632 



PINUS. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



PINUS. 



form and colour, attaining a maximum 

 height of nearly 100 feet, of close, dense 

 growth when young, thriving on calcareous 

 and poor stony or rock ground and on 

 clay soils (but not on poor sands). Owing 

 to its close " covert " and habit it nour- 

 ishes the ground beneath it so well with 

 its fallen leaves that it is self-supporting 

 and gives precious shelter. It is often 

 planted in Britain, but generally set out 

 in the usual specimen way, so "that the 

 tree is slow to take its true form as it 

 does when grouped as trees should be. 

 The final form of the tree, which so far 

 we hardly ever see in our grounds, is very 

 picturesque, with a free open head, but, 

 bsing a free grower and giving valuable 

 wood, however, grouped or massed it 

 should be freely thinned so as to allow 

 of its full development. 



In books this Pine is sometimes classed 

 as a variety of the Corsican Pine, but, 

 from a planter's point of view, the trees 

 are as distinct as any other Pines in colour 

 and form. Being a native of the moun- 

 tains of Lower Austria, Styria, and Carin- 

 thia, sometimes also growing on the low 

 hills and even plains, it would, I think, 

 be distinctly hardier than the Corsican 

 in the case of very severe winters and 

 their effects in low ground. 



P. CEMBRA (Swiss P.). A hardy 

 northern Pine of distinct, close-growing 

 form, and a very slow grower in our 

 country, as well as in its native land on 

 the mountains of C. Europe or in Siberia, 

 where it attains a maximum height of 

 100 feet. 



P. COULTERI. A Californian tree, not 

 so large as other kinds from that great 

 country of Pines, but remarkable for the 

 great size of its cones, which are often 

 20 inches long and weighing 10 Ib. in its 

 own country. In our country this tree 

 should be planted only under the most 

 favourable conditions, in sheltered valleys 

 and on warm soils. 



P. EXCELSA (Himalayan P.). A hand- 

 some tree, much planted in Britain, with 

 long, slender, drooping leaves and pen- 

 dent cones. It is a native of the Hima- 

 layas and of very wide distribution in 

 Asia, and also in another form inhabits 

 the mountains of Greece and S.E. 

 Europe on high elevations. In our coun- 

 try it thrives in warm and well-drained 

 soils. 



P. HALEPENSIS (Jerusalem P.). A dis- 

 tinct and very useful Pine throughout 

 the rocky parts of Greece and its islands, 

 also Crete, Asia Minor, Syria, and Pales- 

 tine. When one travels in those countries 

 the hills seem very bare until you get 

 near their slopes, when the welcome growth 

 of this pine appears, a frequently graceful 

 and stately tree. Coming from such a 

 hot country, it is not likely to be so useful 

 with us, except in warm districts. 



P. RADIATA (Monterey P.). A beau- 

 tiful Pine of the seashore of California, 

 grass green in colour, and often thriving 

 very well in the southern and western 

 parts of our country, but in inland places 

 suffering in hard winters, although on 

 high ground in the home counties healthy 

 trees may be seen. Syn. P. insignis. 



P. LAMBERTIANA (Sugar P.). A 

 noble tree of California and Columbia 

 River, reaching a maximum height of 

 300 feet, and sometimes 60 feet in girth 

 of stem. We cannot omit such a tree 

 here, but could not expect it to make such 

 progress as in its own genial climate, and 

 where planted with us it is usual to do so 

 in sheltered situations and in free, warm 

 soils. The cones are each sometimes over 

 2 feet long. 



P. LARICIO (Corsican P.). The tallest 

 Pine of Europe, reaching 160 feet high, 

 and over in Calabria and its own country, 

 Corsica, and of very rapid growth in our 

 country, as I have raised woods of it in 

 ten years. The tree, if one raises it from 

 seed, as we should in planting, shows a 

 great variety of habit and even foliage, 

 and if one liked to do anything so foolish 

 one could give Latin names to several 

 forms found in one wood. The Calabrian 

 variety is a more vigorous tree, especi- 

 ally in poor soils. 



P. MONTANA (Mountain P.) A dwarf, 

 very hardy Pine, which clothes the 

 mountains of many parts of C. Europe 

 with a low bushy growth not much larger 

 than the Savin or Furze, but under better 

 conditions getting into a larger state, 

 sometimes into a low tree. In our country 

 it is often called mughus and pumilio, but 

 the best name for the species is the one 

 given here. It is a useful and distinct 

 Pine for clothing banks and giving cover 

 between taller trees. 



P. MONTICOLA (Western White P.). A 

 Pine of the higher mountains of California, 

 Oregon, and Montana, reaching a maxi- 

 mum height of 80 feet, with a girth of 

 9 feet. It is considered a western repre- 

 sentative of the great White Pine of 

 Canada, and, as it is found at elevations 

 of 10,000 feet, is hardy in our country 

 and better worth planting than many 

 of the trees of greater size. 



P. PARVIFLORA. A medium sized and 

 pretty tree, with dense foliage, cultivated 

 much in Japan, and a native of the nor- 

 thern islands, therefore a hardy tree with 

 us, thriving in deep soil. 



P. PINASTER (Cluster P.). A beau- 

 tiful Pine of pleasant green colour, 70 feet 

 or more high, native of the Mediterranean 

 region, often by the seashore, and useful in 

 our country near the sea, but often thriving 

 in inland places, best in free and sandy 

 soils. It is also used much in France as 

 a protection against the encroachment 

 of the sea. 



