12 THE WIinR PINE. 



Tlic l)otanicaI ranjr*' ortlic White I'iiic ni;iy l>c cireumscribcd as follows: From T^ewfoniullaiid 

 ami the Atlantic coast north of the (liilf of 8t. liawroiice its noitlieiii limit runs in a wavy 

 line between the fortyninth and fifty-first degree of latitude, its most northern extension occur- 

 rintr near its western limit, when, skirtiiifj the southeastern end of Lake Winnipej^, it turns 

 southward, followinji more or less closely the ninety-sixth meridian ol' lonfiitiide, and in a 

 southeastern (lire<'tion the line which demarcates the boundary between forest and i)rairie to the 

 tVdar River at the Iowa line, and alon<r the Mississii)i)i Kiver, crossing it near Rock I'iver, when, 

 following this river for some time, it takes an easterly course to the head of Lake Micliij^an, then 

 in a northeasterly direction throuffli Mi<lii<;an to the shores of Lake St. Clair and across Ontario, 

 skirting the southern shores of Lake Erie in the two most northeasterly counties of Ohio, then 

 turns .southward through the eastern counties of that State, and following info West Virginia 

 near the 1,000-fnot contour line along the foothills of the Alleglienies tlirough Kentucky and 

 Tennessee, gradually withdrawing to iiigher elevations (I,L'0() feet) into northeastern (ieorgia; the 

 line then returning northward along the eastern slope and crossing ui)i)er Delaware, reaches the 

 ■Vtlantic coast in southern New .ler.sey. 



The distribution of commercially valuable timber is, to b(^ sure, very ditl'eri-nt and inncli 

 more confined. The northern parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan contained probably 

 thi^ largest amount of White Pintr, the broad belt of commercial pine of these States continuing 

 eastward tiiroiigli Ontario, northern New York, and the northern New lOnghuKl States to New 

 iinmswick aiul Newfoundland, and following the New England coast, while the higher elevations 

 of the New England States showed preponderantly s])ruce with i)ine intermi.xcd. The northern 

 counties of western rennsylvania also contained a large amount of ^Vhite Tine timl)er mixed with 

 Hemlock and hardwood.s. The character of this distribution is exhibited by general outlines 

 and shadings on the accompanying map (IM. 1). The extreme limits of its s|)oradic occurrence 

 can not be fix(!d with absolute precision, ami from the nature of the case must remain more or less 

 iinlelinite. Similarly, tht^ limits of greater or less develo])ment can only be apjiroximately stateil. 



The occurrenc*' of the White IMne was generally as a comi)onent of the mixed hardwood 

 forest of the Atlantic, even in the best develo|)ed portions of its range, and under such condi- 

 tions, that is, in mixture with other species, it .seems to attain its most i)crfect development. 



The finest specimens of the highly esteemed "Cork I'ine'' of Michigan grew among hard 

 woods on a better quality of soils than those which produced less valued grades. On the lighter 

 sands true pinerj' l\mu'. or nearly ])ure growth of White Pine) occurs. Heie its admixtures are 

 most frequently of Red I'ine ( I'iniis rcsinosit) and in its northern limits of .lack i'ine [Pintin ilirar- 

 »■«(/«), while ou the better and cooler situations it accompanies the spruces (/Vce« wiar/wHw and 

 /'. caiinilen.slx) with I'alsam Fir {Allies hahamea) and Hemlock [TioKja cnii/iilnisin). 



CHARACTER OF DISTRIBUTION, BY REGIONS 



The character of the occurrence of the White Pine in the forest within its field of distribution 

 will readily appear from the descriptions in the fables of ;icre yielil in the A])pendix. 



In Miiiiif, the lower altitudes, along the coast and sonu^ of the river valleys, confainc<l in their 

 hardwood forests the White Pine in fine development, which gave to that State its cognomen of 

 the "Pine Tree State." Reporfsof trees fi to 7 feet and over in diameter and up to li.">0 feet in height 

 testify to the capacity of flu! species in this region. The original stand of this i)ino in the State is 

 practi<;ally entirely nMuoved. while th(5 young growth furnishes now again snnill quant iti(!s of 

 logging material. The higher altitudes, with their .slate and granite soils, are stocked entirely with 

 the spruce and hanlwood forest in which the jiine occurs only as a scattering mixture ami of 

 inferior <levelo]tmt!nt. 



This same nninner of distribution applies more or less to Xcir Hampshire and northern Sew 

 York. In the Adirondacks the pine, now almost entirely removed, fringes with the Spruce and 

 lialsani Fir the many lakes and water couises and kee]is to the lower altitudes; mixed in with the 

 Maples, I'.irches, Beech, and Si)ruc.e, it towers .'»() to (ii> feet above the general level of the Wixxls, 

 with diameters of .30 to 40 inches. Its reproduction under the shade of its competitors, however, 

 is prevented, young ])ine bi-iug rarely seen e.Kcept on old abandoned openings in the forest. (See 

 PI. IL) 



