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JOURNAL OP THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



bands of small summer cells broad, very resinous, conspicuous, resin 

 passages numerous, not large ; medullary rays numerous, obscure ; 

 colour light brown or red, the thick sapwood yellow, or often nearly 

 white ; specific gravity, 0'5151 ; ash, 0"23 ; largely used for fuel, 

 charcoal, and occasionally manufactured into coarse lumber (C. S. 

 Sargent, "Forest Trees of North America"). Upon the island of 

 Nantucket, Massachusetts, this species is now greatly injured by the 

 attacks of the destructive caterpillar of the pine moth, Retina fms- 

 trana (Scudder in Pub. Mass, Agric. Soc. 1883, and t.). 



This species seems to have formerly abounded in Connecticut, 

 Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, for from the beginning of the 

 eighteenth century till 1776 these States furnished Britain with a 

 considerable quantity of tar. About the year 1705 — a misunder- 

 standing having taken place between Great Britain and Sweden, from 

 which latter country the British Government had principally drawn 

 its supply of tar— Great Britain encouraged this branch of industry in 

 the northern part of America by a premium of £1 sterling for every 

 barrel of tar made from dead wood, and £2 for every barrel made from 

 green wood ; in consequence of which, and of this tree furnishing tar 

 abundantly, its destruction has been so rapid that it is now rarely 

 found in the Northern States. P. rigida was cultivated in England by 

 the Duke of Bedford previously to 1759 (J. G. Lemmon, " California 

 Board of Forestry," 1889-90). 



In some parts of the AUeghanies, where this tree abounds, 

 houses are built of it, and the wood, if it is not covered with 

 paint, is readily recognised by its numerous knots. It is thought 

 better than the Yellow Pine for floors that are frequently washed, 

 as the resin with which it is impregnated renders it finer and 

 more durable. It is used for ship pumps, and as fuel by the bakers 

 and brick-makers of New York and Philadelphia ; and from the roots 

 is prepared lampblack. The principal use of this tree is, however, to 

 furnish tar and turpentine. The essence of turpentine, used in most 

 parts of America for painting, is obtained from this tree. 



Dr. Mayr says in his book, " Die Waldungen von Nord-Amerika," 

 that P. rigida is hardly more resinous than other Firs, and that as a 

 substitute the wood of P. onitis and P. resinosa is also called " Pitch 

 Pine." lie draws attention to the great error of falsely calling the 

 excellent wood of the Yellow Fir (P. australis) pitch pine, although it 

 is not so called in America. This mistake has caused the planting of 

 large numbers of P. rigida as " Pitch Pine." Dr. Mayr believes that 

 this species can only be recommended for planting on sandy hills near 

 the sea-coast. 



A tree of this sj)ecies planted in 1864 in Denmark now measures 

 36 feet in height and 2 feet 9 inches in girth. 



P. E,usselliana, Lindl. Bot. Reg. 1839, app. 63 ; Spach, Hist. 

 Veg. Phan. xi. 402 ; Loud. Encycl. of Trees, 1003, f. 1879-80 ; Endl. 



