become recurved on a lengthening stalk; the ovate cones, about the length of the leaves, do not reach maturity until the autumn of the following year, and the seeds are seldom scattered until the third spring, the cone-scales terminate in a pyramidal
Fig. i.—Scotch Fir (Pinus sylvestris). a, Male flower and young cones; b, male catkin; c, d, outer and inner side of anther-scale.
recurved point, well marked in the green state and in some varieties in the mature cone, but in others scarcely projecting. P. sylvestris is found, in greater or less abundance, from the hills of Finmark and the plains of Bothnia to the mountains of Spain and even the higher forest-slopes of Etna, while in longitude its range extends from the shores of the North Sea to Kamchatka. Nowhere more abundant than in the Scandinavian peninsula, this tree is the true fir (fur, fura) of the old Norsemen, and still retains the name among their descendants in Britain, though botanically now classed as a pine. It grows vigorously in Lapland on the lower ground, and is found even at an elevation of 700 ft., while in south Norway it occurs up to 3000 ft., though the great forests from which "Norway pine" timber is chiefly derived are on the comparatively lower slopes of the south-eastern dales: in the highest situations it dwindles to a mere bush. It furnishes the yellow deal of the Baltic and Norway. In Germany, both on the mountains and the sandy plains, woods of "kiefer" are frequent and widely spread, while vast forests in Russia and Poland are chiefly composed of this species; in many northern habitats it is associated with the spruce and birch. In Asia it abounds in Siberia and on the mountains of the Amur region; on the European Alps it occurs at a height of 5600 ft., and on the Pyrenees it is found at still higher elevations; on the northern side of Etna it is said to grow at above 7000 ft. In Britain natural forests of Scotch fir of any extent are only now found in the Highlands, chiefly on the declivities of the Grampians. In former ages the tree covered, a large portion of the more northern part of the island, as well as of Ireland; the numerous trunks found everywhere in the mosses and peat-bogs of the northern counties of England attest its abundance there in prehistoric times; and in the remoter post-Glacial epoch its range was probably vastly more extended. The tree is not at present indigenous in southern Britain, but when planted in suitable ground multiplies rapidly by the wind-sown seeds; on many of the sandy moors and commons natural pine woods of large extent have been thus formed during the last fifty years. The Scotch fir is a very variable tree, and certain varieties have acquired a higher reputation for the qualities of their timber than others; among those most prized by foresters is the one called the Braemar pine, the remaining fragments of the great wood in the Braemar district being chiefly composed of this kind, it is mainly distinguished by its shorter and more glaucous leaves and ovoid cones with blunt recurved spines, and especially by the early horizontal growth of its ultimately drooping boughs; of all varieties this is the most picturesque. On the European continent the Hagenau pine of Westphalia is esteemed for the straightness and good quality of its timber. The heartwood of the liner kinds of Scotch fir is of a deep brownish-red colour, abounding in the resin to which its durability is probably due. For all indoor and most outdoor purposes it is as lasting as oak, and for ship planking is perhaps little inferior; from its lightness and elasticity it is well adapted for the construction of yachts and other small fast-sailing craft, and is said to be the best of all wood for masts and large spars; its weight varies from 30 to 40 lb the cubic foot. The sap-wood is more perishable, but it is useful for fences, casks and a variety of other purposes; soaking in lime-water renders it more lasting; great numbers of young pines are annually cut for railway sleepers, mining timber and numerous agricultural applications; large quantities are consumed for wood-pavement. The quality of the timber
Fig. 2.—Scotch Fir (Pinus sylvestris).
a, Fertile flower of mature cone; b, winged seed, c, fertile catkin (or cone); d, scale and bract; e, inner side of scale.
depends greatly on the soil and position in which the trees are grown: the dry slopes of granitic or gneissic mountains, or the deep well-drained sandy gravels of the lower country seem to answer equally well; but on clay or Wet peat the tree rarely
