76 



SCOTCH PINE. 



Pinus sylvestris, Linnaeus. 



FORM Usually 70 ft. high with a diameter of 1J-3 ft. but may attain a height of 120 ft. with 

 a diameter of 3-5 ft. In the United States it is usually planted in the open and consequently it 

 has a short, clean, often branched trunk bearing numerous, more or less drooping lateral 

 branches. Trees in closed stands produce straight and clean trunks with little taper and a short 

 compact crown. At a distance it resembles the Pitch Pine. 



BARK On the trunk scaly and peels off in flakes from the ridges which are separated by 

 long shallow fissures. Lower part of the trunk is rough while the upper is rather smooth and 

 distinctly reddish in color. Outside bark on the lower trunk is grayish-brown while the inner 

 is reddish-brown. 



TWIGS Fairly stout, brittle, dark yellowish-gray, smooth, not glossy. 

 BUDS Ovate, blunt-pointed, brown, often somewhat resinous. 



LEAVES In sheathed clusters of 2, 1J-3J inches long, bluish-green, or dark green, stout, 

 twisted, semi-circular in cross-section and containing 2 fibro-vascular bundles. 



FLOWERS Appear in April or May. Staminate flowers clustered on the lower half of this 

 season's growth, ovate, scarcely 2/5 of an inch long. Pistillate flowers appear singly or in 2s 

 just below the terminal buds of this season's growth, are ovoid and short-stalked. 



FRUIT A cone li-2* inches long, short-stalked, conic-oblong, solitary or in 2s usually pointing 

 backward, and grayish or reddish in color. 



WOOD Non-porous; resinous, light, reddish-brown with thick light yellowish or reddish sap- 

 wood. Used for general construction, lumber, railroad ties, hop-poles, grape vine poles and fuel. 



DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS The Scotch Pine, a native of Europe, may be dis- 

 tinguished from the other Fines of Pennsylvania by the reddish appearance of the upper part 

 of the trunk and adjoining branches, the bluish-green leaves lJ-3 inches long, and the backward- 

 pointing cones. It has rougher twigs than the Jersey or Scrub Pine, shorter needles than the 

 Red Pine, stouter needles than the Yellow Pine, and blunter-pointed needles than the Table 

 Mountain Pine. 



RANGE Not native to America. Abroad it extends over the greater part of Europe and part 

 of western Asia. In the United States it can be planted over a large area in the northeastern 

 states, the lake states, and some of the prairie states. Planted for ornamental purposes in many 

 parts of this State and by the Pennsylvania Department of Forestry in numerous plantations. 



HABITAT This species is indifferent to soil requirements, water, heat of summer, and cold 

 of winter. It will grow on all classes of soil, even dry, sterile sand. The rate of growth 

 depends more on the physical structure than the chemical composition of the soil. It pre- 

 fers deep well drained sandy loam. It is very intolerant of shade. 



IMPORTANCE OF THE SPECIES The Scotch Pine is a very important tree in its native and 

 adopted European home. It plays a prominent role in the forest structure of parts of Ger- 

 many, such as the sandy plains along the Rhine and the large sandy areas of northern and 

 eastern Prussia. Excellent forests of this species can be seen in Germany, but it is not 

 necessary to introduce it into the United States extensively for forestry purposes since we have 

 superior native species. It grows very rapidly in youth, but later more slowly. 



