324 



PIN 



THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL; 



P I N 



wet from penetrating the wounds. These branches should 

 be cut off close to the stem of the plants, and care should 

 be taken in doing this not to break the remaining branches of 

 the young trees. This work should be repeated every other 

 year, at each time taking off only the lower tier of branches ; 

 for if the plantations be much thinned, it will greatly retard 

 their growth, as it generally does that of all trees ; but as 

 these trees never put out any new shoots where they are 

 pruned, they suffer more from amputation than those which 

 do. In those parts of France where there are forests of these 

 trees, the proprietors always give the faggots to those who 

 prune the young trees first, for their labour, so that it costs 

 them no money. At the second pruning the proprietor lias 

 one third of the faggots, and the dressers have the other two 

 for their work ; and afterwards the faggots are equally divided 

 between the workmen and proprietors ; but vigilant care must 

 be taken to prevent them from cutting off too much. For 

 about twelve or fourteen years they will require no more 

 pruning, for their upper branches will kill those below where 

 they have not air ; but soon after this, if the plants have 

 made good progress, it may be necessary to thin them ; but 

 this should be gradually performed, beginning first in the 

 middle of the plantation, leaving the outside close to screen 

 those within from the cold, by degrees coming to them at 

 last, whereby those which were first thinned will have had 

 time to get strength, and will not be in danger of suffering 

 from the admission of cold air. When these plantations are 

 thinned, the trees should not be dug up, but their stems 

 cut close to the ground, for their roots never shoot again, but 

 decay in the earth, so there can no harm arise by leaving 

 them, and then the roots of the remaining plants are not 

 injured. The trees which are now cut will be fit for many 

 purposes ; those which are straight will make good putlocks 

 for the bricklayers, and serve for scaffolding poles ; so that 

 there may be as much made by the sale of these as will 

 defray the whole expense of the planting, and probably 

 interest for the money into the bargain. The Scotch Pine 

 grows well upon almost every soil. If they do not grow so 

 fast on sand and gravel as on moist ground, the wood is 

 much preferable ; for those trees which have been cut down 

 upon moist soils where they have made the greatest progress, 

 when they have been sawn out into boards have not proved 

 so valuable, the wood being white and of a loose texture, 

 whereas those which have grown upon dry gravelly ground 

 have been nearly equal to the best foreign deals : and there 

 is no doubt but the plantations made within the last thirty 

 years will not only turn out greatly to the advantage of their 

 possessors, but of great national utility ; this therefore is the 

 sort of Pine that should be planted on barren lands. As the 

 upright growth of these trees renders their wood more 

 valuable, they should be left pretty close together to draw 

 each other up. If they be left eight feet asunder each way, 

 it will be sufficient room for their growth ; and if at the first 

 thinning a fourth part of the trees be taken away, the others 

 may stand twelve or fourteen years longer, by which time 

 they will be of a size for making ladders and scaffold poles ; 

 so that from this sale as much may be made, as not only 

 to pay the remaining part of the expense of planting, but 

 rent for the land, with interest; and the standing trees will 

 be left for the fortunes of younger children. For further 

 directions, see the 6th species. 



2. Pinus Pinaster; Pinaster, or Cluster Pine Tree. Leaves 

 two in a sheath, somewhat rough at the edge ; cones oblong,' 

 conical, shorter than the leaf, attenuated at the base ; scales 

 echinated. This grows to a very large size ; and the branches 

 extend on everv side to a considerable distance. The male 



flowers compose a handsome golden thyrsus, and the females 

 have rich crimson scales. While the trees are young they 

 are fully furnished with leaves, especially where they are not 

 so close as to exclude the air from those within; but as they 

 advance in age the branches appear naked, and all those 

 which are situated below become unsightly : on this account, 

 and because the timber of the Scotch Pine' is much preferable 

 to this, it has been more generally propagated. It grows 

 naturally in the mountains of Italy, and in the south of 

 France, where there are forests of the trees, which, if suf- 

 fered to stand, grow to a large size ; in Switzerland they are 

 frequently cut into shingles for covering their houses, and 

 also for making pitch : in the south of France the young trees 

 are cut for stakes to support vines. 



3. Pinus Inops; Jersey Pine Tret. Leaves two in a 

 sheath ; cones oblong, conical, the length of the leaves, 

 solitary, rounded at the base ; scales echinated. This never 

 rising to any great height, is the least esteemed of the whole 

 genus in the country. While the trees are young they make 

 a pretty good appearance, but when they get to the height 

 of seven or eight feet they become ragged and unsightly, 

 and are therefore not worth cultivating here. It grows natu- 

 rally in most parts of North America. 



4. Pinus Resinosa ; American Pitch Pine Tree. Leaves 

 two in a sheath ; cones ovate-conical, rounded at the base, 

 solitary, shorter by half than the leaf ; scales unarmed. In 

 close forests this grows very tall, with a remarkably smooth 

 red bark : the timber is very heavy, and therefore unfit for 

 masts. Native of Canada, and the western parts of New York. 



5. Pinus Halepensis; Aleppo Pine Tree. Leaves two in 

 a sheath ; cones ovate, conical, rounded at the base, rather 

 shorter than the leaf; scales obtuse. This tree branches out 

 on every side near the root ; the branches at first grow hori- 

 zontally, but turn their ends upwards; their bark is smooth, 

 and of a dark gray colour. The leaves emit when bruised 

 a strong resinous odour. Most of the trees of this species 

 were killed in the severe winter of 1740. It is a tree of 

 middling growth, and is found near Aleppo, and in several 

 other parts of Syria. 



6. Pinus Pinea ; Stone Pine Tree. Leaves two in a sheath, 

 primordial ones ciliate ; cones ovate, blunt, almost unarmed, 

 longer than the leaf; nuts hard. The seeds are more than 

 twice the size of the Pinaster. The kernels are frequently 

 served up in desserts during the winter season in Italy and 

 the south of France ; and formerly they were used in medi- 

 cine here ; but Pistachio nuts have been generally substituted 

 for them. The wood is white, and not being so full of resin 

 as many of the other sorts, it is not cultivated for timber, 

 but chiefly for the beauty of its leaves, and for the nuts, the 

 kernels of which are as sweet as Almonds, but with a slight 

 flavour of turpentine. Sir George Staunton states, that the 

 kernels of the Stone Pine are much relished by the Chinese. 

 Native of the south of Europe. The seeds of this species 

 being so large, may be set in drills, six inches asunder, four 

 inches from each other, and an inch deep. The following 

 spring they may be planted out in rows, two feet asunder, 

 and one foot in the rows ; where they must continue two 



years, and then be removed where they are to remain. In 



addition to what has been said concerning these trees, and 

 particularly of the Scotch Pine, under the first species, we 

 here insert the following important additions from various 

 eminent agricultural writers. Bradley advises heath-land, 

 which is generally sandy, and in which we commonly find 

 abundance of morass ground, to be planted with Fir Trees. 

 We have some instances of this sort of land cultivated in this 

 manner. At the earl of Aylesford's, near Guildford in Surry, 



