The Pines 



United States and to foreign countries. The colonists tapped 

 these trees for resin (crude turpentine), and boiled it down for 

 tar and pitch. Out of these beginnings grew the industries that 

 supply naval stores to the world. The "orcharding" of long- 

 leaf pines is reducing to a science the wasteful processes of earlier 

 years. "Naval stores" include all the products of the resin of 

 coniferous trees. The consumption of these is greatest in ship- 

 yards and on shipboard. The products include turpentine, 

 rosin, pine tar and pitch. Turpentine is extensively used in the 

 arts and industries. The methods of " orcharding" the longleaf 

 pine and preparing its products for market are described in the 

 chapter, " The Uses of Wood." 



Proper tapping does not injure the lumber nor shorten the life 

 of the tree; but the resin-covered wounds feed the fires that so 

 easily and frequently break out where careless workmen are deal- 

 ing with inflammable substances. The terrible destructiveness 

 of these fires raises one of the gravest problems of the forester. It 

 is common to set fires to rubbish on the beginning of work 

 among the pines so as to obviate dangers of later conflagrations. 

 Fires often get beyond control, and sweep on till Nature puts 

 them out. Settlers, burning underbrush to start the grass for 

 their cattle, damage the woods irreparably in early spring. 

 Seedlings and young growth which escape fire are injured by 

 trampling, browsing cattle, sheep and goats. Squirrels gnaw 

 the green cones and eat the unripe seeds. So between the care- 

 less wastefulness of men and the inconsiderateness of lower ani- 

 mals, the vast forests of longleaf pine dwindle. 



The leaves of Pinits palustris yield by distillation an essential 

 oil of balsamic odour that closely resembles oil of turpentine. 

 The weaving of florists' baskets from the long, shining needles is 

 just beginning, and is an industry that ought profitably to 

 employ women and children in neighbourhoods. " Pine wool " is 

 made by boiling the leaves in strong alkali, and then carding the 

 fibres thus released. It is woven into a brown carpet somewhat 

 like cocoa matting, and into other textile fabrics. It is an im- 

 portant stuffing for upholstery, and is a natural antiseptic dress- 

 ing for wounds. 



The most conspicuous character of the longleaf pines is the 

 great length of its flexible leaves. Next to this is the great sil- 

 very "bud "at the tip of each shoot. This is the cluster c' 



38 



