Geographical Dislribution.—WVci the Pinaster and the Cephalonian Sil\-er Firs, the Laricio type
;tches in a band across the south of Europe; more modified by condition than the Pinaster, the local
ieties of whicli arc not sufficiently marked to warrant separation from die normal form ; and modified to
;xtent, perhaps, than the Cephakinian Silver Firs, which in Spain arc represented liy Picea Piyisapo.
nees,
I Greece by P. Apollin.
jf the typical Laricio i
The Laricio assumes the \-arietal for
Corsica. Calabria, Sicily, Greece (?), a
austriaca in Aiistria, and of Pallasia
The limits of the Laricio propci
and Mount Etna in Sicily, at an elc
Athos, and it is said by Webb to o
on the xMount Topgcdik, in the n
Büulgar-dagh, at 3000 metres; in ll
dagh (in the Pont), between Ladik a
1 of Pi,
d As
Pyren,
Minor (?),
1 the Pvre
'J in the Crimea,
appear lo be Corsica, the Apennines in Italy, and Ca
ation of 4000 to 6000 feet. Grisebach gives it as fc
a gene
:ur on Mount Se 1 Spai,
i-th of Cilicia Trachea,
I valley of the Aled.ag in (klatia,
id Amazia, at 1200 metres; and i thi
at 1104 metres. According to M, Grisebach, the upper limit of the Pbms L
1461 metres, and on the Olympus, at 1495 m e t r e s . — ( ' A s i e .Min
As to all these habitats in Greece and A; Mir
of Laricio in its larger sense as including Pyrenaii
sense as only meaning the Corsican form.
Schouw's Magellensis, according to the obsei
Amaro, at the upper limit of the Beech, 5600 feet,
lain, 8300 feet: it there essentially cinilributes to fo
Pollino extends over a less area between the Sierra
at the height of aboul 6200 feet.
still require lo kr
•, austrlaca, and Pallasi.
•ations of that botanist,
nd is found nearly as 1
Tl a region of shrubs.
id on Moi
en-e de Tchihatcheff met witl-
:lres; on the northern slope
1700 metres; on the Buchair
-illageofBaouloin Pisid
Icio is on Mount Athos,
ire," ii., 306.)
whether tlits
luthors speak
)re restricted
,begins lo ai)pe.
igh up as the top
The Dwarf Pine
r on Mount
jf the mounfrom
di Dolcedorme and Mount Pollino, properly s
Mount
:ailed.
1 Europe until about the middle of last centuiy. It was
;l\ of the Pinus Pinaster, and b)- others to l}e a \-aricty
lecn to attain a height never reached by the Scotch Fir,
altissi.
3 be foui
s Pinus I.arid
ing epithet w;
That le altis.
1 collec
altis.
ilthough supplanted
ind nurseries, either
m, as if it were a tall-growing x-ariety of
illy only ajiplied, and only applicable to
History.—This species was not distinguished i
observed, but it was supposed by some to be a vari
of the Scotch Fir, Pimis sylvestris; but as it w as
it was distinguished by the name of Pinus sylvestr.
b>' Laricio more than eighty >-cars ago, is still to
given as a distinct species of lhal name, or
Pinus Laricio; whereas, in fact, the tall-grov
ils growth, when contrasted with that of Piiius sykei
It was introduced inlo ICngland in 1759 under the name Pinus sylvestris maritima, and that name was
adopted by Aiton in the first edition of his -'Itortus Kewensis"—shortened or promoted into Pinus
maritima in his second edition. It was not, however, until after Don had drawn attention to it in the
Appendix to Dr. Neilfs •'Horticultural Tour through France and the Netherlands," that it began to be
introduced in some quantity into England. In France it appears first to have attracted the notice of
Government, under Turgot's Ministry', in the time of Louis XVI., and the fim
Plantes, which was figured in the " Nnuveaii Duhamel," wa
used in shipbuilding, for beams, fiooring, and side planks
i>t for
year the Frcnch Administration of the Marine sent two
Rospa in Corsica, and they found plenty of trees fit for n
usual, lo make up for the inferior strength and elasticity ol
to have always highly appreciated this trt
its growth and management, so as to stin
of the tree and its value for economic
abundance of seed might hav
sui)ply appears to have beei
c. In 1814 they app<
nilate its introduction :
purposes, Notwithsti
; been proc
obtained <
• planted in
.f ships, but
engineers to exan
i.sts, only they req
the limber. The
ited .M. Th
-ed from Corsica
en for the Roya
had th.
ailtivalio
,g this, ,
•e been a
. the Jardin <les
apjiears to have been then
iiasts tintil 1788. In that
the forests of Lonca and
d to be made thicker than
i-onch (Government appear
1 lu draw up directions for
I le published an account
the well-known fact that
leniand for it, no sufficient
ests: for M. Larminat was obliged to ha
recourse to grafting to obtmn the supply he wanted for the Forest of Fontainebleau, and many thousands of
the trees there were then grafted on the Scotch Fir. Since then, however, MM. Viimorin-Andricux of
Paris, who strongly recommended its cultivation, have been the means of supplying all the principal seedsmen
in Europe with seed, and it has come largely into favour: seeds are cheap and plendful, and it is
becoming extensively cultivated throughout Britain and on the Continent.
As with other Pines, there are plenty of varieties which have been dignified with names by nurserymen,
such as coniorta, pendula, variegata, subviridis, nana, pygimea, stricta, pyramidata, &c. These,
however, do not concern us any more, al least, than lo know that here, as in all species, there are individual
idiosyncrasies which are interesting botanically and from the point of view of variety, and which can be
detected by those who lu-e on the outlook for them, and propagated by grafting or otherwise.
Properties and Uses.—The most valuable of these are hardiness, rapid growth, and good limber. On
reference to Mr. Palmer's tables of the worst elTccts of the winter of 1860-61, we find that the tree is, if not
absolutely invulnerable, at least as hardy as the Scotch P'ir; and as lo rapidity of growth, it is found
considerably lo outstrip il. Al Belst;
elevation of between 700 and 900 feet above tl
tolerably severe climate, " this species and its v:
Larches and Spruces planted at the same tim(
serving country as Britain, is. that it is rarely, if.
the north side of the Pendands, near Edinburgh, at an
:he sea, and a si)ol which may be taken as subjected to a
'arieties are in the most flourishing condition, overtopping
ic." Another most valuable proi>erly in such a game-preever,
Its uses are those to which the best-timbi
touched by hares and rabbits.
;d Conifers arc put. M. Thouin says that its wood is
heavier than that o'i Pitms sylvestris from Riga, but, being more resinous, it is less brittle and more elastic.
We scarcely think that these are the properties produced by a greater amount of resin, A greater amount
of resin will make the wood harder and heavier, but it ought not to make it more elastic or less brittle.
Speaking from theory, we should say the reverse: nor does further experience discountenance theory. 'i"hc
Pinaster, in its native country, has more resin than the Scotch Fir, and it is not less brittle and more elastic,
but the contrary; and so it turns out lo be with the Laricio. M. Thouins premisses are erroneous—the
Laricio timber is very good, but il is not equal to that of the Scotch Fir, and, in particular, il is inferior in
tenacity and elasticity. Like all very resinous timber, however, ils heart-wood, which is largely charged
with resin, is exceedingly durable. The sap-wood is thicker than in most other Conifers. It is consequently
easily worked, an<l is used by sculptors and cabinet-makers. It is also used occasionally in some
of its native forests for making turpentine.
Messrs, Henkel and Hochstetler [supra cit.) mention, that in the London International Exhibition of
18(12, there was a stem from the south of France which was 125 years old, and which had been made use
of for extracting turpentine for 96 years. They mention this under the head of Pinus Laricio, but we
e P. Pinaster, which is more generally used for that purpose.
:) prove of great value in Britain, It comes next after the Scotch Fir
e iwints is counterbalanced by its more rapid growth and greater size,
mental tree, or for planting in exposed or maritime situations, the Corsican Pine
11 the Gardeners Chrotiicle. December 15, 1883) bids fair lo outrival all others,
;iscd Austrian and Pinaster, and to which, more especially as regards quality
imagine it must rather be the
The timber of this tree is likely to
in utility, and its inferiority ii
" As a fast-growing ornar
(says Mr. A, D. Webster ii
not even excepting the much-pn
of wood, it is in every way superior." The av-erage height of a large number of speeimens planted at
Peiirhyn, N. Wales, soon after the introduction to this country-, is now (1883) from 50 to 60 feet, the stems
at breast height girthing aboul 5 feel. One specimen on the lawn lo the south-west of the castle has the
following dimensions: Height, 72 feet, girth of stem at i and at 5 feet, 9^ feet and 9J feet respectively.
Mr. Webster says il is prem;iture to say much as to the value of the timber, but so far he finds it verysatisfactory,
like red deal, but more brittle and with much resin.
Culture—"ihi Pin
[44]
^ Laricio is perfectly hardy. Mn Palmer's tables shew, out 0149 places reported