

SLASH PINE (Yellow Slash, Cuban Pine) 



(Pinus carihaea Morelet.) 

 CLASH pine is a tree of the lower Coastal Plain. 

 Because of its abundant seed production and 

 rapid growth, it has naturally replaced longleaf pine 

 over large areas. Second-growth stands are, how- 

 ever, either very young or scattered for the reason 

 that' slash pine' produces crude gum in such large 

 amounts and at such early ages that it has been for 



SLASH PINE 

 One-half natural size. 



the past 30 years heavily worked for turpentine in 

 all sizes down to saplings. Large amounts of timber 

 have thus been killed by being overworked with too 

 many or too large faces. Because of its rapid 

 growth, easy propagation and early yield of timber 

 and crude turpentine, slash pine promises excellent 

 returns when planted and grown as a crop. Experi- 

 ments have shown that slash pine is capable of grow- 

 ing in clay soils at least 100 miles north, or above 

 its natural range. 



The trunk is straight, clears itself easily of 

 branches, and is crowned with numerous small 

 branches forming a round-topped head. 



The leaves which occur in clusters of 2 or, more 

 often, 3 in a sheath are from 8 to 12 inches long, 

 dark green, shiny, and thickly-set on the branches, 

 forming a dense head. 



The cones are mostly 3 to 6 inches long, brown, 

 and glossy or varnished, and the thin scales are 

 armed with fine prickles. Slash may best be dis- 

 tinguished from all other pines by these character- 

 istics of its leaves and cones. 



The wood is heavy, hard, strong, tough, durable 

 and very resinous. It is sawed into lumber and sold 

 without discrimination as longleaf pine, being used 

 for general building and heavy construction pur- 

 poses for which it brings good prices. 



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