162 
CONIFER-I. THE PINTS, OR PINE TREE. 
green, nearly four inches long, slender, with- ■ 
out sheaths. Cones long and narrow, with 
thin smooth scales rounded at the base, on 
short peduncles ; similar to those of P. excelsa, 
but smaller ; seeds with wings one inch in 
length. 
A very tall tree, from 120 to 180 feet, in- 
troduced in 1705, and growing freely in some 
districts of England, though not attaining a 
height beyond 100 feet. A native of North 
America, delighting most in somewhat rich 
soils, on slopes of hills and in moist valleys 
near to rivers. It attains its largest dimen- 
sions in New Hampshire, in the state of Ver- 
mont, where, according to Michaux, it accom- 
modates itself to a variety of soils, except 
such as consist of pure sand, and such as are 
under water occasionally. The finest and 
largest specimens he found in valleys, into 
which the soil had been washed from the 
mountains :: in such places the species reaches 
to the height of 150 feet, the trunk at the sur- 
face of the ground being about five feet in 
diameter. In such situations it unites ail the 
valuable properties by which it is character- 
ized, and especially those of fineness of texture 
and lightness. The wood of this tree is in 
very general use throughout America, and 
large quantities of it are sent to England under 
the name TThite Pine. It is, however, far 
inferior in quality to that imported from the 
north of Europe, being soft, liable to the dry 
rot, and lasting but for a short time. Mr. 
Copland, in his Evidence before a Committee 
of the House of Commons, says, with reference 
to this tree, '•' It is not allowed by any pro- 
fessional man under government to be used, 
nor is it ever employed in the best buildings 
in London : it is only speculators who are 
induced to use it, from the price of it being 
much lower than the Baltic timber." 
As an ornamental tree, this pine stands very 
high. Gilpin, so full of extreme artistical 
ideas, has indeed condemned it because its 
stem rises with perpendicular exactness, and 
exhibits nothing of that furrowed appearance 
which we find in the Scotch pine, &c. ; or, in 
other words, because it is not what is called a 
painter's tree, looking but indifferently on 
paper when compared with those of bulder 
growth. Luckily, such fancies are on the 
wane ; and the beautiful in nature, whether 
of rugged or smooth outline, has its worship- 
pers, who are careless enough as to whether or 
not it is suited to take form under the pencil 
of the artist. The pine under consideration 
may in fairness be described as a beautiful 
tree, having a tall straight stem, with branches 
very regularly disposed on all sides, and 
forming a most desirable object in the softer 
parts of park scenery, and on well kept lawns 
near to dwellings. 
Varieties. — These are scarcely worth re- 
cording, as they differ so little from the species. 
In all probability, the most important one is 
that mentioned by Dr. Wallich, growing at 
Baiupa and Toka in Nepal, and referred to 
by Royle in his Illustrations. Plants of it 
are not yet in England. 
P. S. brevifolia has shorter leaves than the 
common tree, and appears to be the same as 
P. S. compressa, of continental catalogues. 
P. S. alba, a plant recognised by the London 
Horticultural Society, has very light leaves 
and bark. A specimen in the Arboretum at 
Chiswick is about thirty feet high. 
Pinus monticola, Douglas (mountain Pine). 
— Leaves five together, rigid, three and a half 
inches long, and obtuse, of a glaucous green 
colour. Cones very much resembling those 
of P. Strobus, only somewhat thicker, about 
seven inches long, and of an ash-yellow colour 
with loose pointed scales. 
A fine tree discovered by Douglas, and in- 
troduced in 1831. From its close resemblance 
to P. Strobus, there appears to be no good 
ground for retaining it as a distinct species. 
The cone, which is held by botanists as one of 
the chief indications of a distinctive difference, 
is so like that of P. Strobus that it is difficult 
to distinguish the one from the other. The 
tree is found on the high mountains at the 
Grand Rapids of the Columbia, and on the rocky 
banks of the Spokan river in California. 
There is a plant in the garden of the Horti- 
cultural Society ; and there are likewise fine 
specimens at Hendon Rectory and at Elvaston 
Castle. It has been found hardy enough to 
stand in the climate of Scotland. 
Pinus Lambertiana, Douglas (Lambert's 
Pine). — Leaves five together, stiff, bright 
green, rough, and without sheaths. Cones 
cylindrical, thick, fifteen inches long, with 
loose, broad, rounded scales. Seeds like those 
of P. Pinea, large, oval, nearly an inch in 
length, and edible. 
An enormous tree, found by Douglas in 
sandy plains where no other vegetation exists, 
in New Albion, on the north-west coast of 
North America, and growing to the extra- 
ordinary height of 200 feet. Its discoverer 
thus describes it : — " One specimen which had 
been blown clown by the wind, and which was 
certainly not the largest, was of the following 
dimensions : its entire length was 215 feet ; 
its circumference, at three feet from the ground, 
was fifty-seven feet nine inches ; and at 134 
feet from the ground, seventeen feet and five 
inches." The trunk is unusually straight, and 
destitute of branches about two-thirds of its 
height. The bark is uncommonly smooth for 
such large timber, of a light brown colour on 
the south, and bleached on the north side. 
It appears that the trees of this species do 
