CONIFERS. — THE PINTJS, OR PINE TREE. 
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to the plant being, that it produces more wood 
than it can mature or ripen. Thus Mr. 
Locke, of Rozelle, speaking of this species, 
says, " the severity of the winter destroys the 
half-ripened wood." Tracing the tree over 
its original habitations, it is very evident that 
it is especially fitted for the most barren tracts 
that can be found. The remarks of Michaux 
on this head "are particularly worthy of atten- 
tion. " Towards the north," he says, " the 
long-leaved pine first makes its appearance 
near Norfolk, in Virginia, where the pine 
barrens begin. It seems to be especially as- 
signed to dry sandy soils ; and it is found, 
almost without interruption, in the lower part 
of the Carolinas, Georgia, and the Floridas, 
over a tract of more than 600 miles long from 
north-east to south-west, and more than 100 
miles broad from the sea towards the moun- 
tains of the Carolinas and Georgia. Where 
it begins to show itself towards the river 
Nuse, it is united with the Loblolly pine 
(Pinus Tcedci), the yellow pine {P. miiis), 
the pond pine (P. serotinoi), the black jack 
oak (Quercus nigra), and the scrub oak (Q. 
Bannisteri) : but, immediately beyond Raleigh, 
it holds almost exclusive possession of the 
soil, and is seen in company with the pines 
just mentioned, only on the edges of the 
swamps enclosed in the barrens ; even there, 
not more than one tree in a hundred is of 
another species. "With this exception, the 
long-leaved pine forms the unbroken mass of 
woods which covers this extensive country ; 
but, between Fayetteville and Wilmington, 
in North Carolina, the scrub oak is found in 
some districts, mixed with it in the barrens ; 
and except this sj)ecies of pine, it is the only 
tree capable of subsisting on so dry and sterile 
a soil" 
In Georgia, the Carolinas, and Floridas, al- 
most all the houses are built of it ; and in the 
southern states it is used to the exclusion of 
all others in ship-building. It commands a 
much higher price in the British and West 
Indian markets than the other pines of the 
United States, and with the exception per- 
haps of P. Strobus, it would be difficult to 
select any other tree which has contributed so 
much to the comfort and convenience of man 
throughout the civilized world. Plants are 
3s. 6d. each. 
Variety. — P. a. excelsa, a plant raised by 
Mr. Booth, of the Flotbeck nurseries, in 1830, 
much hardier than the species, and considered 
to be a more rapid grower. It is not yet 
common in collections. 
Pinus Tceda, Linnaeus (Frankincense, or Lob- 
lolly Pine). — Leaves in threes, five and a half 
inches long, narrow, bluntly pointed, channeled 
in the middle, nearly straight. Cones somewhat 
curved, four inches long, with compressed 
scales, woody, and armed with a sharp point, 
often in pairs, oblong-pyramidal. Buds of a 
brownish red, covered with resinous exudation. 
A tree growing to the height of 90 feet, in 
barren sandy districts from Florida to Vir- 
ginia. Sent from America to Mr. Ball of 
Fxeter, and to Dr. Compton, bishop of Lon- 
don, about the beginning of the eighteenth 
century. The tree grows rapidly, with loose 
annual layers, and it is consequently of little 
value. The nature of the soil, however, in- 
fluences the quality of the wood, and on poor 
exposed districts its timber is of a closer fibre. 
Compared with P. australis, its concentric 
circles are as 1 to 12 in the same space, so 
that in bulk of wood, it furnishes itself twelve 
times faster than the other. Pursh says, that 
" all the woods in the southern states of Ame- 
rica must be thickly seeded with it ; for no 
sooner are lands which are exhausted aban- 
doned, than they are overrun with young trees 
of this species." One of the handsomest trees 
in Europe is at Paine's Hill, and there are 
good specimens at Syon, Whitton, and Kew. 
Generally, it does not grow well in Britain. 
Probably it might thrive better on dry sandy 
soils near to the sea. Plants in the London 
nurseries are about 2s. 6d. each. 
A variety, under the name of P. T. alope- 
curoidea, is found in some catalogues ; but 
judging from the tree in the Horticultural So- 
ciety's Garden, it differs not from the species. 
Pinus serotina, Michaux (late, or Pond 
Pine). — Leaves three, six inches long. Cones 
from two and a half to three inches long, 
broad, egg-shaped. Scales broad, depressed 
at the apex, terminating in a slender prickle, 
which is easily broken off. 
A small tree only, growing to the height of 
40 feet, on the edges of ponds and swamps 
from New Jersey to Carolina, attaining to its 
greatest size towards maritime situations. The 
timber is altogether worthless, unless for fire- 
wood ; but as an ornament it is well worthy 
of a place in every pinetum. It seems to grow 
best in soil which has one-half bog earth in it, 
and which is moist. There is a tree at Lrop- 
more about 40 feet high. 
Pinus rigicla, Miller (rigid or Pitch 
Pine). — Leaves in threes, four inches long, va- 
riable. Cones ovate, clustered, almost sessile, 
with rugged compressed pyramidal scales, 
ending in a prickle. Trunk lofty, straight. 
A large tree, found throughout most parts 
of the United States, growing in some in- 
stances to the height of 80 feet ; but varying 
very much both in its appearance and altitude 
according to the soil which it may happen to 
affect. When the trees are in masses, the 
cones grow singly, shedding their seeds the 
first autumn after they are ripe ; but on iso- 
lated trees, the cones are in clusters of four or 
