

WHITE PINE 



{Pinus strohus L.) 

 "THE white pine occurs naturally throughout the 

 mountains in the northern part of the State. 

 It grows on high, dry, sandy and rocky ridges, but 

 prefers the cooler or moister situations. Its straight 

 stem, regular pyramidal shape and soft gray-green 

 foliage make it universally appreciated as an orna- 

 mental tree. Its rapid growth and hardiness, and 



WHITE PINE 

 One-third natural size. 



the high quality of the wood make it one of the most 

 desirable trees for forest planting. 



The trunk is straight, and, when growing in the 

 forest, clear of branches for many feet. The 

 branches extend horizontally in whorls (i. e., ar- 

 ranged in a circle on the stem), marking the suc- 

 cessive years of upward growth. The bark is thin 

 and greenish, red on young trees, but thick, deeply 

 furrowed and grayish brown on older trees. The tree 

 commonly attains heights of 50 to 60 feet and diam- 

 eters of 1 to 2 feet, though much larger specimens 

 are still to be found. 



The leaves, or needles, are 3 to 5 inches in length, 

 bluish green on the upper surface and whitish be- 

 neath, and occur in bundles of 5, which distinguishes 

 it from all other eastern pines. The cone, or fruit, 

 is 4 to 6 inches long, cylindrical, with thin, usually 

 very gummy scales, containing small, winged seeds 

 which require two years to mature. 



The wood is light, soft, not strong, light brown in 

 color, often tinged with red, and easily worked. The 

 lumber is in large demand for construction pur- 

 poses, box boards, matches and many ^f^^Jj^^ts. 



