The Scotch Pine in Canada. 129 



whitish, sometimes sHghtly tinged with red, is soft and readily 

 worked. Owing to the variabiUty of this species, care should be 

 taken when buying seed, as the ease with which seed can be 

 procured from the dwarf or scrubby forms makes it more profit- 

 able for those who gather it to get it from such sources, and the 

 trees grown from such seed are not likely to be as good as those 

 from tall, straight trees. 



Of the recognized brands of Scotch Pine timber which are 

 exported from Europe the Dantzic Fir is the best. It is grown 

 principally in Prussia and Prussian Poland and the neighboring 

 borders of Russia. The trees in these districts reach a height 

 of 70 to 100 feet. The timber is used for much the same purposes 

 as the White Pine and is employed in the construction of build- 

 ings, for flooring, rafters, joists, etc. It is used much in ship 

 building, in the construction of bridges, and is also used for 

 railway sleepers. 



The Riga Pine is another form of Pinus sylvestris, taking 

 its name from the port of shipment in Russia and produced in 

 the interior of Russia. It is a more upright-growing tree than the 

 Dantzic Fir and usually makes a timber freer from knots. It is, 

 however, not so generally sound at the heart as the Dantzic', 

 and hence is not so good for planks and boards. It is, however, 

 but for this defect, almost equal to the Dantzic Fir and it is said 

 that in ordinary specifications for building either Dantzic or 

 Riga may be used, showing that they are regarded as of about 

 equal value. 



Timber inferior to the Dantzic and Riga Firs is produced 

 in Sweden and Norway, and a considerable quantity is annually 

 exported from the former country to England, and some also 

 from the latter. These are known as Swedish and Norw-ay Firs. 

 The Scotch Pine, or Scotch Fir, as it is known in Great Britain, 

 is produced there in limited quantities, but of good quality. In 

 some parts of the United States the Scotch Pine has succeeded 

 very well and is now being planted there in large numbers for 

 timber purposes. 



In 1887 when tree planting was begun at the Central Experi- 

 mental Farm, Ottawa, the Scotch Pine was among the species 

 which were planted in the nursery there, and in the following 

 year 424 trees were planted in two blocks. Part of these trees 

 were planted 10 by 10 feet apart and part 5 by 5 feet apart. 'The 

 trees when planted were about 18 inches in height. The soil was 

 sandy loam mixed with a little gravel and rather wet. The 

 plantation, with the trees 5 by 5 feet apart, was cultivated until 

 1892, while where the trees were 10 by 10 feet apart cultivation 

 was continued for two years longer. In the autumn of 1905 the 

 trees 5 by 5 feet apart averaged 29 feet in height, with a diameter 

 of 4 J inches, four feet six inches from the ground ; and those 10 by 



