PINE, THE GROUND. 



of commerce, both in Europe and America. 

 The genus Pinus is distinguished from the firs, 

 hy the leaves being needle-shaped and grouped 

 in pairs, or in three, four, or five together; held, 

 as it were, together by a sheath at their base. 

 Most, if not all of the species, are highly de- 

 serving of culture, being very ornamental and 

 beautiful in every stage of their growth. They 

 will succeed on almost any kind of soil, but to 

 bring the timber to its greatest state of perfec- 

 tion, a somewhat loamy surface soil and a cool 

 subsoil are requisite. Young plants may be 

 obtained by a variety of methods. All the spe- 

 cies may be propagated by layers, by inarching 

 on nearly allied kinds, and by herbaceous 

 grafting; many may also be increased by cut- 

 tings, but the speediest way is by seed, and 

 which process I shall briefly notice. In some 

 of the species the cones attain their full size 

 the first year, but in most not till the end of the 

 second autumn. The cones of the Scotch pine 

 (P. sylvestris), and those allied to it, open of 

 themselves shortly after be*ing gathered from 

 the tree, and spread out in the sun ; but the 

 cones of P. pinaster, P.pinea, and similar kinds, 

 do not, though treated in the same manner; and 

 open their scales only after several months. 

 The seed should be sown on a finely-prepared 

 rather sandy soil, in March or April. The seeds 

 of the most common kinds are always sown 

 on beds, and after being gently beaten down 

 are slightly covered with light soil. 



There are upwards of fifty species of pines, 

 and the appearance of the tree, as well as the 

 quality of the timber, varies with the species 

 and with the situation in which each grows. 

 Generally speaking, the timber is hardest and 

 best in exposed cold situations, and where its 

 growth is slow. See FIR TRKK. 



PINE, THE GROUND. See BCOLE. 



PI.\K (Dinnthits; from dio t divine; and 

 anthos, a flower, in reference to the fragrance 

 of the blossoms and the unrivalled neatness of 

 the flowers). A truly beautiful and ornamental 

 genus, containing some of the most prized 

 flowers we possess, on account of the beauty 

 and fragrance of their blossoms, and their fo- 

 liage, which is as green and vivid in winter as 

 it is in summer. The genus is divided into those 

 with solitary and those with aggregate flowers. 



PIP. A disease among poultry, consisting 

 in a white thin skin, or film, growing upon or 

 tinder the tip of the tongue, which hinders the 

 feeding. It is supposed to arise from the drink- 

 ing of foul water, or eating filthy meat; it is 

 usually cured by pulling off the film with the 

 fingers, and washing the part with a solution of 

 common salt. 



PIPE-CLAY. A species of clay abounding 

 in Devonshire and other parts of England, em- 

 ployed in the manufacture of earthenware. 

 See MIXTURE OF SOILS. 



PISTIL. In botany, the columnar body in 

 the centre of a flower, consisting commonly 

 of three parts; viz., the ovary, styles, and stig- 

 mas. It is one of the essential parts of the 

 flower; and when it is absent the flower is 

 sterile. It receives the pollen, and communi- 

 cates its stimulus to the ovules ; without which 

 ihe seeds are imperfect, and do not germinate. 



PITCH (Ger. pech}. In commerce, the resi- 



PLANT. 



duum which remains on inspissating tar, or 

 boiling it down to dryness. It is a black solid 

 substance, with a shining fracture, softens at 

 90, and becomes liquid in boiling water. It 

 is extensively used in ship-building, and for 

 other purposes. Large quantities are manu- 

 factured in Great Britain, but not sufficient to 

 supply the great demand. The duty on im- 

 portation is 10r/. percwt. In husbandry, pitch 

 signifies a fork-full of hay, corn, or straw, or 

 as much as is raised to the load, slack, or mow, 

 at one time. 



PLANER TREE (Planer a ulmifolia). "Ken- 

 tucky, Tennessee, the banks of the Mississippi, 

 and the Southern States, are, says Michaux, 

 the only parts of the American republic where 

 my father and myself have found the planer tree. 



""I have more particularly observed the planer 

 tree in the large swamps on the borders of 

 the river Savannah in Georgia. It is a tree 

 of the second order, and is rarely more than 

 35 or 40 feet high, and 12 or 15 inches in dia- 

 meter. Its bloom is early and not conspicuous. 

 Its minute seeds are contained in small, oval, 

 inflated, uneven capsules. The leaves are 

 about 1$ inch long, oval-acuminate, denticu- 

 lated, of a lively green, and a little like those 

 of the European elm, to which this species 

 bears the greatest analogy. 



" The wood of the planer tree is hard, strong, 

 and seemingly proper for various uses; it is 

 probably similar in its characters to the ana- 

 logous species in the north of Asia, the Siberian 

 elm ; but the tree is rare and the wood is neg- 

 lected." (N. A. Sylva.) 



PLANKS (Ger. planken; Dan. planker ; Fr. 

 planches'). Thick strong boards cut from vari- 

 ous kinds of wood, especially oak and pine. 

 Planks are usually of the thickness of from 

 one inch to four. They are imported in large 

 quantities from the northern ports of Europe, 

 and from several ports of North America. 

 Those employed for making sheds or farm 

 out-houses should be tarred, or steeped in cor- 

 rosive sublimate. 



PLANT. In natural history. See ACCLIMA- 

 TATIOX, BOTANY, EARTHS, GASES, OHGAXIC CHK- 

 MISTRT, TEMPERATURE, WATER, &c. 



PLANTS ix CLOSELT GLAZED CASES. By the 

 recent discovery of Mr. Ward, of London, that 

 certain plants will grow when enclosed in 

 glazed cases, the most forbidding local circum- 

 stances may be overcome, and any person, 

 whether inhabiting the most humble or the 

 most splendid dwelling, provided they are ex- 

 posed for a few hours every day to the sun's 

 light, has it in his power to rear and cultivate 

 a miscellaneous collection of plants, to enjoy 

 the beauty of their appearance, and to watch 

 their progress through all the stages of their 

 growth, at an expense so insignificant as to be 

 within the means of every one, even in very 

 moderate circumstances ; in short, to enjoy, 

 even in rooms heated with anthracite coal, a 

 parlour green-house. 



To do this an apparatus must be provided, 

 consisting of a box and a glass roof, such as are 

 used for raising cucumbers, for instance, or 

 more ornamental, as may be desired. The box 

 should be lined in the bottom with zinc to pre- 

 vent leakage. The whole should be close, to 



891 



