PINE 241 



genus imported from ISTortli America, The pines, often called 

 firs, are known in French as " pin," in German as " Kiefer, 

 Khre," or '' Pynbaum," in Italian and Spanish as '' Pino," in 

 Swedish as "Fura," in Danish as " Fjrr," and in Russian as 

 ^' Sosna." 



The wood of Pines, as also of those other trees that are so-called 

 and of all Conifers, is of the simple structure described in our first 

 chapter, consisting only of tracheids, with the pith-rays, and, in 

 most cases, resin-canals. That of the true Pines — ^the genus Pinus 

 — ^has numerous resin-canals, uniformly scattered through the annual 

 rings, and has a distinct dark-coloured heart, though when the wood 

 is freshly cut this last is often not recognizable. The pith-rays are 

 rarely more than one cell thick, and are, therefore, invisible to the 

 naked eye, but vary in depth, having generally from three to 

 eight radial rows of elements, of which the central rows are paren- 

 chyma or cellulose-walled cells, with simple pits on their radial 

 walls — i.e., on those in contact with the tracheids of the xylem, 

 whilst the upper and lower row or two consist of tracheids with 

 bordered pits. The rings are rendered distinct by the darker and 

 firmer zone of autumn-wood in each, consisting of more compressed, 

 thicker-walled elements. This simplicity of structure and resinous 

 character renders the wood uniform and even in texture, easy to 

 work, and of considerable durability. It is also, on the whole, 

 soft, light, elastic, stijff, and strong, characters which, coupled with 

 its abiance in pure forests-foLts, that is. mainly made up of 

 a single species — combine to render the Pines the most generally 

 useful a^d among the cheapest of woods. 



The wood even of a single species of Pine varies very much, 

 according to the condition under which it is grown ; but, though 

 connected by intermediate cases, most of the species faU into two 

 fairly well-marked groups, known in America as the " Hard " 

 and " Soft " Pines. The Hard Pines are harder, heavier, and 

 darker-coloured, ranging from yellow to deep orange or brown ; 

 their autumn-wood forms a much broader proportion of the ring, and 

 is somewhat abruptly marked off from the spring- wood ; and the 

 tracheids of their pith-rays have their walls very unevenly thickened 

 with tooth-like projections. This group includes the ISTorthern 

 {Pinus sylvestris), Austrian (P. austriaca), and Mountain (P. mon- 

 tdna) of Europe, and the majority of the ISTorth American species. 

 The Soft Pines are softer and hghter ; range in colour from light-red 

 to white ; have a narrow autumn zone gradually merging into the 

 spring-wood on its inner surface ; and have smooth walls to the 

 tracheids of their pith-rays, with no tooth-like projections. The 

 group includes the Cembra Pine (P. Oembra) of Europe, and the 

 Yellow, or, as it is there called. White (P. Strobus), Sugar (P. Lam- 

 bertiana), and a few other species in America. 



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