THE PINE. 259 



But, alas for the white pine ! it has been so extensive- 

 ly used for building purposes, and many regions that 

 were supposed to contain inex- 

 haustible supplies have been so 

 completely stripped of all valu- 

 able timber, that the day is ap- 

 proaching when the pine forest 

 will be no more. The beautiful 

 grove known as the Cathedral 

 Woods, in North Conway, !N". H., is rap- 

 idly falling a victim to the axe. The life ^j^ Pine 

 of a tree is considered of less value than Cone ' 

 its timber; and our State Legislatures seem unable 

 to exert their power of eminent domain in behalf of 

 the tree, although no end of it has been expended in 

 obtaining highways for the locomotive. 



The white pine has the softest and most delicate 

 needle of all the species. It grows in a little bunch 

 of five, and varies in length from three to four 

 inches. Its color is a clear, lightish green, with 

 a trifle of whitish bloom. The cone, from four to 

 six inches long, is narrow and slightly curved ; it 

 has no prickle at the tip of the rather thin 

 scales. 



This pine is common from Maine westward to 

 Minnesota and eastern Iowa; southward it extends 

 along the Alleghany Mountains to Georgia. On 



