THE SCOTCH FIR, OR PINE. 377 



former variety is white, soft, and of little value; that of 

 the latter is red, firm, resinous, and durable. 



In the natural forests of Pine, the young plants, being 

 the produce of different years, and consequently of various 

 sizes, the stronger gradually destroy the weaker, until the 

 wood is reduced to the distances at which the trees can 

 ultimately stand, whilst the lateral branches gradually 

 decay and fall off, so that thinning and pruning are quite 

 unnecessary. In short, a natural or self-sown forest of 

 Pines is left entirely to Nature. Nature sows the seed, 

 rears the tree, prunes and thins the wood ; and the hand of 

 man is applied only to cut it down when fit for timber. In 

 planted woods, the Pines are commonly of the same age 

 and size ; and then it is absolutely necessary to thin them, 

 as their tops rise equal, and form a surface parallel to that 

 of the ground on which they stand; therefore, without 

 relief by thinning, the whole are to a certain extent 

 injured. 



The timber of the Scotch Fir, especially the horizontal 

 variety described above (which is generally considered to be 

 the true Highland Pine), is similar in every respect to the 

 best Baltic Pine, and is highly prized. The best is obtained 

 from trees the age of which averages about a hundred 

 and twenty years, and which, from their growing in a cold 

 climate, have matured their timber slowly. The earlier 

 the age at which the side branches die and drop off, the 

 clearer is the wood of knots, and proportionally the more 

 valuable. When fully matured, it is of a red hue, and is 

 considered scarcely less valuable than the Oak, instances 

 being on record where timbers of Pine in the roofs of old 

 buildings have, after the lapse of several centuries, been 

 found perfectly sound. It is light, stiff, and strong, easily 

 worked, and freer from knots than that of any other kind 

 of Fir qualities which render it admirably adapted for 

 all kinds of house carpentry. Its size, length, and straight- 

 ness of trunk fit it also for the main timbers of buildings, 

 such as rafters, joists, &c., which are almost universally 



