152 HARDY CONIFEROUS TREES. 



be undertaken. The disease is at present almost unknown in 

 Ireland, and I have never seen an instance when the larch is 

 growing on reclaimed peat bog. 



The Corsica.n Psine {Piuus Laricid) is another conifer 

 of great value for profitable planting in this country, and one 

 that I feel certain will yet outrival in this respect any other 

 of the family to which it belongs. It is of very rapid growth, 

 and is well suited for planting even in the most exposed and 

 wind-swept situations ; a non-fastidious subject as to soil, and 

 withal, perhaps, the most valuable timber-producer, except- 

 ing the larch, that has ever been brought before the British 

 arboriculturist. Having as yet been tested to no great extent 

 for timber-producing purposes, it may, perhaps, be premature 

 to speak too loudly in support of its qualities in that respect ; 

 but as I have cut up and utilised in various ways some of the 

 biggest logs that have been grown in this country, I may be 

 allowed to at least venture the remark that the timber is of 

 excellent quality, and peculiarly well suited for constructive 

 purposes. Speaking of trees of fully fifty years' growth, I 

 have found the wood strong, tough, elastic, very resinous, and 

 readily worked. I have experimentally used home-grown 

 Laricio wood for many purposes, and always with very satis- 

 , > factory results — some of the largest planjfe employed in this 

 way being fully 27 inches wide, and cut from trees that girthed 

 9 feet at a yard from the ground. Planfe that were used for 

 several purposes both in and out of doors have stood a test 

 of fully twelve years, in such a manner as to give one the 

 impression that few of our home-grown coniferous woods 

 can surpass that of the pine in question. In summing up, it 

 may be said that the Corsican pine is perfectly hardy every- 

 where in these isles, a tree that will thrive well and produce 

 large quantities of timber on poor gravelly soils, one that is 

 readily and cheaply raised from seed — all qualities of the 

 highest value, and such as are rarely so well concentrated in 

 any other species. The rate of growth is rapid under favour- 

 able circumstances. After being planted for five years the 

 average annual rate of growth for the next ten years is, in 



