BLACK PINE. 



647 



4. Black Pine. 



The black pine {Pinus Laricio, austriaca) is tapped in the 

 Wienerwald by removing the bark from the base of the tree over 

 about one-third (Gayer says two-thirds) of its circumference to 

 a height of 40 centimeters (15 inches). A V-shaped niche, 

 which serves as a reservoir for the resin, is then cut into the 



Fig. 294. 



Tyrolese method of tapping larch. 



base of the tree, below this blaze. The blaze is trimmed 

 several times in a season by cutting into the sapwood, and in 

 succeeding years it is heightened annually by 40 centimeters, 

 small pieces of wood being inserted in cuts made in the blaze, 

 so that the resin may not form too thick a crust, but may fall 

 into the niche. The crude resin is removed from the niche once 

 a fortnight, and the crust and dry resin in autumn. Thus, at 

 the end of 10 years, the blaze will be 4 meters (13 feet) high. 



These broad blazes' are never occluded by new wood ; the 

 stem, however, becomes saturated with resin and does not 

 decay. There is a considerable loss of timber, owing to the 

 grooving. 



The black pine yields from 2i to 41 kilos (5^ to 10 

 pounds) of crude resin per tree annually ; 50 pounds of the 



