SOME JAPANESE AND NORTH AMERICAN TREES, 81 
Professor Sargent says that the form found in the dry interior of 
the Continent rarely exceeds 80 to 100 feet high; and in Montana, 
where the climate is somewhat intermediate between that of the 
wet warm coast and the very dry continental climate of Colorado, 
I never saw any tree of great size, nor at all approaching in this 
respect the Larix occidentalis, which grows with it. Probably it 
will be wise to use home-grown seed as far as possible; but if that 
cannot be got in sufficient quantity, I should prefer seed gathered 
in British Columbia at 2000 to 3000 feet elevation, and would never 
plant trees from Colorado seed except for ornamental purposes. 
A tree which seems likely to equal, if not to surpass, the Douglas 
fir as a timber-producer here is Zhuya gigantea, which grows 
associated with the Douglas fir on the Pacific coast from Oregon 
northwards, and is a most thriving tree in England wherever I 
have seen it. This tree is as easy to raise from home-grown 
seed as the larch, easy to transplant at almost any season between 
August and May (I have done it successfully in quantity in both 
those months), much less particular about soil and situation than 
Douglas fir, bears close canopy as well or better, produces equally 
good and more durable timber, and is, so far as I have seen, 
rarely subject to any insect attack or fungous disease. I have 
planted it largely, and after studying it in its native country shall 
continue to do so, though we have yet much to learn about it.! 
Another tree which at present seems neglected by forest 
planters is Cupressus nootkatensis, also known as Thuyopsis 
borealis. From what I have seen, both in England and 
in America, I am convinced that if supplies of seed were 
got (as they easily might be, though nearly all the trees 
now raised at home are from cuttings), this tree, in spite of 
its growth being much slower than that of Zhuya gigantea, 
should be planted on land too shallow and dry for the 
latter or for Douglas fir. Its timber, though not yet cut 
for export, is considered by competent authorities superior 
to that of any other North American conifer for fine inside 
work, and it is also extremely durable. It grows higher on the 
mountains and farther north than Douglas fir or Zhuya,; but 
1 T have only seen 7huya growing (as a woodland tree) in admixture with 
(1) Douglas fir, and (2) with larch, Scots pine, and spruce. In no case did it 
hold its own with any of these other trees as to rate of growth in height ; and 
it was almost completely suppressed by the Douglas fir at about 17 to 18 years 
of age. One cannot, however, deduce any sound general opinion merely 
from a few of such isolated cases. —HON. ED. 
VOL. XIX. PART I. F 
