THE GRAY PINE.
P. divaricata, Sudw.
The gray pine goes farther north than any other pine, following the McKenzie River to the Arctic Circle. From Nova Scotia to the Athabasca River, it covers barren ground, reaching its greatest height, seventy feet, in pure forests north of Lake Superior. In Michigan it forms the "jack-pine plains" of the Lower Peninsula. As a rule it is a crouching, sprawling tree, its twigs covered with scant short dingy leaves in twos, averaging an inch in length.
The wood is a great boon to the regions this tree inhabits. It is light, soft, weak, and close-grained; used for posts, rail road ties, building material and fuel. Its seeds germinate better from cones that have been scorched by fire.