Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 16.djvu/51

* PINE. 33 PINE. species, as in the pine barrens of Xorth America. The thickened epidermis and reduced surface of the needles, wliieh are in fact not true leaves, check transpiration and fit the trees ad- mirably for the situations in which they often grow. One of the most scientific systems of classifica- tion, that given by Engelmann in the Traiisac- tions of the .Saint Louis Academy of Science for 1882. is based upon rather technical characters. By others artificial <;roupinj;s are made, based upon the number of leaves in the cluster and the position and character of the cones. The follow- ing scheme, adapted from Veitch, shows the relationships of some of the more common species : Strohi, leaves in bundles of five; cones pendu- lous ; scales thin, blunt : seeds winged — excelsa, lambertiana. monticola, strobus. CcmhrfF, leaves in fives: cones erect or hori- zontal: seeds large, obscurely winged — albicaulis, Balfouriana, Cembra, flexilis. Edules, leaves in bundles of one-fifth ; cones subterminal: scales thickened; seeds large, very obscurely winged — monophylla, parryana, edulis, ccmbroides. Twd<e. leaves in threes : cones subterminal or lateral; scales much thickened, with sharp prickles; seeds winged — coulteri, palustris, pon- derosa, Tteda. Pinaster, leaves in twos ; cones lateral, often clustered, mostly persistent : scales thickened, blunt or spiny — eontorta, echinata, municata. Pi- naster. Sylicstres, leaves in twos; cones subterminal, small mostly falling off; scales slightly thick- ened : seeds with elongated wings — Banksiana, halepensis. resinosa. sylvestris. The white pine i Pinus fUrobus) is one of the most important timber trees of North America. Its range extends from Newfoundland to Minne- sota and southward to the mountains of Georgia. It attains a height of 75 to 150 feet, with a diameter of 4 feet. The wood is white or light yellow, soft, straight-grained, and not very resin- ous, although some resin is obtained from it. It is easily worked and is largely used in building, cabinet work, etc., being especially in demand for doors, frames, window sash, blinds, shingles, etc. This tree is becoming scarce in the Northern United States and the adjacent parts of Canada. It is one of the most rapid-growing coniferous trees, and as an ornamental has no superior in the northeastern part of the United States. It is propagated from seed, and the young seed- lings retjuire some shade. It is not consid- ered as hardy as the Scotch pine, but is longer lived. The yellow, long-leaved, or (Jcorgia pine (Pinus palustris) . a tree of the widest dis- tribution and greatest economic importance of any in the South Atlantic and Gulf States, ranks second among American pines. It is found in the sandy and gravelly soil from near Norfolk. Virginia, in a belt about 12.') miles wide, to Louisiana, following the contour of the coast, and is readily distinguished by its long leaves, 9 to 15 inches long, and its cones, which are rather larger than those of other species which accom- pany it. The average height of the mature tree is about 100 feet, with a diameter of from 2 to .3 feet, tapering very gradually. The wood is heavier and stronger tlian that of any other pine upon the market. The layer of sap-wood is rather thin and the heart-wood is prominently marked by the annual rings. The timber is used in all kinds of building, being especially adapted to ship-carpentry, bridge-building, flooring, etc. Large quantities arc annually exported, while the building operations of the Southern States are almost wholly dependent upon it. The tree is very resinous, and wherever the sap-wood is laid bare there is an abundant How of resin, which is largely used in the manufacture of naval stores, turpentine, resin, pitch, tar, etc. The industry ranks second only to the lumber interests. The leaves are utilized for the production by distilla- tion of an oil closely resembling the oil of turpen- tine, and for the production of pine wool, made by boiling with alkalies, the resulting fibre being used in upholstering. Two species associated with the Georgia pine in its lower limits are the Cuban pine {Pinus heterophytia) . very similar to the Georgia pine in size and manner of growth, but considered ^3^^'^^i ^ ..^^^r^/^', LOBLOLLY OR OLD FIELD PI.NE (/'IDUS TjedS). somewhat less valuable, and the loblolly or old field pine {Pinus Twda). The loblolly pine springs up in abandoned fields, soon aliording a supply of timber and wood for fuel, the quality of which varies widely with the conditions under which it is grown, approaching the long-leaved pine in quality when grown in the forest, but considered inferior when grown in open fields. Another valuable species of the Southern and Eastern .States is the short-leaved pine {Pinus echinnta, or Pinus mitis. as it is fre- quently called), a tree which attains a height of 75 to 120 feet with a diameter of about 2 feet, and which ranges from New .lersey and Penn- sylvania through southern Illinois to Arkansas and eastern Texas, in some places occurring in almost ])ure forests. The wood is heavy, hard, coarse-grained, but strong, and is largely used for the framework of buildings, weather-board- ing, railway ties, car and other building. It is less resinous than the long-leaved pine, but in importance ranks next to that species in the South. The jack pine or scrub pine of the