THE WHITE PINE (_Pinus strobus_)

Distinguishing characters: The tree can be told at close range by the
number of needles to each cluster, Fig. 2. There are *five* needles
to each cluster of the white pine. They are bluish green, slender,
and about four inches in length.

At a distance the tree may be told by the *right angles* which the
branches form with the main trunk, Fig. 3. No other pine shows this
character.

Form and size: A tall tree, the stateliest of the evergreens.

Range: Eastern North America.

Soil and location: Prefers a deep, sandy soil, but will grow in almost
any soil.

Enemies: Sucking insects forming white downy patches on the bark and
twigs, the _white pine weevil_, a boring insect, and the _white pine
blister rust_, a fungus, are among its principal enemies.

[Illustration: FIG. 3.--The White Pine.]

Value for planting: Aside from its value as an ornamental tree, the
white pine is an excellent tree to plant on abandoned farms and for
woodlands and windbreaks throughout the New England States, New
York, Pennsylvania, and the Lake States.

Commercial value: The wood is easily worked, light, durable, and will