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WHITE PINE {P'mus strohus L.) 



THE white pine occurs naturally throuuliout the 

 mountains and extends into the adjacent region. 

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

 prefers the cooler or nioister 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 



the high quality of the wood maho 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., arranged in a 

 circle on the stem), marking the successive 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 diameters 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 other products. 



