Handbook of Trees of the ISTorthern States and Canada. 



The Pitch Pine dopK not often attain a 

 greater heiglit tlian 70 or SO ft. or a greater 

 diameter of trunk than 2 or li ft. When grow- 

 ing in the open fields it devek)[)s an irregular 

 wide pyramidal or rounded head, its rough 

 branche.s usually bristling with old tardily de- 

 ciduous cones. Its trunk is vested in thick 

 dark brown bark fissured into large plates 

 which exfoliate in irreglilar friable scales. It 

 is an abundant tree in rtiany localities of the 

 northern states on sandy uplands which are 

 too sterile for the support for most other trees. 



The wood of the Pitch Pine is of medium 



weight and hardness, with coarse conspicuous 



grain, resinous and of a brownish red color 



with abundant lighter sap-wood. i It is used 



for coarse lumber, flooring, sills, etc., and to 



eome extent for fuel and charcoal. A cubic 



foot, when seasoned, weighs 32.10 lbs. It is 



said that considerable tar, turpentine and 



lampblack have been derived from this tree. 



though the principal source of supply now is 



in other species. 



Leaves in clusters of .", with persistent sheaths. 

 rigid, .3-5 in. long, dark green, with stomata on 

 three faces, resin-ducts within the parenchyma, 

 and 2 fibro-vascular bundles. Floipers: staminate 

 numerous, yellow (rarely purple) ; pistillate 

 lateral, usually in whorls of 2 or more, reddish 

 green, with short stout stems. Cones 1-3 in. lone, 

 lateral, often in whorls of several, ovoid, nearly 

 sessile, with scales thickened at apex and pro- 

 vided with curved rigid prickle ; seeds about 14 

 in. long, triangular with rounded sides and ample 

 wing broadest below the middle. 



1. A. W., II, 50. 



