402 [ THE STONE-PINE OR EDIBLE-PINE. 



transplanted never become so thoroughly established as 

 plants taken from the nursery-bed with a ball of earth. 



The stone-pine which has survived the first six 

 months after removal, becomes thoroughly established in 

 about two years, and then requires no further attention 

 beyond an occasional cleaning of dry twigs and boughs. 

 It is watered frequently in the first summer and a few 

 times also in the second summer, but afterwards no 

 watering is necessary, although of course watered trees 

 make quicker growth. The first cones are produced when 

 the tree is about 8 years old, and mature in October or 

 November. They are collected by pushing them up 

 with a pole, as they easily break off and drop down. 

 The cones may be dried in the sun to cause the scales to 

 part and open, and the stones drop off or are shaken 

 out. The cones are also broken up by a sharp blow 

 dealt on the apex, which causes the cone to split open. 



The first stone-pines were probably planted in Malta 

 in 1870. The soft-stoned pine (Pinus Pinea var^ fragilis) 

 was introduced in 1902, and there are now several fine 

 trees of this sort in the Boschetto Gardens. 



This tree, like the Aleppo-pine, is liable to the 

 attacks of a species of moth, Evetria buoliana Schiff 

 whose larva, in April or May, feeds on the growing shoots 

 which it destroys by tunnelling through the tender tissues 

 of the growing stem. In other countries, and probably 

 here also, this moth is kept in check by a minute Ichneu- 

 monid fly, Perilampus batavus Smits Van Burgst. which 

 leeds upon its larva. A species of scale-insect, Eriococcus 

 Araucariae, is also frequent on young specimens of the 

 stone-pine, but its attacks are not followed by appreciable 

 ill effects. Lecanium Oleae, the olive scale, is also found 

 occasionally on young stone-pines, and on the honey-dew 

 excreted by this species and by Eriococcus develops the 

 sooty fungus, Fumago varans, to which is due the dirty 

 and sooty appearance frequently presented by young pine- 



