P I N 



^ PIN 



elegant pyramid: the leaves are clustered, with- 

 out order, from an oblnnji; cortical scale, Ibur- 

 corncrcil, drawn out into a siiarp point, tliickish, 

 coninionlv curved a liltlej compressed, slightly 

 keeled on b-jth sides, shining on the upper sur- 

 t'ace : the male cones or calkins are ovate, scat- 

 tered in the axils of the leave^^, purple: the 

 young female cones are also purple; and when 

 ripe pendulous : iht^ have eisiht rows of scales 

 in a spiral, each row having from twenty to 

 twenty-three scales, in each of which are two 

 seeds. It is a native of Norway. 



There arc two principal varieties : the White 

 and the Red, both of which aflbrd the white 

 deals. And Bitrgundi/ Pitch is prepared from 

 the resin procured from this Iree by boiling and 

 straining it throueh a cloth. 



There is no tree that yields greater profit than 

 the Spruce Fn- in cold land ; no tree is more 

 beautiful standing singljon turf in large planta- 

 tions, or more useful for shelter in cold soils and 

 situations. 



The twentieth is distinguished from the Black 

 Spruce by the marks which have been given 

 under the eighteenth species. 



The twenty-first species was found in the Le- 

 vant, and may be cultivated for variety. 



Culture. — In all the sorts and varieties the 

 increase is effected by means of .«eeds, which 

 may be obtained from the well ripened cones by 

 exposing them to the heat of a gentle fire or 

 that of the sun, in w hich way the cells open and 

 the seeds may be readily taken out. When the 

 cones are not made use of in this way, they 

 will remain several years without the seeds 

 being injured, especially where they are close. 



They should be sown in the early spring 

 months, as JNlareh or the following month, on 

 beds of fine earth, in a north-east aspect, or in 

 large pots or boxes for the purpose of being oc- 

 casionallv removed into different situations as 

 may be found necessary. They should be co- 

 vered with nets to prevent the birds from peck- 

 ino- otf the tops of the young plants, while the 

 husks of the seeds are upon them j and be 

 likewise screened from the heat of the sun at 

 first. 



All the soits, except the Stone Pine and a few 

 others, the Scales of the cones of which are 

 very hard, soon come up; but these frcfpiciuly 

 remain more than a year; the 'ground should 

 therefore not be disturbed, being onlv kept clean 

 from weeds in such cases. 



Soaking tlie seeds in these cases njavbe useful, 

 as well as oowing them in ■shaded situations. 



The young plants in all the sorts shi)uld be 

 kept quite ckau and occasionally refreshed with 

 1 



water when the season is dry, in a very gentle 

 manner, so as not to disturb the plants. 



When they come up too close the plants 

 should be thinned out in the summer, the thin- 

 nings being planted out immediately in a sepa- 

 rate bed, in a sliady place, being gently watered 

 as there may be occasion. Tliey should be set 

 out in rows at the distance of four or five, and 

 three or four in the rows. The tender kinds 

 should be sheltered during the winter by frames 

 or mats from the frosts, but with the others it is 

 unnecessary. 



When the plants have remained in these beds 

 a year or more according to circumstances, they 

 should be removed into other rows in the 

 nursery at the distance of two feet, and one or 

 more in the rows. In this situation they should 

 remain till the periods of their being finally 

 planted out. 



The best season for the removal of the plants 

 in all cases is towards the latter end of March 

 or the beginning of the following month. 



Where it can be done, it is the best way not to 

 let them remain too long in these nursery situa- 

 tions, as the plants are always found to succeed 

 best when planted out before they have acquired 

 too large a growth. 



When large plantations are to be made it is ad- 

 vised by some to raise the plants on a portion of 

 the same ground, or as nearly similar to it as 

 possible. 



It is advantageous when they are to remain to 

 have a large size to transplant them every two 

 years, as by that means they form better roots 

 and such as spread out more laterally, and of 

 course the plants may be afterwards removed 

 with greater safety. 



In removing the plants, at all times great care 

 should be taken to preserve the roots as much 

 as possible, as well as all the branches, without 

 cutting them. 



When they have been finally removed, they 

 require little more trouble, it being only neces- 

 sary to keep them perfectly free froln weeds, and 

 supporting the larger sorts of plants with proper 

 stakes : ail the sorts should be suffered to take 

 their own natural growth ; being careful to pre- 

 serve their tops perfectly entire, to shoot up as 

 fast as possible and tobranch out in theirown way 

 as no piuiiing is wanted, unless in the lowermost 

 branches in particular trees which are thouaht 

 too low and straggling, when these mav he oc- 

 casionallv trinnned, cutting them close to the 

 stem; but pruning should be very sparinolv 

 practised to the-;e resinous trees, as lopp,m»' The 

 branches ecjnlributes to retard th.eir growth as 

 well as im[;air their beautv. in large forest 



