472 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



of 4 by 4 feet. Much of the Scotch pine which has been planted in this 

 country has had its source in seed collected in central Germany. These 

 trees become crooked and stunted and do not produce a good quality of 

 timber. Trees grown from seed collected in the Baltic provinces of 

 Russia, called the Riga varietj^, produce much better timber. This is the 

 variety which should be planted. 



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An eight year old plantation of European larch on a sand ridge at St. Charles. The 

 trees at the left have been pruned to a height of six or seven feet. 



EUROPEAN L,.\/RCH 



European larch is similar to our native tamarack but is not quite so 

 subject to defoliation by the larch saw-fly. It is a deciduous conifer, 

 losing its foliage in the winter. It does best on well-drained but moist 

 soils. It will not succeed in swamps as will our native tamarack. It 

 grows rapidly and the wood is heavy and durable in contact with the 

 soil. It should produce fence posts in about 20 years. Extensive planta- 

 tions are not advisable owing to danger of the larch saw-fly but it can 

 be used as a filler with other species. Two-year-old seedlings are a good 

 size to use. A spacing of about 10 by 10 feet is best, as the tree will 

 not stand any sha,de and closely spaced stands result in the death or 

 stunting of the trees, or a spacing of 12 by 12 feet may be used, inter- 

 planting with a shade-bearing, slower growing species, such as red oak, 

 Norway spruce or white pine. Larch starts growth early in the spring 

 and is subject to injury by late frosts. 



