fair-sized specimen of this pine stands on the sloping ground to the
southwest of Penrhyn Castle. It shows off to advantage the peculiar
outline of this pine, which is so marked a characteristic of those
grown in the Mediterranean region. The trunk, which is about 4 1/2 feet
in girth at a yard up, rises for three-fourths its height without
branches, after which it divides into a number of limbs, the
extremities of which are well covered with foliage, thus giving to
the tree a bushy, well-formed, and, I might almost add, rounded
appearance. At a casual glance the whole tree might readily be
mistaken for the pinaster, but the leaves are shorter, less tufted,
and always more erect. The bark of the Stone pine is somewhat rough
and uneven, of a dull gray color, unless between the furrows, which is
of a bright brown. That on the branches is more smooth and of a
light reddish brown color. When closely examined, there is something
remarkably pleasing and distinct from the generality of pines in the
appearance of this tree, the leaves, which are of a deep olive-green,
being, from their regularity and usual closeness, when seen in good
light, like the finest network."

There is a moderately large specimen in the arboretum at Kew, and if
this is the tree which Loudon in his "Arboretum" alluded to as a "mere
bush," it has made good growth during the past thirty years. According
to Veitch's "Manual of Coniferae," a fine specimen, one of the largest
in the country, is at Glenthorn, in North Devon. It is 33 feet high,
and has a spread of branches some 22 feet, while the trunk is clear
of branches for 15 feet. Loudon enumerates several fine trees in these
islands at that date (1854), only one of which was 45 feet high. This
one was at Ballyleady, in County Down, and had been planted about 60
years. Even where planted in the most favored localities, we can never
expect the Stone pine to assume its true character, and that is the
reason why so few plant it.

As a timber tree it is of not much value. Mr. Webster says, "The wood
is worthless except for very ordinary purposes. The timber grown
here (Penrhyn) is, from the few specimens I have had the chance of
examining, very clean, light, from the small quantity of resin it
contains, and in color very nearly approaches the yellow pine
of commerce. It cuts clean and works well under the tools of
the carpenter. In its native country the wood has been used for
boat-building, but is now, I