CHAP. CXItl. 



coni'fer*. ri^svs. 



2195 



from the gratefLiIness of its fragrance ; for it is highly probable that the brute 

 animals, especially in a wild state, are even more sensible of the odour of 

 trees than the human species. Michaux concludes his observations on this 

 tree by remarking that, next to the grey pine (P. Banks/wwa), it is the most 

 uninteresting species in the United States; but as, in Europe, almost all the 

 American pines can only be considered in the light of ornamental trees, this 

 species, as such, well deserves a place in collections, from the singularity of 

 its form, its delightful fragrance, and its hardiness. 



Soil, Propagation, S^c. Plants are sometimes raised from imported seeds ; 

 or they may be inarched, or grafted in the herbaceous manner, on P. sylvestris. 

 (Seep. 2127. and p. 2129.) 



1 5. P. mi'tis Michx. 



Michx. Fl. Bor. Amer., N. 



The soft-leaved, or yelloiv. Pine. 

 Amer. Syl.,3. p. 120.; Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836; Bon Jard., 



P. echinSkta 



Identification. 



ed. 1837. 

 Synonymes. P. variabilis Pttrsh Fl. Amer. Sept. p. frt?., X. Du Ham. 5. p. 234.; 



MUl., Diet. No. 12. ; New York Pine, Spruce Pine, Short-leaved Pine, Amer. 

 Engravings. Michx. N. Amer. Syl., 3. t. 137 ; our figs. '20~6. from Dropmore, and 2075. from Michaux, 



to our usual scale ; and figs. 2072, 2073, and 2074., of the natural size. 



Spec. Char. Leaves long, slender; hollowed on the upper surface. Cones 

 .small, ovate-conical. Scales with their outer surface slightly prominent, and 



terminating in a very small slender 



mucro, pointing outwards. {Michaux.) 



Buds, on a young tree {fig. 2072.), 



.^g- in. long, and fVin. broad; on an 



old tree, larger {fig. 2073.) ; scarcely 



resinous. Leaves (fig. 207+. from 



Michaux), from 2^ in. to 4 in. long, 



with sheaths a in. long; white, la- 

 cerated, afterwards becoming dark. 



slightly ringed. Cone, 2 in. long, and 

 2072 1 in. broad in the widest part. 

 Seeds small ; with the wing, J in. long. 

 Young shoots covered with a violet-co- 

 loured glaucous bloom, like those of P. 

 inops, by which it is readily distinguisheil 

 from the P. variabilis of Lambert. 



Description. A beautiful tree ; according 

 to Michaux, 50 ft. or 60 ft. high, with a trunk 

 of a uniform diameter of 15 in. or 18 in. for 

 nearly two thirds of its length. The branches are spreading on the lower 

 part of the trunk, but become less divergent as they approach the head of the 

 tree, where they are bent towards the body so as to form a summit regularly 

 pyramidal ; but not spacious in proportion to the dimensions of the 

 trunk. This narrow conical appearance of the head, as compared with 

 the spreading character of those of other species, seems to have given rise 

 to the name of spruce pine in America. The leaves, acconiing to Michaux, 

 are 4 in. or 5 in. long, fine and flexible (whence the specific name of 

 mitis, soft), hollowed on the upper surface, of a dark green, and united in 

 pairs. Sometimes, from luxuriancy of vegetation, three leaves are found in 

 the same sheath on young shoots, but never on old branches. The cones 

 are oval, armed with fine spines, and smaller than those of any other American 

 pine ; scarcely exceeding 1 a in. in length, even upon old trees. The concentric 

 circles of the wood of the yellow pine, Michaux states, are six times as nu- 

 merous, in a given space, as those of the pitch pine {P. rigida) and the 

 loblolly pine (P. TaeMa), " Li trunks 15 in. or 18 in. in diameter, there are 

 only 2 in. or 2^ in. of sap wood, and still less in such as exceed this size. The 

 heart wood is fine grained, and moderately resinous, which renders it com- 

 pact, without its being of great weight. Long experience has proved its 

 excellence, and durabilitv." {Michx.) 



7 c 3 



