THE CORSICAN PINE 23 
somewhat cylindrical, thin habit of growth, its 
branches being few and slender; and especially by 
its needles, which are from four to six inches long, 
slender, and waved. It reaches greater dimensions 
than any other form: it is said to attain to an age of 
neatly six hundred years, and its wood is described 
as better than that of the other varieties. This 
wood is creamy-white when freshly cut, but becomes 
brownish-yellow when seasoned: it is tough, elastic, 
long but rather coarse in grain, very resinous, easily 
worked, susceptible of a fair polish, and very durable. 
It may be doubted whether this tree can stand sea- 
breezes as well as the Cluster Pine, but it will grow 
on calcareous soils. Some of the finest plantations of 
the species in England are at Wortley Hall, Yorkshire, 
and Newstead Abbey, Nottinghamshire. 
The Austrian or Black Pine (P. Laricio, var. 
austriaca .Endl.; P. Laricio nigricans Parl; or 
P. austriaca Hiss.) is distinguished by its denser 
habit, with more, longer, and stouter branches than 
the Corsican Pine, and shorter, thicker, and more 
rigid leaves. These are seldom much over four inches 
in length, quite straight, and of a very dark brownish 
shade of green, and have a hard, yellowish tip. In 
Austrian forests the tree attains a height equal to the 
Corsican Pine; but in the British Isles it is smaller. 
It is a fast-growing form, and most accommodat- 
ing as to soil. Where it grows wild it shows a 
preference for calcareous soils, and especially for mag- 
nesian limestone; but, coming from countries with 
warm summers, a warm, southern exposure suits it 
best. It is coarser grained than the Corsican Pine, 
