1 Sepr., 1901.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 331 
Forestry. 
THE SCOTCH PINE. 
This is one of the most valuable timber trees of Northern Europe. It 
would appear to adapt itself to any sort of soil. It will even grow well in 
sandy, gravelly soils and in dry exposed positions. It attains a height’ of from 
60 to 100 feet. 
Mr. H. J. Colbourn, holder of the Special Forestry Certificate, Inst. Surv. 
London, says of this tree :— 
The largest trees and finest timber in the Highlands of Scotland are found 
growing on a light loamy soil, overlying a cold but dry subsoil, granitic in 
character. The roots of this pine in its native forests run along the surface 
of the ground, and even rise above it. The tree, indeed, appears to derive a 
considerable portion of its nutriment from the decay of its own leaves. 
The Scotch pine produces the best wood when grown slowly in a cold climate, 
and it then acquires its darkest colour. The timber of this tree when rapidly 
grown is commonly white, soft, and spongy in texture, and destitute of resin. 
A tree which has grown slowly, when cut down, would be found to have its 
annual concentric rings about 75 inch in thickness, whereas in a quickly grown 
specimen they would *be found from + to + inch~wide. If the wood of the 
Scotch pine is red and firm, it is very valuable for all kinds of indoor work, 
both on account of its being easily worked and for its durability, which is said 
to equal that of the oak in dry situations. It is at once straight, light, and 
stiff, on which account it is specially fitted for rafters, girders, joists, &c., 
which may be made of smaller dimensions of this timber than of any other. 
Scotch pine wood burns easily, but produces a thick disagreeable smoke. 
The faggots of this tree are more valued by the chalk and lime burners of 
England than those of any other on account of their rapid burning and the 
intense heat they yield. ‘The resinous juice of the Scotch pine produces tar, 
piteh, resin, turpentine, and the essential oil of turpentine which is employed in 
ouse painting. 
The Scotch pine is adapted more than, perhaps, any other tree of the kind 
for planting in poor, dry soils and exposed situations. If employed for shelter 
purposes to break the force of the wind from any quarter, the trees should be 
planted far enough apart to enable them to preserve their bottom branches, which 
should reach to the ground. To form an effective means of protection, the 
young trees should be planted in rows two or three deep in alternate positions, 
as by this means they can be planted far enough apart to secure the requisite 
habit of growth when they shall have reached maturity. 
The Scotch, like other pines, is propagated from seed, which may be readily 
shaken out of the cones after these have been dried well in the hot sun or in 
a moderately heated kiln. 
The seeds should be sown in a somewhat shaded border of rich mould, and 
covered to a depth of from a quarter to half an inch. After being about a year 
in the seed bed, the young plants may be transplanted into nursery lines 
15 inches apart, and 6 inches in the row, where they may remain two years, 
after which they may be removed to their final destination. If required a 
larger size, the young trees may have another remove to fresh nursery lines, in 
which case they are planted in rows 3 feet asunder and 18 inches in the row. 
The Scotch pine, when planted with a view to the production of timber, 
should always be in large masses, to be afterwards thinned out. By this means 
the lower branches die while the trees are young, and the timber grows clean 
and free from knots to the higher branches. On the other hand, for shelter 
belts and ornamental purposes, the trees should be planted wider apart in order 
to enable them to retain their branches from the ground upwards. 
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