No. 149] 353 



]ieight of ninety feet ; the timber is very strong, and peculiarly 

 adapted for spars of ships. The essence of spruce is obtained by 

 tapping the tree. 



The Pinus australis is a native of the State of Virginia ; it grows 

 very erect to the height of eighty feet ; it bears long leaves, three 

 in a slieath, of a beautiful grass green ; its cones are 7 inches 

 long, covered with sunken scales * the timber is very valuable, 

 exceedingly durable, clean and light ; the tree, when tapped, 

 yields superior turpentine ; it will not grow in England. 



Other pines might be mentioned, such as the Pinus pumilio, 

 Pinus resinera, Pinus trutia, Pinus unicinata, Pinus halepensis, 

 Pinus austriaca, Pinus pallasiana, Pinus laricio, &c. 



President Tallmadge. — It is very desirable that this tree should 

 be raised, in order to meet future demands for its very valuable 

 timber ; and in the cultivation of it we should follow the system 

 of rotation found to be* so useful and even necessary in plants. 

 When we plant pines, therefore, let it always be on land cleaned 

 of the hard woods, sucli as hickory, oak and others, because here 

 the rotation is required, those elements in the soil which sus- 

 tained them being somewhat exhausted, while the soil has now 

 become friendly to the pine. We find pine trees and cedars spon- 

 taneously growing on v»"orn out land left without cultivation, 

 while we never see a pine or cedar grow spontaneously in culti- 

 vated soils. Pine trees like a light soil with clay subsoil. When 

 we undertake to raise pine trees we should leave the soil about 

 them entirely u.ncultivated, and so, whenfpines have been there, 

 a ne,^^ race of the hard woods love to grow. Thus the different 

 races succeed each other. Whence tlie seeds come which grow 

 these spontaneous races, is an unsolved problem. The pine tree 

 is subject to attacks from insects. The curculio is one of its ene- 

 mies and shews its sagacity by attacking the main shaft of the 

 tree, instead of its branches. Most insects follow the liabitations. 

 of man — and in cities, a countryman is horrified at the sight of 

 the devastation of citj foliage by worms, caterpillars, and other 

 insects. Such a sight scarcely ever to be found in the country. 



[Assembly, N-. 149.1 ^ 



