226 



that's it ; 



insects live on the tree, and very 

 few lichens or fungi grow on 

 the bark. 



The wood is hard and smooth, 

 and beautifully veined with red. 

 It is used for axle-trees, and cogs 

 for mill-wheels, and flood-gates 

 for fish-ponds, which are almost 

 imperishable. It is also in great 

 use for bedsteads, chairs, steps, 

 and ladders. 



Pines constitute a very im- 

 portant tribe of trees. The 

 name is derived from a Greek 

 word, which signifies fat, be- 

 cause the trees of this genus 

 .furnish pitch and tar. Others 

 derive the word pinus from the 

 Celtic pin, or pyn, a mountain, 

 or rock, in allusion to the ha- 

 bitat of the tree. 



The fir, spruce, larch, de- 

 ciduous cypress, cypress, arbor 

 vitae, juniper, New Holland pine, 

 1 



608. 



and several others, are included 

 in the pine family. The Scotch 

 fir, 1, commonly so called, is a 

 pine. Pinns may be distinguished 



from firs by the leaves or spires, 

 which more or less resemble 

 longish pieces of coarse thread 

 united to the number of two, 

 three, four, or five, in the same 

 sheath. Those of the firs, on 

 the other hand, are short, and 

 are attached singly round the 

 circumference of the branch, or 

 upon its opposite sides. 



Pines belong to the botanical 

 order conifer a, the name being 

 derived from the fruit, which is 

 in the form of a cone, 2. The 



609. 



order consists of resinous, mostly 

 evergreen, hard-leaved trees or 

 shrubs. Under this name are col- 

 lected the various races of fir trees, 

 cedars, pines, junipers, cypresses, 

 and the like, which, however dis- 

 similar they may at first sight 

 appear, present these charac- 

 teristic points : they all branch 

 from numerous buds, proceeding 



