88 on the value and uses of the larch tree. Sept. tté 
\ 
Shafts for carts. * 
Carts consisting only of a pair of fhafts joined 
firmly together to support the load, and connected 
with the wheels, are wanted for the transporting of 
many kinds of goods. In these carriages, strength, 
durability, lightnefs, and cheapnefs, are the requisites 
chiefly wifhed for ; and for these purposes, no kind 
of wood yet known equals the larix. At present 
such carts ate much in use about Leith, and over 
all Scotland, for transporting grain, stones, metals, 
cafks, and merchant goods of all sorts, and a vari- 
ety of country uses. No material has yet been found 
that answers the purpose so well as small spars of 
Norway fir; but this, though light and cheap, is 
neither strong nor durable. 
Larch wood is now coming forward in great a- 
bundance in every part of Scotland; but being as yet 
young, and the tree beautiful, and the quality of the 
wood little known or adverted to, few persons. can 
think of cutting any of them down. It happened, 
however, some years ago, that the lord chief baron 
of the exchequer for Scotland had occasion to cut out 
some young larches that stood in the course of a road 
he wa smaking for a drive through his plantations.’ 
These trees were beautiful ; and being of a proper size 
for the purpose, he ordered two of them to be made 
into fhafts for a cart. Their superior excellency above 
all others was soon perceived ; and the people in that 
neighbourhood are now ready to purchase larch 
trees of a proper size for that use at a very advan- 
ced price. So :t will be with regard to all the ars 
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