The Pine Family 



121 



simply a western variety of Pinus Strobus. Although it is now 

 considered to be a distinct species, the differences are not such 

 as would be noticed by the ordinary observer. It is, however, 

 a slightly smaller tree than the eastern species, but produces 

 very much larger cones. 



The timber is soft, white, easily worked and much used 

 in construction. It has largely replaced the eastern white pine 

 for building purposes through the prairie provinces. The in- 

 creasing scarcity and consequent high cost of white pine lumber 

 of all kinds is restricting its use to spe- 

 cial purposes, the more plentiful red pine 

 and fir supplying the greater bulk of 

 construction material. 



It occurs in southern British Columbia 

 from the western slopes of the Rocky 

 Mountains to the coast. It is usually 

 scattered through the mountain forest 

 of this region, and does not itself make 

 up large forests. 



Unlike its eastern relative this tree has 

 been somewhat widely used for orna- 

 mental purposes, both in eastern North 

 America and Europe. Its growth is slow but vigorous, and it 

 has been found more suitable for transplanting to an eastern 

 soil and climate than any other western pine. 



3. LIMBER PINE. Pinus flexilis. James. 



This tree, although a true white pine, does not closely re- 

 semble either its eastern or western relative. It is a short, 

 often stunted tree, seldom more than sixty feet and often not 

 exceeding forty feet in height. The leaves are about two inches 

 long, stout, stiff and very dark green, growing on flexible 

 branches. The bark of old trees is thick, deeply furrowed and 

 dark brown, or sometimes nearly black. The cones are short 



FIG. 2. Western White 

 Pine. 



