OBSERVATIONS ON THE MARSH OR POND PINE. 



(Pinus aerotina.)' 



By FlLIBERT liOTH. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



The Marsh Pine of the North Carolina woodman, or Poud Pine of botanists, is a common tree 

 of the pinery along the Atlantic Coast from the Albemarle Sound in North Carolina to the head 

 of St. Johns River in Florida, and occurs also on the west side of the peninsula of Florida and 

 along the Gnlf nearly as far west as Pensacola. In passing- on a train through the Atlantic Coast 

 pinery this tree is rarely more than ten minutes out of sight, and generally forms small groves, 

 or occurs mixed with other pines, sometimes over areas of many miles. 



In North Carolina, especially in the country about the Albemarle and Pamlico sounds, this 

 tree is associated with and grows to the same dimensions as the Loblolly (Pinus t<cda), here 

 known as Shortleaf Pine; is cut and sold indiscriminately with this latter, and furnishes about 

 10 to 15 per cent of the lumber known in the market as North Carolina pine, most of which is cut 

 in this region. From Newbern south to the State line this tree occupies the low "sags," often 

 alone or with Loblolly, and forms a conspicuous admixture of the open, scrubby, and much-culled 

 Longleaf Pine woods which cover the vast flats along the railway. In the pinery along the coast 

 of South Carolina, Georgia, and the east half of the peninsula of Florida the Pond Pine occupies 

 all low flats, in South Carolina largely with Loblolly, and in Georgia and Florida mostly with 

 Cuban Pine. It also forms part of the forests along the shore, also covering many of the islands. 

 Along the west coast of Florida it is not so common, and like Cuban Pine is wanting in many 

 places apparently well suited to its growth. From Ocala and Dunnellon up to Live Oak the tree is 

 rarely seen, is more common in the flats east of Tallahassee, and still more so between this place 

 and Carabelle, where it accompanies Cuban Pine. West of the Apalachicola few trees were seen, 

 and nearing Pensacola the species disappeared entirely. 



In North Carolina the tree is well known to woodmen, and is distinguished as "Marsh Pine," 

 occasionally as "Meadow Pine;" but in the towns and to the manufacturers it seems generally 

 unknown, and its logs are never recognized. In South Carolina and Georgia the tree, as far as 

 observed, is not well known, and when distinguished at all bears the name of "Spruce Pine," a term 

 which, like "Bull Pine," "Bastard Pine," etc., is commonly resorted to to hide ignorance in the 

 premises. In Florida, south of Jacksonville, where the little Sand Pine (Pinus clausa] generally, con- 

 sistently, and appropriately receives the name of Spruce Pine, the Pond Pine is not distinguished 

 from Loblolly, both passing under this latter name. Where it grows witli Loblolly, as in the forests 

 of Xorth Carolina and along the coast, the Pond Pine looks very much like Loblolly. The old trees 

 attain the same height and thickness, the crown, bark, and even the foliage are much alike, and 

 the only striking difference is in the cones. Young trees of Pond Pine are not distinguished 

 from Loblolly even by observing woodmen, and as long as no cones are borne the distinction is 

 not easy. But besides the numerous very persistent cones, of which many stay firmly closed for 

 several seasons, the peculiarity of branching out from the stem greatly assists in recognizing this 

 tree in the woods. These sprout-like shoots or branches often cover the trunk for almost its 

 entire length in a manner often seen in Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida) and also in the true Shortleaf 

 Pine (Pinux cclunata). In old, stunted timber, the crown, largely in consequence of this branching, 



'These observations were made duriug au oxteusivc trip through the South iu the spring of 1897. 



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