Naturalisation in Extra-Tropical Countries. 397 



Pinus picea, Du Roi.* (P. Abies, Linn; Picea excelsa, Link.) 



Norway-Spruce, Fichte. Middle and Northern Europe and North- 

 ern Asia, rising from the plains to an elevation of 4,500 feet, and 

 forming extensive forests. It exceeds even the ordinary birch in 

 endurance of cold. Indigenous in Norway to latitude 69 30' [Schue- 

 beler]. Quicker of growth in its native country than P. silvestris, 

 but needs a somewhat better and more humid soil. The tree attains 

 a height of 150 feet or even more, and furnishes an excellent timber, 

 commonly known under the name of White Deal, for building, furni- 

 ture, flooring, masts, spars, ladders and oars. Stems of 6 feet dia- 

 meter are on record with more than 200 wood-rings. It also produces 

 the Burgundy-pitch in quantity, while the bark is used for tanning. 

 Though enduring dry summers, this spruce would here have to be re- 

 stricted for timber-purposes to damp mountains. Can be reared into 

 a splendid shelter-hedge. A variety with pendant branches occurs. 

 Hemsley mentions other forms of this spruce, and indeed many 

 varieties of other species of Pinus. Britain alone imported in recent 



. time pinewood to the value of nine millions sterling annually, of which 

 P. picea must have furnished a considerable portion. The import of 

 dealwood into Victoria from Europe and America during 1887 came 

 in value to about half a million. In recent times the wood of this and 

 some other pines has come into extensive use for paper-making. The 

 quantity of wood-pulp exported from Norwegian ports (partly 

 Swedish produce) in 1893 was 230,000 tons and in 1892 it came to 

 215,000 tons, the price realized for wet pulp being 3 Is. per ton and 

 5 11s. for dry pulp. 



Pinus Pinaster, Solander.* (P. maritima, Poiret and De Candolle.) 



Cluster-Pine. From the shores to the mountains of the countries 

 on the Mediterranean Sea. The tree rises to about 60 feet in 

 height. The wood is soft and resinous ; it yields largely the French 

 turpentine. Among the best of plants for consolidating sandy coasts, 

 and for converting rolling sands into pastoral and agricultural land. 

 For ease of rearing and rapidity of growth one of the most impor- 

 tant of all pines. Average-growth at Port Phillip 40 feet in 20 

 years. On the testimony of Mr. J. Hoopes, it does not thrive well 

 on calcareous soil. Hon. Winter-Irving observed P. Pinaster and 

 the allied P. Pinea to withstand an occasional shade-temperature of 

 118 F. A tree, 60 to 70 years old, heavily tapped, yields 12 to 16 

 Ibs. of turpentine, equal to 4 Ibs. of resin, the rest being oil of tur- 

 pentine [Simmonds]. The tree comes into full flow of turpentine 

 at about 25 years, and the tapping process, if only a slight one, is 

 endured by this tree for an enormous length of time. Thus the 

 annual production of resin from a good tree fluctuates between 5 and 

 8 Ibs. The quantity of resin gathered in France during 1874 was 

 about sixty million pounds [Crouzetter-Desnoyers]. The felling of 

 up-grown pines, planted with wise foresight for antimalarian and 

 . other hygienic purposes at places of centres of population, can but 

 be regarded as most reprehensible, when the simple reason of such 



