262 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOITISH ARIiORICUI/lUKAI. SOCIKTY. 



seem to suffer therefrom, as already stated, the development of 

 the shoot hangs fire to such an extent that one might almost 

 fancy the terminal bud was dormant. It thus escapes all but 

 excessively late frosts, such as those of June 13th, 14th and 15th, 

 191 [, when very few trees escaped injury in some degree. Even 

 in extreme cases it has been observed that only young trees 

 suffer to any extent, and then nothing occurs approaching to the 

 damage done to the European larch. An extremely short 

 growing period seems to suffice for it, its shoots maturing long 

 before its relative has ceased growing. 



It cannot be said that the Japanese species is entirely immune 

 from the larch disease, but this is not to be wondered at when 

 the situations it has been planted in are taken into account. 

 Where proper silvicultural conditions obtain there is evidence 

 of the saprophytic Feziza, but this is comparatively harmless. 

 Several examples of the parasitic form have been observed 

 during the last few years in some of the wetter parts of Scotland, 

 and in other positions favourable to the disease, but there has 

 been no recorded epidemic. Systematic examination of many 

 acres of both pure and mixed plantations has resulted in not a 

 single example of disease being observed, where anything like 

 proper conditions exist. 



The insect enemies of this species do not appear to be either 

 numerous or formidable, its general vigour evidently repelling to 

 a great extent the attentions of the larch mining moth and the 

 larch aphis ; while specimens of the European species growing 

 side by side with it have been observed to be badly attacked by 

 both of these pests. A number of tvi^igs on side branches of the 

 Japanese species were observed in each of the last three years 

 to have been attacked by the insect Argyresthia Icevigatella, but 

 the general health of no single tree of this species was in the 

 least impaired, while numerous specimens of its European 

 relative, of the same age and growing within a few yards of it, 

 were almost completely destroyed. The leading shoots of the 

 European species were in many instances attacked, while the 

 leading shoots of the Japanese larch remained immune. The 

 European larch had certainly been very much weakened by the 

 larch disease, but it formed a remarkable contrast and spoke 

 volumes in favour of the Japanese larch. 



It is not contended that the facts noted above warrant the 

 assumption that the Japanese larch is to revolutionise British 



