In the last century white pine (Pinus strobus) and hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) 
     
     both appear to have been common in our forest. Highgrading for masts, lumber 
     
     and bark have reduced their numbers to the point that they continue to exist 
     
     more as scattered trees rather than as stands of trees. Both species appear 
     
     to be more abundant in eastern P.E.I. than in central or western P.E.I. The 
     
     opposite is true of jack pine (§§ banksiana) which is uncommon in west Prince 
     
     and, other than for plantations, it has been recorded only at Valleyfield 
     
     and Lewes in Kings and Queens Counties. Red pine (P, resinosa), the last of 
     
     the three native pines, is found in wild stands primarily in Kings and south 
     
     eastern Queens Cbunties. The white pine can be distinguished by the presence 
     
     of needles in bundles of five, the red pine by the presence of 4.5 to 6.5 inch 
     
     long needles in bundles of two and jack pine by the presence of 0.7 to 2 inch 
     
     long needles in bundles of two. (Caution must be used in identifying pines in 
     
     planted areas as Sbots (P, sylvestris) and Austrian pine (P, nigra) are also 
     
     present as plantings.) 
     
    

    
     The northern red oak (Quercus rubra) was one 
     
     of the premium forest crops of the last century. 
     
     some of the original visitors to the Island 
     
     described large tracts of it but it is now un— 
     
     common, existing primarily as scattered trees. 
     
     Its distinctive, sharply pointed, lobed leaves 
     
     distinguish it from the English oak (Q, robur) 
     
     which has been widely planted. 
     
    

    
     One specimen of red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) has been reported from 
     
     Lewes where it was fbund growing wild in a hedgerow. A number of butternut or 
     
     white walnuts (Juglans cinerea) have been located, primarily near homesteads. 
     
     It is debatable whether these two species were a natural component of our 
     
     fbrest which was highgraded to the point of virtual extinction or whether they 
     
     are imported trees or the offspring of imported trees. The red cedar can be 
     
     distinguished by the presence of both scale~like and longer 5-sided needle 
     
     shaped leaves. The butternut is a broad leaved tree with alternate, compound 
     
     leaves. The simplest way to distinguish it from the black walnut (i, nigra) 
     
     and Japanese walnut (g; s2.) is by the shape of the nut which is oblong in 
     
     the butternut, round in the black walnut and heart shaped in the Japanese 
     
     walnut. 
     
    
   
   
    
     References: 
     
    
   
   
    
     Erskine, David S. 1960. The Plants of Prince Edward Island. Department 
     
     of Agriculture. ' 
     
    

    
     Gaudet, J.F. 1979. Forestry Past and Present on Prince Edward Island. 
     
     Department of Agriculture and Forestry. » 
     
    

    
     Petrides, George A. 1958. A Field Guide to Trees and Shrubs. Houghton 
     
     Mifflin Cb. Boston. 
     
    

    
     Personal communications with W.Glen, D. Guignion, G. Hogan, A. MacLean, 
     
     I. MacQuarrie, S. Manley, and S. watts. 
     
    

    
     Phillips, Roger. 1978. Trees of North America and Europe. Pan Books, 
     
     London. 
     
    

    
     Roland, A.E. and Smith. 1968. The Flora of Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia 
     
     Museum. 
     
    

    
     Sargent, Charles Sprague. 1965. Manual of the Trees of North America. 
     
     Dover Publications Inc., N.Y. 
     
    
   
   
    
         
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
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