SOUTH CAROLINA 175 



bushy sprouts break through the bark, and give the 

 tree a strange and, at the first glance, distinguishing 

 appearance. It is further peculiar for growing a great 

 number of small twigs on the south side, and none or 

 very few on the north side. There are two needles in 

 each sheath, not more than 2 to 4 inches long, half- 

 cylindrical, pointed, and slightly dented along the 

 edges. The cones are oval, seldom more than 2 inches 

 long, and each scale set with a small spine. The bark 

 is very rough and broken. 



4. The Smooth-barked pine. It has 2 needles in 

 each sheath, from 3-5 inches long, of a structure like 

 the preceding. Their cones are also very small, and 

 commonly quite smooth, but are to be distinguished by 

 the very pleasant odor which is peculiar to them. The 

 bark of the lower trunk is somewhat rough, but higher 

 up grows smooth and white, retaining this character- 

 istic and color, by which the tree may be known, 

 throughout all the limbs, an appearance so unusual, 

 especially in the younger trees and branches, that 

 judging by it alone one would hardly suppose this to 

 be a variety of pine. These are the varieties of pine 

 observed by me near about Charleston, to be easily 

 and plainly recognized in loco by the descriptions 

 given. But a special work would be necessary clearly 

 and certainly to disintricate the sundry species and 

 varieties of North American pines and firs, they as it 

 seems, being much affected by climatic and local con- 

 ditions, and great confusion arising from the arbitrary, 

 indeterminate names given them. Properly to rectify 

 such confusions would require time and an observa- 

 tion of the trees in all situations and circumstances. 



