412 REPORT ON LARCH FORESTS. 



which constitute its proper food, or brought into contact with 

 poisonous ingredients, which either destroy the absorbing power 

 of the spongioles of the roots, or contaminate the fluids of the tree 

 after absorption. 



The commercial value of larch is very great ; scarcely any pro- 

 duct of the soil is more valuable, and certainly no species of 

 timber is so much sought after and so highly esteemed as larch. 

 The price of larch has uniformly decreased since the year 1809, 

 when the Duke of Athole obtained from 3s. to 3s. 6cl. per cubic 

 foot for his. 



In Scotland, as in other countries, the prices are now much 

 more equalised than in other years. The prices now obtainable 

 for larch timber throughout Scotland (I might say Britain) varies 

 from lOd. to Is. 6d. per cubic foot. As a rule, the further north 

 larch is dearer and oak cheaper, though to this rule there are 

 exceptions. 



The great demand for larch at the present time is for railway 

 sleepers, props for mining purposes, and fencing of all kinds, 

 especially stakes for farm fences. The bark of larch under forty 

 years old is valuable for tanning, and pays from 20 to 25 per cent. 

 upon the labour, minus felling the trees. 



It is sometimes asked what proportional duration the sapwood 

 of larch bears to the heartwood. The question is difficult to 

 answer directly, but may be understood thus : A larch tree twelve 

 years old will stand as a paling-post three years, at the end of 

 which the heartwood is quite decayed. At twenty years old the 

 root-cut will stand as a post four years, and the heartwood one 

 year longer, or is one-fifth more durable than the sapwood. At 

 forty years old the sapwood of a larch-post will stand five years, 

 and the heartwood would stand good ten years, hence the heart- 

 wood is twice as durable as the sapwood. There is considerable 

 difference in the quality of sapwood, but not nearly so much as in 

 the quality of the heartwood. 



The returns from larch plantations are very variable ; in some- 

 cases they have paid well, in others they have proved a great loss. 

 The districts where larch have paid best are npon dry, porous 

 land, precipitous or flat, but generally thin and poor. Some 

 have concluded that the north country is better adapted for 

 larch than the south. In this there is no obvious difference, 

 save what soil and situation produces. There are equally as good 

 larches in the counties of Sussex, Surrey, and Kent, as there are 

 in Inveruess-shire, Eoss, or Sutherland ; but in the latter counties 

 good larches and larch plantations are more numerous. 



In Wales there is much fine larch of all aG;es, not exceediug 

 one hundred years, and diseases are little known save upon slate 

 rock, and even there only on clays, wet and cold. Throughout 

 Xorth Wales, wherever larch has been planted on dry soils, and 



