SPRUCE PINE (Scrub Pine) 



{Pinus virginiana Mill.) 



THE spruce pine, scrub or southern jack pine, is 

 found in greatest abundance over the upper and 

 hilly parts of the State. It occurs often in pure 

 stands in old fields and is very persistent in gully- 

 ing, broken and very dry soils. It is one of our 

 slower-growing pines. The side branches usually 

 persist for many years, even after dying, thus giving 



SPRUCE PINE 

 One-half natural size. 



a scrubby appearance to the tree which is responsi- 

 ble for one of its common names. 



The twisted and spreading leaves are borne two 

 in a cluster. They rary from li/^ to 3 inches in 

 length, are grayish green in color, and are shorter 

 than those of any other pine native to the State. The 

 fruit is a cone, or burr, averaging about 2 inches in 

 length, narrow, and often slightly curved, with small 

 prickles. Cones are produced almost every year, 

 and, as they persist on the branches from 3 to 5 

 years, a tree top with many dry, open cones is char- 

 acteristic of the species. The bark is thin, reddish 

 brown, and broken into shallow plates. Even with 

 age, the fissures in the bark are so shallow as to 

 give a somewhat smooth appearance to the trunk of 

 the tree. 



Except in the occasional large-sized trees, the 

 wood is very knotty because of the persistence of 

 the side branches. It is light and soft, but fairly dur- 

 able in contact with the soil, so that it is being used 

 to some extent for posts, poles and piling. The lum- 

 ber is increasingly used for rough construction, but 

 it warps easily with alternate wetting and drying. 

 It is much used for paper pulp and firewood. 



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