Georgia Southern, Yellow, or Pine (P. palustris).— As a timber tree this species ranks next to the white pine and is the most important and most widely distributed timber tree of the Southern States. It is found upon the coastal plain from Virginia to Missis sippi in a belt about 125 miles wide. It often exceeds 100 feet in height, but rarely more than 120 feet, gradually tapering from a base of about 30 inches. Its orange-brown branches form an open head; its leaves are often more than a foot long and its cones larger than those of species in the same range. The yellow, very resinous wood is the heaviest and strongest of the pines. It is extensively used for ship and bridge building, flooring and for interior finish of houses especially when such is to be left unpainted to show the grain. The tree is the most important source of turpentine, resin, etc., the obtaining of which ranks second only to its timber industry. Its leaves are one of the most important sources of a turpentine-like oil and of pine wool, to obtain which they are boiled in alkalis.
Red, or Norway Pine (P. in importance among American pines, this spe des is second in the North to the white pine as a lumber tree. It ranges from Labrador to Manitoba and south to Pennsylvania. Though usually about 75 feet tall and two feet in diame ter, it sometimes doubles this height. It occurs most frequently upon dry, sandy soils, where it often forms dense forests. Its light, elastic, resinous, hard wood is durable only when in dry places and is used like that of the short-leaf pine of the South.
Spruce or Yellow Pine (P. echinata or P. mitis).— This species ranks second in the South to the Georgia pine and comes fourth in the American list as a lumber tree. Its range is from New York to Illinois and southward to the Gulf States, sometimes excluding other spe cies in large tracts. It attains from 75 to 120 feet in height and a diameter of two feet. The heavy, hard, coarse-grained timber is valued for its strength and durability. It is largely used for framework, railway ties, outside finish of buildings, railway cars, etc. It also furnishes resin. As an ornamental specimen it has been found hardy as far north as Rhode Island.
Loblolly, Frankincense, or Old Field Pine (P. tads).— This species yields very variable timber, the quality depending upon the condi tions under which it is grown. When in forests it is considered valuable; when in fields usually not. It is a rapidly growing tree which often exceeds 150 feet in height and has about the same range as the Georgia pine. Its chief use is probably for fuel, though it is also cut for timber when grown under favorable conditions.
The Slash, Swamp, or Cuban Pine (P. cubensis).—This species is associated with the preceding and though used similarly is con sidered inferior to the Georgia pine.
Sugar Pine (P. lambertiana).— One of the most important timber trees of the Pacific Coast. It is indigenous from Oregon to Mexico, attains heights of 200 to 220 feet, diameters exceeding 10 feet and a large portion of its trunk is branchless. It is one of the tall est trees of the region and of its genus. Its timber is heavy, straight-grained, easily worked and is largely used for furniture and interior finish of houses. It bears edible nuts. Its name is derived from the sugar-like odor of its burning resin.
Bull, or Yellow Pine (P. ponderosa).— Perhaps second in importance to the preceding species in the West, its range being from British Columbia to Nebraska and southward to Texas and Mexico. It has several sub-species or varieties, which are of varied usefulness and application; those growing remote from the coast having coarser grained, harder and more fragile wood than those on the coast. Like the preceding it is one of the largest species of its genus and region, sometimes attaining a height of 230 and even 250 feet and a diameter of 10 feet but usually ranging from 100 to 150 feet with a diameter of about six feet.
Mountain White, or Silver Pine (P. mon ticola).—Another large species of the West, ex tending from British Columbia and Idaho to California, and attaining heights of 100 to 150 feet. It resembles the Eastern white pine some
what in appearance.
Species of Inferior The pinon, or nut pines (P. monophylla, P. edulis and P. parryana) are small trees in comparison with the foregoing, seldom attaining 50 feet. They are natives of the southwestern United States, where their wood is used as fuel and their large edible seeds as food. The Scotch pine (P. sylvestris) is the leading species of Europe, where it often forms extensive forests, frequently mixed with spruce fir, extending into northern and western Asia. Though usually less than 100 feet tall and about 30 inches in diameter, it sometimes attains 120 feet and a diameter of four feet. In its economic uses it resembles the Georgia pine, being good for ship-, bridge- and house-building, though there is considerable variation in the quality of the timber produced upon various soils and by vari ous varieties. It also furnishes much turpen tine, resin, etc., and its leaves are used for making pine wool and oil. The timber of the best grades is known as red pine or red deal. Corsican or black pine, or black fir (P. laricio), is a large native of southern Europe and west ern Asia, which is exceedingly rich in turpen tine, etc., and supplies also some Burgundy pitch. Its wood is of little value except for fuel. The Aleppo pine (P. halepensis) is a native of the Mediterranean region and western Asia, and rarely exceeds 60 feet in height. It is useful for shore-planting, yields Venice turpen tine, a liquid resin and a timber used in its eastern range for ship-building and similar pur poses. The cluster pine or pinaster (P. pinaster) grows on the south European seaboard, and like the Corsican pine is used for shore-planting ex tensively in southern England along the coast. The Japanese red pine (P. densiflora) and Japanese black pine (P. thunbergi) are the two principal Japanese and North China species. They are used for many timber purposes and also for ornamental planting, having developed several horticultural varieties. The Cheer pine (P. longifolia) is a Himalayan species which often exceeds 100 feet in height and is valued for its timber, which is often substituted for European deal. Its resin is also obtained in commercial quantities. It has been introduced into California, where it is prized as one of the most decorative of pines, on account of its light, green, drooping leaves. Another Himalayan species, the Bhotan pine (P. excels((), furnishes a close-grained durable wood which on account of its abundant resin is often used for torches. It is about the same size as the preceding spe cies, and somewhat resembles the white pine of America.
Numerous other pines are more or less locally important, as the Philippine Island pine (P. insulasis), which is one of the leading tim ber trees of the Philippine Islands, upon the high lands of which it forms large forests; the stone pine (P. pine((), one of the most pic turesque trees of southern Europe and valued for its almond-flavored nuts and beautifully grained wood; Mexican pines (P. montezu ma., P. ayacahuite and P. arizonica), the first a white pine, the other two yellow; and the Cembra or Swiss pine (P. cembra), a species ranging from the Swiss Alps to northern Rus sia and Siberia, throughout which country it is valued for its nuts and its ((Carpathian balsam.* Bibliography.— Betts, H. S., (Western Pines' (in United States Department of Agri culture Bulletin No. 16, Washington 1914) ; North, A. T., 'The Yellow Pine' (Saint Louis 1913) ; Pinchot, G., (Primer of Forestry' (2 vols., Washington 1903-09) ; Pinchot and Graves, (White Pine' (New York 1896); Schwarz, G. F., (Longleaf Pine in Virgin For est' (New York 1907) ; Shaw, G. R. 'Pines of Mexico' ( Jamaica Plains, Mass., 19b9) ; id., (The Genus Pines' (Arnold Arboretum 1914) ; Sudworth, G. B., 'Forest Trees of the Pacific Coast' (Washington 1908) ; also consult Baker, R. T., (Pines of Auhsalia' (Sydney 1910) ; and 'European Pines' (in Kew Miscellaneous Bul letin No. 6, London 1915).