The Yellow Pine (P. mitis) is a fine evergreen, usually reaching a stature of 50 or 60 feet, with a nearly uniform diameter of about 18 inches for two-thirds of its length. The branches generally take a handsome conical shape, and the whole head considerably resembles that of the spruce, whence it is sometimes called the Spruce Pine. The term Yellow Pine arises from the color of the wood as contrasted with that of the foregoing sort, which is white. The leaves of this species are long and flexible, arranged in pairs upon the branches, and have a fine dark green color. The cones are very small, scarcely measuring an inch and a half in length, and are clothed on the exterior with short spines. The growth is quite slow. The Yellow Pine is rarely found above Albany to the northward, but it extends as far south as the Floridas. It grows in the greatest abundance in New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia, and sometimes measures five or six feet in circumference. In plantations, it has the valuable property to recommend it, of growing on the very poorest lands.
