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Pine

Categories: Ii Woodcraft

The pine-tree accommodates itself to almost any kind of soil, high, low,

moist, or dry, often growing along the edge of the water.



The gray pine is sometimes used for making the skeleton of a canoe or

other boats, and the white pine for the skin or covering of the skeleton

boat; but for you the pine will probably be most useful in furnishing

pine-knots, and its soft wood for kindling your outdoor fire.

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The trees mentioned abound in our northern forests. The birch in its

different varieties is there also, but rarely ventures into the densest

woods, preferring to remain near and on its outskirts. However, none of

these trees confine themselves strictly to one locality.



Oaks, hickory, chestnut, maples, and sycamore are among the useful woods

for campers.



Learn the quality and nature of the different trees. Each variety is

distinct from the others: some woods are easy to split, such as spruce,

chestnut, balsam-fir, etc.; some very strong, as locust, oak, hickory,

sugar-maple, etc.; then there are the hard and soft woods mentioned in

fire-making.



When you once understand the characteristics of the different woods, and

their special qualifications, becoming familiar with only two or three

varieties at a time, the trees will be able to help you according to

their special powers. You would not go to a musician to have a portrait

painted, for while the musician might give you wonderful music he would

be helpless as far as painting a picture was concerned, and so it is

with trees. They cannot all give the same thing; if you want soft wood,

it is wasting your time to go to hardwood trees; they cannot give you

what they do not possess. Know the possibilities of trees and they will

not fail you.



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