192 PINUS 



although in old trees it becomes fissured at the base ; young shoots smooth, 

 green ; winter buds resinous. Leaves in pairs, 2 to 3^ ins. long, falling in 

 their third year, grey-green, twisted, stiff; leaf-sheath persistent, ^ to ^ in. 

 long. Cones I to 2^ ins. long, conical. 



Native of nearly all Europe, including Britain, and extending across 

 Siberia to the Amur River region. It has the widest distribution of any pine. 

 In early ages it must have covered much of the poorer land in the British Isles, 

 but primeval forests of it are now confined to a few places in the Scottish 

 Highlands. It provides one of the most valuable timbers of its class, 

 especially when grown in regions with a hot summer and cold winter. Much 

 of it is imported from N. Europe as "Riga," " Dantzic," or "yellow" deal. 

 For gardens there is scarcely any tree more picturesque than an old Scotch 

 pine, or with a greater beauty of trunk, especially when lit up by the low rays 

 of the winter sun. There are several forms that have been selected for their 

 timber by continental foresters. An interesting series of these forms was 

 planted, each in a large block, at Les Barres in France, by one of the de 

 Vilmorins in the third and fourth decades of last century, which now clearly show 

 certain differences in colour of trunk, character of bark, branching, etc. The 

 best of them is considered to be var. RIGENSIS, or " Riga Pine." As purely 

 garden varieties the following may be mentioned : 



Var. ARGENTEA, Steven. Foliage of a distinctly more glaucous or silvery 

 hue. Native of the Caucasus. 



Var. AUREA. A curious variety whose leaves turn golden yellow in 

 autumn, and remain so through the winter, changing in spring to green again. 

 Each leaf must, of course, make both these changes twice or thrice before 

 falling. 



Var. FASTIGIATA, Carriere. A tree of spire-like form ; branches erect. 



Vars. GLOBOSA, NANA, PUMILA. All dwarf rounded bushes of neat and 

 interesting appearance. Leaves about I in. long ; cones f in. long. 



Var. VARIEGATA. Leaves occasionally creamy white. 



Of these varieties, aurea and fastigiata are best worth planting. 



P. THUNBERGII, Parlatore. BLACK PINE. 



(P. Massoniana of gardens not of Lambert.} 



A tree 80 to TOO ft. (sometimes more) high, with a trunk 3 to 5 ft. through ; 

 bark deeply fissured and darkly coloured ; young shoots light brown, not 

 downy ; buds egg-shaped to almost globose, narrowing at the top to a short, 

 slender point, not resinous, but with pale brown scales edged with conspicuous 

 whitish threads. Leaves in pairs, 2-|- to 4^ ins. long, persisting three to five 

 years ; straight, stiff, sharply but abruptly pointed ; the margins are so 

 minutely toothed as to be only just perceptible to the touch ; leaf-sheath 

 ^ to f in. long, persistent, with two grey curly threads at the top. The lower part 

 of each year's shoot is furnished with scale leaves only'. Cones narrowly 

 egg-shaped, \\ to 2 ins. long, about I in. wide ; scales unarmed ; although 

 usually solitary or in pairs, the cones are sometimes clustered as many as fifty 

 or sixty together, and then much smaller. 



Native of Japan, and one of the chief timber-producing trees of that 

 country ; introduced by John Gould Veitch in 1861. It is a very picturesque 

 tree, with stiff, horizontal branches of often very unequal length, and although 

 not likely ever to reach its natural dimensions in this country, well worth growing 

 as an interesting and characteristic pine. The Japanese train it into many 

 grotesque shapes. It is allied to Laricio, but besides the marked difference 

 in habit is easily distinguished by its broad grey-white buds, and shorter, 

 5tiffer leaves, U is promising as a seaside tree. 



