A FEW CONES 
3 * 
A Few Cones. 
BY WILLIAM H. HUSE, MANCHESTER, N. H. 
The Pinus rigida, commonly known 
as pitch pine, torch pine, sap pine and 
candlewood pine in various localities, is 
found from southern Ontario to 
Georgia and from the Atlantic shore to 
the western slopes of the Appalachian 
mountain ranges. It is the pine of the 
“pine barrens” of New Jersey and Long 
Island and is nowhere classed as a val- 
other species. I have seen pitch pines 
hardly three feet high with one or more 
cones hanging from the top or branches 
and an old tree is often well covered 
with ripe and ripening cones. These 
cones are often in bunches of two or 
three or more, but all records were 
smashed by the tree that bore the 
bunch of cones represented in the ac- 
companying picture. This curiosity 
was found many years ago at the top 
of a pitch pine tree in Manchester, New 
AN ASTONISHING BUNCH OF CONES. 
liable tree because of its light, coarse- 
grained, brittle wood. It is remarkable 
because of its ability to send up sprouts 
from its stumps and is said to be the 
only pine that can send up shoots after 
injury by fire. 
The pitch pine is also somewhat 
noted for its fruit bearing, producing 
more cones and seeds than most of the 
Hampshire, taking the place of the ter- 
minal bud. Why there should be such 
an extraordinary production of fruit is 
a question that naturally comes to one’s 
mind. The end and aim of every plant 
is to perpetuate the species. If any 
accident occurs that might tend to in- 
terfere with this purpose there is often 
an extra effort made to overcome the 
