1 6c FOREST TREES. 



"In the Pine forests of the Southern States," says Nuttall, "thousands- 

 of acres of trees have been destroyed by insects in their larval state,, 

 some not bigger than a grain of rice." 



The Woodpeckers, which have borne the charge of destroying the 

 trees in search of these worms, only attack those in which these insidious 

 enemies have already destroyed their vitality. In the bark of the healthy 

 tree the bird finds nothing to repay his labour — let us give the 

 Woodpecker due credit for his sagacity. 



" In all labour there is profit," says the wise king, and, depend 

 upon it, the Woodpecker does not spend his hard work for nought. 



Though the Fine tribe, with the exception of the Larch, which is 

 deciduous, does not lose the foliage of the spring at the time the 

 hardwood trees cast their leaves, yet they too throw off their leaves, but 

 it is of former years, some say the leaves of three years age — certain it 

 is, that no sooner has the increase of the present year ceased, than a 

 gradual fall of leaves begins to take place and continues silently and im- 

 perceptibly all through the summer months. And so on to the Fall, 

 the dead and useless foliage drops to the earth till a deep carpet of the 

 pale, golden, thready leaves is strewed beneath the tree, on which the 

 foot of the passer-by may fall unheard, as if shod with velvet shoes. 



How beautiful, how grand are those old Pine woods ! The deep 

 silence that pervades them ! How solemn the soul feels — as if alone 

 with the Great Creator, whose mighty person is shadowed dimly forth, 

 in His works ! There is music, too — deep, grand, solemn music — 

 when the wind is abroad, and sweeps the tops of those mighty crested 

 pillars above you ; in softer, lower cadences, it touches those tender 

 harp-strings, or swells with loftier sound in one grand hymn of praise. 



It seems as if one could never exhaust the subject, so much might 

 yet be written on the Pines of our own Canadian forests. 



But we have only entered upon the subject of the Pines and cone 

 bearing trees, and must proceed to describe our other species. 



Rki) Pixe — Pill us resin flsa, (Ait). 



The Red Pine is distinguished by its handsome foliage, its smooth 

 red bark, exfoliating in thin plates, after the manner of the Plane and 

 Shell-bark Hickory trees. The height of the Red Pine is from fifty to 

 eighty feet, the wood is fine-grained, of much durability, and valued for 

 its uses in architecture. It never reaches the height and size of the 

 White Pine. The cones are hard and woody, often clustered several 

 together, the leaves, which are borne in pairs, are bright green, from 

 five to six inches long. Where the Red Pine abounds the soil is light 



