116 



The roots of the pine do not reach deeply into the 

 ground, even with large trees, but they spread very much, 

 as can be seen by examining the upturned roots of some 

 tree prostrated by a gale. 



The trunk of the tree increases by the annual deposit 

 of a layer of wood outside those of previous years ; when 

 pines are growing thickly together, the lower branches of 

 the trees die, and, falling off, the succeeding layers of 

 wood and bark cover the places smoothly where they once 

 projected, leaving the earlier portion of the branch in the 

 centre of the tree as a knot. A cone was shown at one 

 of the meetings a year or two since, which was imbedded 

 in this same manner, and was found in splitting a piece of 

 pine wood. 2 



The leaves of the pine are produced in little tufts, as if 

 we were to pull through our hand a stem of some plant, 

 allowing the leaves to remain between our fingers in a 

 bunch. Each fascicle of White pine has five leaves, of 

 Red pine, two, of Pitch pine, three. 



The flowers are of two sorts, male and female, produced 

 on different parts of the same tree, or upon different trees ; 

 the male, or staminate flowers, are on the young shoots, 

 and consist of masses of pollen sacks clustered together, 

 which, when ripe, burst open, allowing the pollen to escape 

 in great quantities. 3 



2 At the close of the meeting held for discussions, at which this paper was pre- 

 sented, in answer to the question: " Why is Michigan pine stock clearer than that 

 of home production ?" 



Mr. John Proctor, of Essex, a gentleman of experience in judging lumber, 

 said : " The clear stock comes from the huge pines ; it is cut from the lower trunk, 

 from the outside towards the centre of the tree, before the knots, which are always 

 to be found at the heart of every tree, are reached. The knotty boards are sold as 

 second quality stock, which often comes from the same tree as the clear." 



3 1 find in Emerson's Trees and Shrubs of Mass., 1846, the foil >wing: — 



" The yellow pollen, which is very abundant, and being as lght and fine as dust, 

 has been carried by the wind ftom a forest of pines, and spread upon the ground 

 at a great distance. This affords a probable explanation of the stories which have 



