208 The Hon. William Sheppard on the Distribution 
Canadian trees. It grows scattered throughout the province, 
preferring richer soil than do the pines already mentioned > 
the quality of the soil causing it to be social or gregarious. 
The timber of the white pine furnishes by far the greatest 
article of exportation the produce of our forests affords. It is 
taken to market in the shape of square timber, of all sizes, 
from 12 inches to double that dimension, and in lengths from 
20 to 60 feet, and more. Larger sizes are partially squared, 
to be afterwards wrought into masts and bowsprits, for which 
purpose it is admirably fitted, by reason of its lightness and 
strength. Large quantities are also floated to the many saw- 
mills scattered about the province, to be cut into planks and 
boards, principally for exportation, finding outlets from Quebec 
to Britain and Ireland, and by railroads and sailing craft to 
the neighbouring states. This pine is exclusively used in the 
province for carpentry and joiner’s work for our buildings, 
being well adapted to all the purposes of house-building, easily 
worked, and generally free of knots. While this tree is the 
most useful and the largest product of our forests, itis the most 
picturesque of all those we possess, when growing in places 
where it has room to expand its massive branches from the 
ground upwards, densely clothed with foliage, and broken 
into great masses of light and shade, which the painter de- 
lights to contemplate. This tree is seen raising its head above 
all the other denizens of the forest, frequently attaining a 
height of 120 feet and upwards. 
Pinus serotina (Pond Pine).—Dr Gray ignores this species, 
probably referring it to P. rigida as a variety merely, though 
he does not say so; other authors making it a distinct species. 
On the authority of Pursh, it is here adopted as a native of 
Canada. The latter botanist found it at Anticosti, on the. 
occasion of his visiting that island in 1817. As this is a 
southern species, its having established itself on that northern 
island is a singular circumstance; yet Pursh was well ac- 
quainted with the pines of America, and could scarcely have 
been mistaken. On the same occasion he brought back, in the 
shape of dried specimens, a swell as in a living state, many 
plants which seem peculiar to the island. 
Assuming the existence of this pine in Anticosti, we possess 
five species in Canada. 
