THE HARD PINES OF THE NORTHEAST 



493 



TABLE MOUNTAIN PINE 



This is growing on rocky cliffs along the Susquehanna River 

 in Pennsylvania. 



bark, and subsequently developed a yellowish bark. The 

 names "rich pine" and "fat pine" are local. They were 

 given to this tree because many old specimens are often 

 rich in fat, which is a local way of saying that the tree 

 is resinous. The name "long-leaved pine" is quite appro- 

 priate, when one is considering only tlie pines of the 

 northeast, for some specimens of pitch pine develop 

 needles which are much longer than any other pine in 

 the northeast. It is not unusual to find trees bearing 

 needles which are six or more inches long. 



\o hard pine native to eastern North America is easier 

 to identify than the pitch pine, for it has a few positive 

 distinguishing characteristics. Its needles occur in bun- 

 dles of three and are from three to five inches long. All 

 other hard pines of the northeast have their needles in 

 bundles of two, and they vary considerably in length and 

 texture from those of the pitch pine. 



The bark of pitch pine is scraggy in appearance, and 

 broken up by irregular fissures. Early in the life of a 

 tree the bark becomes quite thick and consequently after 



they have reached the sapling age the trees are very 

 fire-resistant. In young and middle-aged trees the bark 

 is very dark to blackish in color, while in old and mature 

 specimens it may become yellowish. The trunk may be 

 covered with gnarled branches, and occasionally with 

 dense mats of leaves. It is the only pine which produces 

 these dense formations of leaves along the main stem so 

 that they appear like unbroken mats, often completely 

 enveloping the trunk. 



The cones are from two to three and one-half inches 

 long and more or less ovate to spherical when opened. 

 They persist for many years. Many individual trees may 

 be found loaded down with thousands of cones which 

 have persisted for many years. In case of heavy snow- 

 fall, these cones make an excellent place upon which the 

 snow may rest, and consequently it often accumulates in 

 such enormous quantities that often many branches are 

 broken off and sometimes entire crowns are completely 

 crushed. 



From a commercial point of view the pitch pine is not 

 so important as the white pine, but it is gradually gaining 

 favor, for new and better uses are being found for its 

 wood continuously. In the early days when white pine 

 lumber was plentiful, the pitch pine was despised. No 

 one cared to handle such an inferior wood. But market 



A PINE SPECIMEN OP TABLE MOUNTAIN PINE 



Probably the largest specimen in the world. It grew on Pine 

 Mountain, Mont Alto State Forest in Pennsylvania. 



