THE AUSTRIAN PINE. 369 



home the tree yields more turpentine than any other European 

 conifer. The needles are used in the manufacture of an 

 article which comes into commerce as " forest wool." 



//. Disfrihvtinn. 

 Lower Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Dalmatia and the south- 

 eastern Alps, where it ascends to about 4,500 feet. Introduced 

 into Britain during the last century. 



c. Loi'iilitfi. 



Climate. — The tree is frost hardy and not sensitive to 

 drought. It demands light, but stands more shade than the 

 Scotch pine, standing between that tree and the Weymouth 

 pine. It prefers dry air, and is storm firm. Suffers much 

 from snow and rime, even more than Scotch pine. 



Soil. — It likes a moderately deep, porous and fairly moist 

 soil, which need not be fertile. In its natural home it is 

 chiefly found on calcareous soils, especially over dolomite 

 formations, but it thrives almost equally well on any other 

 formation. Its demands on fertility and moisture are even 

 less than those of the Scotch pine, so that it grows on shallow, 

 dry soils, even on rocks. It is considered one of the least 

 exacting of the European timber trees. 



(/. Simpe and Development. 

 The tree develops a straight stem ; the crown is similar to 

 that of the Scotch pine, but fuller, stronger and denser. Its 

 height growth is somewhat slower than that of the Scotch 

 pine, and it does not, as a rule, exceed a height of 75 feet, at 

 any rate when grown beyond its natural home. The root 

 system is strong, and similar to that of Scotch pine. The 

 volume growth is smaller than that of Scotch pine. It is said 

 to attain a great age in its natural home. 



e. Reprodiutive Power. 

 The tree commences producing full crops of seed after it has 

 passed an age of 30 years, and they occur every 2 to 3 years, 

 s. B B 



