508 LXXVI. CONIFERS. [Pinus. 



wood, the pot is closed and luted over with wet mud, pieces of dry cow- 

 dung are heaped over it, and lighted. This fuel burns slowly, and the tar runs 

 into a second smaller pot placed underneath the other in a hole dug in the 

 ground (Journ. As. Soc. ii. 249). Spirit of turpentine is distilled from the crude 

 turpentine in the Panjab, the Bijnaur district, and elsewhere in North- West 

 India ; in the Panjab the crude turpentine to be distilled is mixed with water 

 and carbonate of soda. The residue (pale resin, colophony) is called sundras in 

 Bijnaur. The wood of stumps and of trees which had been notched and muti- 

 lated is often so full of resin as to be translucent, and such wood is used for 

 torches and in place of candles, in houses and mines. The bark is used for 

 tanning, and as fuel for iron-smelting. Charcoal is often made of the wood. 

 The charcoal of the leaves, mixed with rice-water, is used instead of ink. The 

 seeds (kalghoza, chalhatti) are eaten, and are of some importance as food in 

 times of scarcity; they have a strong taste of turpentine. 



The Chir requires much light, and seedlings will not spring up under shade. 

 Nevertheless the regeneration of Chir forests by self-sown seedlings is good, and 

 will, with properly-regulated cuttings, probably not present any great difficulty 

 wherever fires and cattle can be excluded. It is easily raised from seed, but re- 

 garding its cultivation on a large scale not much experience has yet been gained. 

 Kibbentrop (Hints on Arboriculture in the Panjab, 179) states that the tree 

 makes a long tap-root in its early youth, which must not be injured in trans- 

 planting. The growth is moderately rapid (4-5 rings per inch). It has much 

 tenacity of life. 



Nearly allied is P. Kasya, Koyle ; DC. Prodr. xvi. ii. 390, the Pine of the 

 Kasia hills (2000-6000 ft.), and oi" the mountains east of Toungoo, between the 

 Sitang and Yunzalin rivers in Burma, where I found it in Feb. 1859, forming 

 extensive forests at elevations above 3000 ft., as a large tree, attaining 200 ft. in 

 height, the wood very resinous. (Tinyuben, Burm.) It has shorter and more 

 slender leaves (3 in a sheath), the young cones are recurved, on long bracteate 

 stalks, the ripe fruit is smaller than that of P. longifolia, 2-3 in. long, the top 

 of the scales flat or convex, without any prominent beak at the end. On the 

 Yunzalin plateau, the male flowers open in Feb., and at that time cones of 

 several stages of growth are on the trees. Of the tree in the Kasia hills Hooker 

 gives the following account : " They had 5 years' old cones on them as well as 

 those of all succeeding years ; they bear male flowers in autumn, which impreg- 

 nate the cones formed the previous year. Thus the cones formed in the spring 

 of 1850 are fertilised in the following autumn, and do not ripen their seeds till 

 the second following autumn, that of 1852." Himalayan Journals, ii. 288. The 

 time of impregnation of the female flowers of P. longifolia merits farther in- 

 quiry, also the time which the cones require to ripen. It would be remarkable, 

 though not unexampled (see Quercus Suber and occidentalis), if two species so 

 closely allied were found to differ in this respect. 



2. P. Gerardiana, Wall. Tab. LXVIL Royle 111. t. 85 ; Cleghorn 

 1. c. t. 4. Yern. Chilghoza, jalghoza, Afg. ; Chiri, prita, mirri, galboja, 

 galgoja, Chenab ; Kashti, Eavi ; Ri, rhi, Kunawar ; Kannuclri, koniun- 

 chi, kaninchi, West Tibet. Called Konecha, Jcolecha, by the Juwahir Bhu- 

 tiyas (Madden). The seeds : Neoza, nioza. 



A middle-sized tree with a short rounded crown and grey bark, peeling off 

 in large flakes. Foliage dark green, branches smooth, nut-brown. Leaves 

 in clusters of three, 3-5 in. long, stiff, line broad ; sheath and bracts 

 deciduous. Cones while young (catkins) erect on stout scaly peduncles 

 1 in. long, when mature glaucous, ovoid-oblong, 6-9 in. long, 4-5 in. diam. 



