206 HOWARD B KRTF.BPL 



usually have a straight bole. Genetic selection for stem form is there- 

 fore less important than is selection for vigor and pest resistance. 



White pine is a high-quality wood for many lumber products because 

 of its light weight, strength, straight grain, and excellent machining 

 properties (Brown, Panshin, and Forsaith, 1949). 



A taxon of assumed close relationship to P. stvobus is native to 

 central America. Though Critchfield and Little (1966) have continued the 

 earlier listing of this tree as P. stvobus var. chiapensis Martinez, 

 Andresen's (1964) study appears to justify its elevation to the rank of 

 species with the name P. chiapensis (Martinez) Andresen. The natural 

 distribution is in Guatemala and Mexico on warm-temperate mountain 

 slopes and ridges with frequent fogs and sea winds, at elevations between 

 800 and 1200 m (Andresen, 1964; Rzedowski and Vela, 1966). Chiapas pine 

 is not winter-hardy in the northern parts of the United States (Wright, 

 19S8; Kriebel, unpublished data). 



INTRODUCED ASIAN AND EUROPEAN SPECIES 



P. GR IFFITHII MCCLELL. (SYN. P. WALLICHIANA A.B. Jacks.) 



Some of the earliest introductions of the Himalayan white pine 

 (blue pine), P. griff ithii , into North America were in the Philadelphia 

 area, where there are numerous specimens over 70 years old. Most of the 

 older trees are still growing vigorously; some are 20 to 25 m tall and 

 0.5 to 1.0 m in diameter. There are other old specimens in southeastern 

 and western New York state (Wright, 1958). Older trees are also growing 

 in Maryland and New Jersey (Fig. 5A) , where the winter climate is better 

 suited to survival. In recent seedling studies in Maryland, P. gviffithii 

 has had an early growth rate comparable to that of P. stvobus (Genys, 

 1965) . 



Introduced Himalayan white pine has varied in winter hardiness in 

 North America, possibly as a result of differences in the elevation of 

 the seed source. It has been seriously injured at Boston, Massachusetts, 

 by winter cold and severe winds (Wyman, 1965). In Ontario, only a small 

 proportion of the material planted has survived. Grafted scions from 

 high elevations in Pakistan are very hardy but inferior in growth rate 

 and form (Heimburger, unpublished notes') . There are a number of good 

 clones growing in Ontario, including some propagated from trees growing 

 in New York state and Massachusetts. In Ohio, very few grafted specimens 

 have survived. These grafts included selections from Placerville, 

 California accessions and from Ontario trees. Two trees of seedling 

 origin in s small plantation at Wooster, Ohio, survived to age 45 (Fig. 5B) 



Lemmien and Wright (1963) found 13 trees of P. gviffithii in a 

 32-year-old eastern white pine plantation in southern Michigan. These 

 trees grew at about the same rate as the eastern white pine, but there 

 was about 3 times as much damage due to Pissodes stvobi in the Himalayan 

 as in the native species. This observation of susceptibility to weevil 

 damage supports earlier observations by Heimburger (1958) in Ontario. It 

 is a trait which may limit the direct use of P. gviffithii for forest 

 planting in parts of the range of eastern white pine. Susceptibility to 

 pales weevil, Hylobius pales (Herbst) , is comparable to that of P. stvobus 

 (Sant amour and Rhodes, 1966). 



