76 SYLVAN WINTER. 



not, like most of the Fir species, give an early 

 indication of its future form. In its youth it is 

 dwarfish and round-headed, with a stout stem, and 

 has rather the shape of a full-grown bush than 

 of an increasing tree. As it grows older, it does 

 not soon deposit its formal shape. But as it 

 attains maturity, its picturesque form increases 

 fast. Its lengthening stem assumes commonly 

 an easy sweep. It seldom, indeed, deviates much 

 from a straight line, but that gentle deviation is 

 very graceful, though, above all other lines, diffi- 

 cult to trace. If accidentally either the stem or 

 any of the larger branches take a larger sweep 

 than usual, that sweep seldom fails to be graceful. 

 It is also among the beauties of the Stone Pine 

 that, as the lateral branches decay, they generally 

 leave stumps which, standing out in various 

 parts of the stem, break the continuity of its 

 lines.' 



Of its foliage Gilpin says, it 'is as beautiful as 

 the stem. Its colour is a deep, warm green, and 

 its form, instead of breaking into acute angles, 

 like many of the Pine race, is moulded into a 

 flowing line by an assemblage of small masses. 



