PINACE^ 381 



Switzerland, Italy, and Tartary. In Siberia it is found at much 

 lower levels, covering immense tracts of country. Further east 

 it gives place to its near ally P. koraiensis. Introduced by the 

 Duke of Argyll in 1746. One probably of the original seed- 

 lings mentioned by Loudon as being at Whitton in 1838, was 

 still alive in 1908, when it was a tree 80 ft. high and 5 ft. in 

 girth. 



Wood light in weight, with large and numerous resin ducts. 

 Heartwood yellowish or yellowish-brown, sapwood paler, some- 

 times almost white. It is straight -grained, clean, easily worked, 

 compact and soft, or it may contain numerous large, dark brown 

 knots that are not easily separated from the surrounding wood, 

 such wood being harder and more difficult to work. Clean wood 

 is used extensively for carving, cabinet-making, turnery, and 

 general joinery work, particularly the indoor finish of houses ; 

 it takes paint and polish well. Very knotty wood is sometimes 

 used for panelling, producing a curious and rather ornamental 

 effect. The seeds are used for food in Switzerland, and to some 

 extent in this country, but more extensively in Russia and 

 Siberia. They are known as pine kernels. In Siberia seed 

 collection forms a distinct industry. The process is, however, a 

 destructive one, the branches often being badly broken during 

 the work. The yearly collection is stated to be " several tens 

 of thousands of poods (1 pood equals 32 cwt.)"^ The trade is 

 chiefly conducted in the Governments of Tobolsk, Tomsk, and 

 Enessy. Collecting begins about the middle of August, the crop 

 being termed " the cedar harvest."^ The shells of the seed 

 ground up yield an oil sold as " cedar oil." 



P. Cembra succeeds throughout the British Isles, but thrives 

 best on the mountains and in the valleys of Wales, the N. of 

 England, and in Scotland. It forms a handsome decorative tree 

 and has been tried in one or two instances under forest conditions, 

 but without much success. Close silvicultural planting is neces- 

 sary. The tree succeeds in light well-drained soil, and cones 

 fairly regularly after the age of 25-30 years. In Siberia it repro- 

 duces itself readily on dry ground, often crowding out larch and 

 other species. The commercial importance of the seed limits, 

 to some extent, the exploitation of the timber of the natural 

 forests of Siberia, whilst the difficulty of extraction is great. 

 There are, however, large reserves of timber in that country. 

 Under cultivation in the British Isles it appears to be susceptible 

 to attacks of the " Tree Root Rot " or " Collar Rot Fungus " 

 {Armillaria mellea), which is often present on stumps and dead 

 roots of trees ; it is therefore advisable, when planting, to 

 avoid ground that has recently been cleared of timber. Deep 



1 Stebbing, British Forestry, p. 158 (1916). 

 ^ Loc. cit. p. 154. 



