630 FOREST RENOVATION AT MOUNT MACEDON. [Feb. 



1874 being now 30 to 40 feet in height. Where closely planted, 

 the lower branches are dying off, leaving clean boles, from many of 

 which 6-incli to 8-inch boards might be cut, so that they will very 

 soon become of considerable commercial value, which ]Mr. Ferguson 

 means to at once ascertain by sending a tree to the sawmill to be 

 cut up, whereby the quality of the timber may be also tested. The 

 trees on each side of the drives, where the interspaces are greater, 

 have formed branches of a strength corresponding with the height, 

 and it is now a difficult work to ride through amongst them, for 

 both man and horse. Other species of pine have succeeded propor- 

 tionately well; among these Pallasiana is very distinct, and one of 

 the most thriving. It is a native of the central regions of the 

 Crimea, to which region it is confined, and where it forms forests of 

 considerable size on the declivities of the mountains. The wood 

 is very durable. P. poncUrosa, the black or pitch pine or trucker 

 pine of the mountains of north-west America, the yellow pine 

 of the Pacific coast, is placed at the head of American timber 

 trees, and is allowed to be the grandest of all. It attains a height 

 of 225 feet, with a stem of 24 feet in circumference. The 

 wood is yellowish, hard, strong, durable, and heavy, and for general 

 purposes preferred to that of any other pine ; so that ]\Ir. Ferguson 

 does well to raise all the seed of it he can obtain. The trees 

 of this species on the mountain are not nearly so tall as those 

 of r. insignis, but are the most robust of all pines. P. rigida 

 grows pretty well ; it is the American pitch pine, and important for 

 its yield of turpentine, resin, pitch, and tar; unfortunately it is a 

 favourite of the opossums, which make their way into the reserves 

 and have destroyed several trees by gnawing the bark. P. strobus 

 thrives well ; it is the Weymouth pine or American white pine, 

 attaining a height of 270 feet, with a stem of 8 feet diameter when 

 in good soil. Its timber is light, easy to work, and very durable. 

 It is the principal lumber pine of the Eastern States, and is one of 

 the most ornamental of the genus. P. cveclsa, the Bootan pine, bears 

 external resemblance to the former, and also thrives well in the 

 climate of Macedon ; it grows to a tall tree, furnishing a valuable 

 close-grained, resinous, soft, and easily wrought wood, ranking next 

 to the deodar. The pinaster and Scotch pine are also thriving. 

 There are besides specimens of Montkola, Coniorta, and others in 

 smaller numbers. In the AMes section Doiujlasii bears tlie palm 

 for rapidity of growth, and will probably prove one of the best of 

 conifers for mountain planting. Smiihiana and Wchbiana are 

 thriving. The larch does well, forming taU, handsome trees in a 

 few years. The common spruce is also promising to form a good 

 timber tree for mountainous districts. The deodars are not so fine 



