THE LARCH AND ITS IMPORTANCE IN SWEDISH FOREST ECONOMY LXXXIII 
grades I1.0—0.4 for pine a mixture of larch with pine can advan- 
tageously be made, either in the form of individual trees or in 
small groups. 
As appears from the stand-survey in Table VII, this larch attains 
considerable productivity in a short time. On better ground the 
period for the production of a certain dimension of larch need 
only be two-thirds of that for pine, on poorer ground only one half 
the same. On the worst ground of all — quality-grades o.2—0.i 
for pine — the larch cannot be cultivated with advantage. 
AW the larch: is torra great extent exposed tor lareheanker al 
over Sweden, it should by preference be cultivated in mixed woods 
and especially by mixture with pine. Mixture with spruce ought 
to be avoided, and can only be tolerated with spruce as under- 
growth. Larch with beech interspersed makes an excellent stand. 
For the European larch seed should be chosen from the Scottish 
and Silesian race, not from the Tyrolean race. The best thing, 
however, is to collect seed from the fine larch woods that already 
exist 17 Sweden. 
Larch woods must be thinned early and heavily. The first thin- 
ning takes the form of a combination of high thinning and low 
thinning; then come heavy low thinnings and — if there is any 
undergrowth or it is possible to secure undergrowth — extra heavy 
low thinnings. 
By this means the wood is made more capable of resisting larch- 
canker. As a preventive against canker stripping the twenty— 
thirty-year-old trees of branches should also be tried. The stripping 
should take place in dry weather; and the brushwood should be 
removed or burnt up. 
The. European larch can be cultivated with advantage as far 
north as central Norrland, and should, by increased culture in the 
manner here. indicated, contribute to: :a- very ,€onsiderably: in- 
creased yield on the part of the forests. 
Larch timber is of excellent quality and suitable for piles, house- 
building, for power-transmission and telephone posts, for sleepers 
and props. i 
Owing to the durability of the timber for these purposes, twice 
the price should be obtained for larch as for pine timber. 
Larix sibirica can be warmly recommended for culture in the 
northern and central parts of Sweden, but preferably not south of 
north Västergötland and Östergötland. In comparison with the 
larch from the Tyrol, it is distinguished by a great percentage of 
straight stems. 'In this respect it is quite comparable with the 
Scottish larch. As this larch is attacked by canker as much as 
the European larch, and that too probably over the whole country, 
the same precautionary measures should be taken in its cultivation 
as for the European larch-mixed woods on moderately good and 
poor ground and, possibly, stripping of the lower branches. On 
