has a wide-spreading top; the bark is thick and furrowed ; the light green leaves 6 to 10 in. long; the elongated-oblong cones 3 to 5 in. long, the scales tipped with a stout incurved spine. The trunk has a very small heart, and the timber is of very poor quality ; though it shrinks, warps, and cracks badly, it is considerably used in the southern states for building. This species is hardy at Philadel- phia. The pitch pine (P. rigida) ranges from Maine to Georgia, and is found in a great va- riety of situations and under very different forms ; while in some northern localities it is only 12 or 15 ft. high, in other places it forms a large tree 70 ft. high ; the trunk has a very rough dark-colored bark ; the leaves are 3 to 5 in. long, very dark green, with short sheaths ; the cones, often in clusters, are ovate, 1 to 3 in. long, the scales with a stout recurved prickle. Sometimes the tree forms a clear trunk, and the wood is soft and nearly free from resin, but generally the wood contains a large amount of resin, and consequently is very hard; when vigorous growth ceases the wood becomes fat, or pitch wood, as in the long-leaved pine ; the wood is much used in ship building, for water wheels, pump and water logs, and many other uses; former- ly, when more abundant, tar and lampblack were made from it. The dark green of the foliage is pleasing, but there are so many other pines superior to it that it is not to be com- mended for ornamental planting. The pond pine, which some botanists rank as a species (P. serotina), is probably only a variety of the pitch pine (P. rigida, var. serotina), the prin- cipal difference being that it has somewhat longer leaves and more rounded cones; its wood is of little value. Among our pines having the leaves two in a sheath, only two species are of much economical value. The yellow pine, or, to distinguish it from the southern yellow pine, the short-leaved yellow pine (P. mitis), grows from New Jersey to the gulf of Mexico, and is usually from 50 to 60 ft. high, though specimens have reached 90 ft., with a straight trunk, and, where it can develop, a handsome conical head, which has