Scotch pine for barn siding

[jtmccallum]

A friend has a 5 acre patch of scotch pines that are planted close together,  50+ years old.  There is no chip market in our area at this time.  He was wondering if they would be suitable for siding or other lumber.  He also has a barn needing repair and would like to use these trees if possible.
                                                              John 

[Gary_C]

There is so much difference in the Scotch Pine grown here in the US that it is hard to say without seeing the trees. Also there was a lot of scotch pine planted with poor genetics like double tops because they were primarily planted for Christmas tree use. So even with close spacing, they could be very bushy and not suited for sawing. Also some times older trees get those large limbs and the knots are very difficult to saw straight.

So the best thing to do is cut a few down and see how they saw.