TRANSACTIONS OF NORTHERN ILL. HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 32t 



These succeeded so well that other plantings were made at higher 

 and still higher elevations, with uniform and unvarying success ; until 

 during the lifetime of the Duke who began the experiment, many millions 

 of Larches were growing and flourishing on his estates near Dunkeld. 

 AVhen I visited these ])lantations in the summer of 1867, I found Larches 

 on the high, rocky lands in this picturesque region, flourishing thriftily 

 beside oaks planted at the same time — the latter being less than one-tenth 

 the size of the Larches, and compared with them, quite useless for timber. 

 The Larch is found to flourish at a greater elevation and on thinner 

 soil than any other timber tree; the leaves, dropping annually, enrich 

 the soil more rapidly than the foliage of any other tree, and the timber 

 is more valuable in the market than any other products of such soils. 



My inquiries, which were not as thorough as I now wish they had 

 been, lead me to the belief that the Larch attains its most rapid, healthy 

 development, and produces timber of the greatest value on the rough, 

 hilly and rather barren land of the Scotch highlands, and on similar 

 lands in England — about Bristol and elsewhere ; that the growth, health, 

 vigor and product are not as satisfactory on the rich and more valuable 

 farming lands of the level districts. 



In regard to the durability of Larch wood, it seems to be a well 

 attested and undeniable fact, that in some localities it has proved to be 

 the most durable of any known wood. It is well known, however, that 

 a given kind of tree varies greatly in texture and quality, when grown in 

 different kinds of soil, climate, or under other circumstances affecting 

 the growth of the tree ; and it is folly to expect to grow Larch timber on 

 the rich prairie soil of Illinois, similar in texture or value to that grown 

 on the Alps or Scotch highlands. In forest culture, as in agriculture, in 

 our United States, a mixed husbandry will be found most advantageous ; 

 each person selecting for his own locality, needs, market or personal taste 

 or preference, such varieties of timber as an intelligent judgment dictates. 

 One thing is evident to every observing, thinking man, and this is that 

 the exigencies of our times demand, more than almost any other one 

 thing, a united, well directed and widespread effort at Timber Culture. 

 In my own State, a few years ago, the great drawback to its settlement 

 and development was the superabundance of timber that interfered with 

 agricultural j)ursuits. Now, the first and leading ([uestion of the seeker 

 after real estate in our section is, "How much timber land have you?" 

 and the price of land depends upon this more than upon the quality of 

 soil or many other important requisites. 



This paper introduced again a discussion upon the merits of the 

 European Larch. 



Mr. Hill said that some plantations of seedling larches had been 

 destroyed by the white grub, larvce of the May Beetle. He spoke enthu- 

 siastically in ])raise of this tree, citing an instance in which White Oak 

 timber, subjected to a certain strain, had broken, and upon European 

 Larch timber being substituted and subjected to the same strain, it did 

 not break. 



