Rural School Leaflet 



1355 



its branches are irregular, the trunk is not so tall and straight, and the old 

 cones frequently hang on the tree for years. The foliage is stiff and the 

 needles are borne in clusters of three ; this at once distinguishes it from the 

 white pine. The needles are a dark yellow-green instead of a blue-green. 

 The cones are short and stout, about two or three inches long and two 

 inches thick, and each cone scale is armed with a prickle. There is not 

 the slightest resemblance between the white pine and the pitch pine, in 

 either needles, cones, or bark; and if the wood is examined after the tree 

 has been cut, no resemblance will be found there. The wood of the pitch 

 pine is coarse-grained, full of pitch, and not adapted to the fine work for 

 which white pine is used. Indeed, the wood of pitch pine is of little value 

 except for coarse, rough lumber and for excelsior. 



The red pine, or Norway pine as it is frequently called, 

 is a tree that is not found in many parts of this State. 

 It is common only in the Adirondack region, where it 

 grows on light, sandy soils and has plenty of sunlight. 

 It may be found occasionally, however, in other parts 

 of northern New York. It can be distinguished by its 

 long, flexible needles (four to six inches long), which are 

 borne two in a cluster. The cones are from two to two 

 and one-half inches long and have no prickles. Taking 

 the cones and the needles together, there is no danger 

 of confusing this tree with the other two pines mentioned. 



The red pine reaches a height of seventy-five or eighty 

 feet. The wood is harder than that of the white pine, 

 yet like white pine, it is not durable in contact with the 

 soil. Because of its hardness it is not so valuable a 

 timber as white pine, but the red pine possesses the great 

 advantage of being a tree that will grow well on land too 

 poor to produce a satisf actor}' crop of white pine. It 

 rarely makes close forests, because it is a tree tliat demands a great 

 amount of light for its growth. Red pine trees are never found in large 

 numbers together, at least in this State, but are found mixed with other 

 trees, especially at the edge of lakes or in openings throughout the 

 sandy stretches of country that are common in the Adirondack Moun- 

 tains. 



The jack, or scrub, pine is not frequently seen in this State except in 

 dry, sandy, barren soils in the northern part. It is usually a small, scrubby 

 tree, with irregular branches, and of such poor form that it is practically 

 worthless for lumber. The leaves are bluish green, covered with a gray 

 bloom, and about two inches in length. They are borne in clusters of 

 two, are twisted, and have a tendency to spread apart. The cones are 



Pitch pine needle 

 cluster 



