The European Za7'c?i — Its 2)u7'ahilify. 51 



matter what the variety may be, the more sapwood will it show as compared with 

 slower growers of the same variety. 



Who would expect to find well-ripened wood in trees grown in the nursery a few 

 inches apart, in rows two feet apart, till they were twelve to fifteen feet high, as Gr. 

 B. B.'s trees were grown, in what he rightly terms " a perfect thicket?" The Pro- 

 fessor's trees, as he made the statement to Mr. Whitney, " were grown on rather 

 low, very rich soil, making an annual growth of four to six feet, and were about as 

 large as his wrist." In either of the above cases, there could scarcely have been 

 over an inch of heart-wood. I think Gr. B. B. told me, while attending your meet- 

 ing, that there was about an inch of heart-wood on some of the stakes he took up. 



I give below the measurement I have just made of several cross sections of larch 

 wood, with the amount of heart-wood and sap-wood each sample contains : 



One section 13 inches in diameter, lOj inches heart-wood, 2| inches sap-wood, 

 93 .. .. 8 " " 1| 



8| ' " '• 6| " " 2 



^ The thirteen-inch tree stood in a soil of sandy loam (quite sandy) ; it had been 

 transplanted several times while young ; it increased its diameter ten inches during 

 the last twelve years. The nine and three-quarter inch tree grew on a stiff clay soil 

 (a white oak knoll) ; it increased its diameter only eight inches during the past twelve 

 years. The eight and three-quarter inch tree grew on prairie soil ; it was planted at 

 one year old, and stood twelve years after planting. 



The above show more sap-wood than any other samples I have of the same age 

 fonly excepting the nine and three-quarter inch tree). The increase of growth is a 

 fair average of all the samples on hand. I have some that show a larger growth than 

 any of these, and none other that show so poor growth as the nine and three-quarter 

 inch tree. 



If any one will produce any other species of tree that will show as much growth of 

 such hard and durable wood, of the same age, that will grow in this climate, I will 

 commence its propagation on a large scale, and will be willing to give him a reason- 

 able percentage on the gross sales, to pay him for the right of discovery. 



•I know no other tree of its value for the purposes named, and the same claims are 

 set up for it in Britain, where it has been planted in forest by millions for more 

 than a century, and has proved that no other tree can be grown that will produce so 

 much valuable wood to the acre. 



It is about time that our oldest tree planters should begin to understand the various 

 uses to which the different kinds of timber is adapted. I listened to a discussion 

 last winter in which yourself, Gr. B. B. and the Professor participated, or were all 

 present at least, when most of the above points were brought out. One of your 

 members, a gentleman of extended experience in forest culture, contended that the 

 larch is the most profitable to plant, therefore we should plant the larch to the exclu- 

 sion of all other trees ; in this I entirely disagree with him ; there are many uses to 

 which the larch is not at all adapted, the purposes for which lumber is wanted are 

 innumerable, and most of our forest trees have some uses for which they are better 

 adapted than any other kind. 



Some claim that the larch is never unhealthy, and never attacked by insects ; this 



