PINE FAMILY 



bark, and fairly clear of resin. They are scattered along the 

 branches and are not ver}' numerous. They hold their seeds 

 fairly well. In the spring as the snow begins to go and the 

 birds come back, the little red-breasted cross-bill sto|)s on 

 its way north to feed on these seeds. The birds come in 

 flocks and take possession of a tree ; and it is interesting 

 to see their little hooked bills jei'k out the seeds from the 

 cones. The Red Pine should find a place in every park. 



LOBLOLLY PINE. OLD FIELD PINE 



Pin 



iaida 



Taeda, the torch, was the classical name of a resinous pine tree. 



Varying from eighty to one hundred feet with a tall straight trunk. 

 A southern tree but ranging as far nortli as New Jersey. Inhabits 

 the low lands adjacent to tide-water : rarely makes pure forests. 



Loves the swamps, Ijut is found in 

 the sandy borders of Pine-barrens. 

 In the southwest it becomes an im- 

 portant timber tree. Grows rapidly; 

 tap root large and strong. Fragrant. 



Ilcuk. — Reddish brown with shal- 

 low fissures and broad, flat, scaly 

 ridges. Branch lets glaucous, 

 smooth, yellow brown and co\'ered 

 with the brown, reflexed, inner 

 scales of the bi'anch-buds which 

 persist for several years. 



Wood. — Varicd)Ic in value, light 

 brown, sapwood pale. The more 

 nortliern tree produces lumber 

 which is weak, Ijrittle, coarse- 

 grained, not dtiraljle ; the southern 

 tree produces a better cpiality ; 

 resinous. 



Ih(ds. — Branch - buds, obovatc- 

 oljlong, acute or acuminate at 

 apex, with brown scales whicli 

 terminate in long, slender, dark 

 tips. Terminal buds much larger 

 than the lateral buds. 



452 



Loblolly Pine, pinui tacda. 

 Leaves 6^ to 10' long. 



