363 EEPOET ON LARCH FORESTS. 



of the farmers stand in the open market (on the street) and sell 

 their eggs, butter, and poultry in the same way ; and during the 

 summer, when visitors are in the island, large prices are demanded, 

 and often obtained. 



The cattle are of no precise breed, although two or three 

 spirited farmers have lately imported pure bred Short-horned 

 bulls so as to improve the breed ; but Manxmen would rather 

 send their cows to some mongrel, no matter what the breed, if 

 he was one or two shillings cheaper for Ms service, than the best 

 Short-horned bull England could produce. The consequence is, 

 that the breed of cattle is so much mixed up with Irish, which 

 are imported in considerable numbers, that the breed is small, 

 and of little value. The cattle are sold to the butcher just when 

 they are commenced to grow, and would pay more for the next 

 two or three months keep than they did for the six preceding, — 

 in truth, they never saw really fat cattle in their lives. 



The horses are exceeding small for farm work, yet they are 

 wiry, and stand a large amount of fatigue. They are mere ponies, 

 compared to farm-horses in general use in Scotland. The same 

 may be said in regard to breeding horses as we have said of 

 cattle. 



EEPOET ON LARCH FORESTS. 



By C. Y. Michie, Forester, Cullen House, Cullen. 

 [First Premium, 1867 — Tiventy Sovereigns.] 



In this paper it is not presumed that anything expressly 

 new will be made to appear, and yet the writer contemplates 

 setting forth several statements, the results of considerable re- 

 search and much experience, whieh he has found as a compass 

 in guiding him in his own operations in the culture of larch, 

 and concludes they will be equally useful and profitable to 

 others. 



In order fully to ascertain the circumstances under which 

 larch grows well, it is important to have seen it upon eveiy 

 variety of soil, situated at various altitudes, differently exposed, 

 subjected to varied climatical influemces, ;and extended over the 

 whole area of the country. 



All that is considered truly essential to show how larch has 

 been, and is still, grown successfully, and as a highly remunera- 

 tive crop, — how its failure, when it occurs, is produced, and how 

 it is to be avoided, will, the writer trusts, be fully and clearly 

 shown in this report. 



The same laws which influenced the lareh for good or for evil 

 a century ago continue to do so stilL It was equally liable to 



