24 A MANUAL OF FORESTRY 



ing westward only to the edge of the Mississippi valley. It 

 occurs throughout New England except in the extreme northern 

 part, and in the mountains. 



It is the outcast of the pines and occurs pure only on the 

 sandiest plains where other trees thrive with difficulty. On 

 he tier soils it is sometimes mixed with other pines and with 

 hardwoods. It is characteristic of sand plains in the Champlain 

 valley, on Cape Cod, and in the lower Connecticut valley. In 

 early colonial times in the last-named region it was important 

 as the source of tar and turpentine which were produced in large 

 quantities to supply our early ship-building industry. To-day 

 there are few stands of any size or age, as it has suffered from fire 

 more than any other species, owing to the hot, dry localities which 

 it inhabits. 



Its habits are those of the red pine accentuated, in its ability 

 to withstand drought, heat, poor soil, and in its greater demands 

 for light. Its tendency is to grow rather short and crooked but, 

 on the better soils it attains a height of sixty or seventy feet. 

 Pitch pine seedlings grow more rapidly at first than those of our 

 other native pines, but their growth is slower after three or four 

 years. The pitch pine is a prolific annual seeder and reproduc- 

 tion on land not burned over is usually good, since the seed 

 germinates well on the driest of mineral or needle-covered soils. 

 This species also has the ability (uncommon in conifers) to 

 sprout from the stump. After fires, especially, it is common to 

 find numerous sprouts growing from the stump. As a rule, 

 however, these do not mature. 



This tree has no serious enemies, and as the bark is often an 

 inch thick it is very fire-resistant. It is this ability to withstand 

 fire that accounts for its frequent occurrence pure where other 

 trees once in mixture, such as the white pine, have been killed 

 by fire. 



I lie shade cast by the pitch pine is not very dense, and the 

 conditions for reproduction of white pine and other species are 

 often best under its mild protection, so that it is a valuable 

 agent in the natural reproduction of worn-out, sandy plains. 



