462 A HANDBOOK OF CONIFER.E 



found as a well- developed tree on moderately heavy soil, but such 

 soil must be well drained and not subject to flooding. In- 

 differently drained ground is quite unsuitable, and whilst the tree 

 thrives on drained peat it is unsuccessful on wet peat. Neither 

 is it suitable for hmestone formations, but for well-drained sandy 

 or rocky ground from the Highlands of Scotland to the Surrey 

 heaths it is one of the most appropriate species to plant, for 

 although the timber of fast-grown trees from the mild climate of 

 the South of England may be inferior to that produced in the 

 colder parts of Scotland, it is quite suitable for many kinds of 

 work and the species will be found to be as remunerative for 

 general planting as any other species of pine. Natural regenera- 

 tion is going on in many parts of the country where the seedlings 

 are protected from rabbits, hares and deer, but in places open to 

 those animals few young trees are to be found. When grown 

 close the Scots pine cleans its trunk well. As a rule it is planted 

 4 ft. by 4 ft. and thinned when necessary, the first thinning taking 

 place from 10-15 years after planting. For further particulars 

 of its habits when grown for sylvicultural purposes reference 

 should be made to the pubHcations upon this species prepared at 

 the School of Forestry, University of Cambridge. ^ 



The Scots pine has much to commend it as a decorative tree, 

 not so much as a young tree, but as a mature specimen, for there 

 are few more picturesque objects than old veterans, whose rugged 

 and weather-beaten appearance have a charming effect in land- 

 scape and garden. As an inside shelter line Scots pine can be 

 used, but where exposure is considerable the outer line of defence 

 should be Austrian pine or some other species. 



Even when the transplanting of well-developed trees can be 

 undertaken with the aid of proper machinery, it is rarely a 

 profitable undertaking, and small trees 12-18 in. high usually 

 outgrow 12 ft. specimens that may have been transplanted. 



Good seed years occur at irregular intervals, but a small crop 

 of cones is borne every year. The indiscriminate collection and 

 sowing of seed is deprecated, and it is advisable to make certain 

 that seedling trees have been raised from seed grown under 

 somewhat similar climatic conditions to those prevailing where 

 young trees are to be planted. Thus trees raised from seed 

 matured in Scotland are likely to give better results in the British 

 Isles than others raised from seed grown in N. Russia or at a 

 high elevation in the Alps. Moreover, it is desirable that seed 

 should be collected from well-developed and healthy trees, 

 rather than from those that are undersized or unhealthy. 



Several diseases, fungus and insect, attack the Scots pine. 



^ Burdon, E. Russell and Long, A. P., The Production and Utilization of Scots 

 Pine in Britain, Part i, Sample Plots at Woburn ; Part ii, Sample Plots at King's 

 Lynn (1913). 



