l'eicole FORESTIERE DES BARRES. ' 125 



*' The characteristic feature and the principal defect of the Haguenau 

 pine consist in excess of vigour, and, above all, of a vigour ill distri- 

 buted, which is carried often into the branches, to the detriment of 

 the trunk. It is in this that it differs essentially from the true Riga 

 pines. Its trunk is in general much less vertical and less regular, 

 often crooked, warped, or abruptly falling off in size, in consequence 

 of the enormous overgrown branches, which grow out to a great 

 distance, and destroy all regularity in the tree. In one variety 

 which is often met with the tree is more compact, and the general 

 habit more regular ; but the crowns, much too strong, transform the 

 summit into a pyramid excessively dense and bushy, in the middle of 

 which the trunk is almost lost. On the other hand, the reddish 

 colour of the bark is less uniform and less decided than in the good 

 lots of the Riga pine ; it commences generally 1 or 2 metres higher ; 

 pretty often indeed the bark throughout the whole body of the tree is 

 grey, or much mixed with grey rather than reddish. That at the 

 base of the trunk is more brown, more thick zoned, and more full of 

 rents. 



" Such are in general the Haguenau pines in the school of Barres. 

 And from this it may be seen that this variety is not identical with 

 the mast pine of the north, as has been thought by Bosc, and many 

 foresters with him; and that, on the other hand, notwithstanding 

 its superiority in vigour and in rapidity of increase, it is much 

 inferior to it in quality. 



** Truth requires it should be stated that there are to be found in 

 the mass of the Haguenaux some individual trees which constitute 

 an exception to the rest, being quite regular in trunk and in crown, with 

 a bark fairly red, and retaining, at the same time, the superiority of 

 vigour belouging to the race. These may be compared to the best 

 pines of the north of the series of strong crowns (those of the 

 elongated pyramids). Also, when one shall come — if that happen 

 — to create, by choice of individuals, the best possible races, certain 

 varieties of these may present, at a pinch, very good points of 

 departure from the characteristics of the most to lead to that 

 result. 



" Independent of the differences which I have indicated above, the 

 pine of Haguenau is distinguished from the Rigas, and from those 

 more especially of the first series, by its having the leaf longer, more 

 spreading from the branch, ordinarily a little curved or rounded 

 off, of a more glaucous green about the shoot, and later in spring to 

 the extent of about eight days. The bud is a little more coloured, 



