ON THE CORSICAN FIR, 



Amount of vjood joer' acre, 



237 



It cannot escape notice that the average increase of growth 

 reaches its cidminating point on the better soil at the 60th 

 year, on the poorer at the 70th, and then continues in the 

 latter case for the space of ten years at this point before the 

 average begins to decrease. The accuracy of the data is there- 

 fore open to serious doubts, for it is a fact well known to the 

 forester, that on poor soils the culminating point of the average 

 increase of growth is arrived at sooner than on richer ones. 

 Over the stony dolomitic lime this average for the first ten 

 years is 8-2 cubic feet per acre, while during the following 

 decennium it shoots up to 23 "9 cubic feet, thus almost trebling 

 itself in that short time. This may probably be due to the 

 great dryness of stony lime, which compels the young trees to 

 develop a very large root system at the expense of the ascending 

 axis during the first few years. 



In comparing the above results with those yielded by the 

 Scotch fir (which, en ijassant, in Hanover reaches its culminating 

 point* on poor soil in the 40th year, on very good soil, how- 

 ever, not until the 70th), it must not be forgotten that these 

 data apply to Austria, to the home of the tree, and would for 

 Scotland in all likelihood prove too high. 



Throughout the preceding the economy of the Corsican fir, 

 black or Austrian pine, as a forest tree in the countries to 

 which it is indigenous has been described at length ; a few 

 remarks concerning the advisability of cultivating it extensively 

 in Scotland alone require to be made in conclusion. 



We have noticed that the quality of its timber is in great 

 measure dependent on the quantity of resinous fluid contained 

 therein, and that the latter again varies directly with the 



* See Biirckliardt's "Hiilfstafeln furForsttaxatoren." Hanover, 1861. Page 25. 



