10 1 2 The Trees of Great Britain and Ireland 



Gamble it either forms pure woods or is mixed with other trees, such as the deodar, 

 being accompanied at high levels by birch and silver fir, and at low elevations by 

 Pinus longifolia. On the edges of the forest, scrub lands soon become covered with 

 seedlings, which grow up into dense belts. These seedlings, on account of their rapid 

 growth, soon suppress those of the deodar. Mayr ^ refers to the ease with which this 

 pine naturally regenerates itself in the Himalayas, and gives a picture of the forest 

 with numerous seedlings. 



It commonly attains a height of lOO to 120 ft., with a girth of 6 to 10 ft., rarely 

 reaching 1 50 ft. in height and 1 2 ft. in girth. On good soils at moderate elevations, it 

 grows rapidly, making five rings per inch of radius ; while at high elevations on rocky 

 soil its rate sinks to 20 to 25 rings per inch. It prefers sandy or clayey soils, though 

 occasionally met with on limestone. In India, while easy to rear in the nursery, it 

 bears transplanting badly ; and Gamble recommends that it should be grown in 

 baskets, which should be used in planting out. 



The timber is good, next in value to that of the deodar, and is largely used in 

 construction throughout the western Himalayas, especially in Kashmir and the Punjab. 

 For railway sleepers it is slightly inferior to the deodar ; but for planking, doors, 

 windows, and furniture, it is better than the timber of that tree, as it is not so brittle, 

 and is free from the oil, which in the deodar so readily absorbs dirt. In Kangra and 

 Kulu, it is said to be used for making tea-boxes, as it is free from strong scent.^ 



The wood is highly resinous, and produces turpentine and tar.^ The trees are 

 tapped for about three years, then allowed three years' rest, when tapping is 

 recommenced on the other side. The more resinous parts of the wood are much 

 employed for torches, known as mashdl in Hindustani, 



In dry winter seasons, the leaves and twigs become covered with a copious 

 sweet exudation, which is collected and eaten by the natives. The origin of this 

 manna-like substance is not yet accurately determined.^ (A. H.) 



Cultivation 



P. excelsa was introduced into cultivation* by Lambert, who raised many plants 

 in 1823 at Boyton. Plants were also reared in the Chiswick Garden and in the 

 Glasgow Botanic^ Garden in 1827 from seeds sent by Wallich. 



It is perfectly hardy in all parts of Great Britain, Mr. Palmer's tables showing 

 only five places out of ninety-five in which it was killed by the severe winter of 1 860, 

 and in three of these the thermometer fell below zero. Two-year seedlings raised 

 at Colesborne from Himalayan seed were uninjured in my garden in 1908 by a 

 temperature of about zero. But judging from its comparative rarity, and the smaller 

 size of the trees we have seen in the north of England and in Scotland, it requires 

 the full summer heat of our climate to do it justice, nearly all the largest specimens I 



1 Fremdldnd. Wald- u. Parklidume, 375, fig. 122 (1906). 



2 Cf. Watt, Commercial Products of India, 888 (1908), who refers to Thurston, Resin and Turpentim from Indian Pines 

 Imp. Inst. Handbook, 1893, pp. 7-19; Lawrence, Valley of Kashmir, 80 (1895); etc. 



3 Cf. Madden, mjoum. Agri-Hort. Soc. India, reproduced in Indian Forester, i. SS (1875). 

 * Genus Pinus, ii. 6 (1824). 



