lO 
FLORA AND SYLVA 
THE GREATER TREES OF THE 
NORTHERN FOREST.— No. 22. 
THE AUSTRIAN PINE {Pinus 
aiistriacd) . 
On the Sussex Downs lately, I was 
pleased to see how well the Austrian 
Pine was doing, although usually in 
small numbers and not well planted. 
Considering the range of country in 
southern England over which poor 
chalky soils extend, it is fortunate that 
we have such a good tree for them. 
The planting was done in a spotty 
way, and no other trees were put in 
with the Pines to help them a little, 
such as Beech or even Furze, which 
would keep the ground cool and soon 
form a leaf-canopy. They were also 
in small patches, whereas the larger 
the area planted, the simpler the fenc- 
ing, 
and the better the shelter. This 
Pine is a native of Lower Austria, to 
which I lately made a journey to see 
it, and a very picturesque tree it is, 
and one of the few trees that do well 
on calcareous soils, while it is quite 
hardy and trustworthy in other ways. 
Like most trees planted in Britain, it is 
too often planted to stand by itself, so 
that the branches develop overmuch, 
while the rain, which should fall on the 
tree roots, is absorbed by the grass. 
The true work of a Pine is to put all 
its energy into the stem, and to throw 
off its lower branches. Close planting 
with other trees around would not mean 
that we should not eventually give room 
for the Pine to attain its full growth, 
as thinning could be carried out so as 
to allow of this as time went on. 
On exposed shore-lands it grows well 
where few other Pines will succeed, 
and where other trees are damaged and 
stunted by the winds. Planted along the 
margins of plantations, it is bold in out- 
line, owing to its dense, dark-coloured 
foliage. When planted for a screen or 
shelter, it should be allowed plenty of 
room, e.g.^ planted at about 4 feet 
apart. More than any other Pine, it 
will grow well in a great variety of 
soils : in low-lying ground, where the 
soil is heavy, and on the dry and lighter 
soils of the hills, but not so well on 
pure sand. 
In some botanical books, the Austrian 
Pine is classed as a variety of the Corsi- 
can Pine ; but for planters, with whom 
mainly we are concerned, it differs from 
it in its habitat (coming from a cold and 
inland country), growth, colour, and 
form, and is a hardy tree for northern 
countries, giving precious shelter and 
good evergreen covert. It may be easily 
told from the Corsican Pine by its 
heavy dark green foliage, larger cones, 
and its growth when young. Its maxi- 
mum height is about 100 feet, with 
a stem 9 to 12 feet round, but it 
is oftener less than this. Its stem is 
straight, and the crest ample and well 
furnished, spreading when old. The 
roots are strong and tenacious, pene- 
trating a long way into the clefts of 
rocks, and so enabling the tree to main- 
tain its hold against violent gales. The 
very slender tap-root which is first 
formed, disappears in a few years. The 
dense, erect, and rigid foliage may last 
from five to six years, but four years is 
the average limit, and even less on poor 
soils. Though it will bear close plant- 
