PINE, a genus (Pines) of trees and a few shrubs of the order Conifers. The species, of which about 70 well-marked ones have been de scribed, are natives of the Northern hemi sphere and more than half are indigenous to North America. Their distribution is from the Arctic zone to near the Equator, where, how ever, they are found only near the snow-line on the mountains. They are characterized by resiniferous wood. foliage, etc.; usually tall trunks; spreading branches which form a pyramidal or round top; needle-like leaves ar ranged in clusters of two, three or five, some times solitary; yellow or purple staminate flowers, greenish or purplish pistillate ones, the latter developing into usually cylindrical brown cones, which vary in size from less than an inch to 18 inches long and reach maturity gen erally when two years old; some not until three or more years of age.
Economically the pines are more important than any other timber trees used by man ; the nearest rival being the oaks. The main rea sons for this eminence are the wide extant of their distribution, the enormous area occupied, their adaptability to human needs and their occurrence largely upon poor land unfit for agricultural purposes. Not only for fuel and for timber are they noted; certain species yield pitch, tar and turpentine, used extensively for naval supplies; the leaves of several are made into wool)) and also furnish essential oils ; the seeds of other species are used as food and for flavoring; and many are serviceable as wind breaks and shelter-belts or for ornamental planting. They thrive on a wide variety of soils, from beach-sand to alluvial river bottoms or rocky mountain-sides; and usually are found in large numbers together, often to the exclusion of other trees.
Pines are readily propagated by seeds, which in some species may require more than one year to germinate, unless planted as soon as gathered. They do best in a moderately moist soil en riched only to a slight depth so as to encourage the formation to surface roots rather than tap roots. While little they generally need partial shade and care in watering, both extremes of wetness and of dryness being avoided. When two years old or younger they are transplanted to increase the stockiness of the roots and ren der the trees better able to stand transplanting to final quarters. In general, the species do best in dry, upland soils, sandy rather than clayey, poor rather than rich, though soils of moderate texture and richness suit them well. When re moved from the nursery rows the roots should be puddled in loamy mud to prevent the drying of the rootlets. Generally, best results are ob tained in transplanting in the spring, before growth starts and selecting youngest specimens or such as have been transplanted in the nurs ery several times.
A very large number of insects feed upon the pine, nearly 300 being recorded in Europe and 200 in America, although the actual num ber in this country is probably twice as many. Of these probably the most troublesome are the borers, of which a very large number are known, among which the following may be mentioned: Wood-engraver bark-beetle (Xyle borus ccelatus), which attacks the Georgia and the white pine; coarse-writing bark-beetle (Tomicus calligraphus) also attacks the white pine, but seems to be more partial to the pitch pine; the white pine-weevil (Pissodes strobi) works, as a larva, in the leading shoot, which dies and thus forces the tree to develop a second leader, forming a crook in the trunk or branch attacked; the sawyer (Monohammus confusor) is a scourge of Southern pine forests; the pine destroying beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosa) has greatly injured the timber of the Black Hills region by boring in the trunks ; and there are many other boring beetles. The Nantucket pine-moth (Retinia frustrana) burrows, as larva, in the wood of the twigs and when sufficient numbers kills the trees. Of other in sects than borers perhaps the caterpillars are most frequently troublesome. Among the best known are the larvae of two hawk-moths (Lipara combycoides and L. pinetum); of the imperial moth (Eacles imperialis); and of two butterflies (Thecta niphon and Pieris tnanafria)• These all feed upon the foliage. A leaf miner (Gelechia pinifoliella) burrows in the leaves. A gall midge (Diplosis pini-rigidce) forms galls at the bases of the leaf-clusters and its relative (D. resinicola) lives in the pitch of the pitch pine. There are also many saw-flies, plant-lice and scale-insects which destroy the foliage. The best known species are the following: White Pine (Pines strobus).— In every way this is the most useful species of the genus, combining utility in many directions with orna mental qualities superior to other species, adap tability to many soils and climates and rapidity of growth with productivity. It is an Ameri can species, ranging from Newfoundland to Manitoba and southward to Illinois and in the mountains, to Georgia. It attains heights often Exceeding 100 feet, sometimes 150 feet, and diameters of four or more. The white or cream-colored wood is soft, straight-grained, somewhat resinous and easily worked. It is very popular for house-building especially for making door and window-frames, shingles, blinds and interior finish. But since the forests of the northern United States and adjacent Canada have been considerably depleted other woods are replacing it for certain purposes.