12 THE LARCH. 



and Hungary. There are larches found in Eussia, 

 but they are of a different species. 



''Foliation. — In early seasons this takes place in 

 April, and when the trees are in cold valleys, by the 

 sides of rivers or lakes, they often suffer from the 

 effects of spring frosts. 



" Defoliation. — This generally takes place in October. 



''Mode of Propagation. — The seed, which is of an 

 ovate form, and about an eighth of an inch long, 

 should be sown in March, on light friable soil that has 

 been well trenched and manured the autumn before. 

 Immediately before the seed is sown, the surface of 

 the soil should be forked over, and then raked smooth 

 and measured into four-feet beds, with one-foot alleys 

 betwixt them. The surface of the bed to the depth of 

 one inch should be pushed into the alleys, with which 

 the seed should be covered, and the whole raked smooth 

 and the beds finished off. Birds are apt to disturb 

 the seed, and if nets could be spared to cover them, so 

 much the better ; but I consider a better plan is to wet 

 the seed and rub it well with red-lead in the powdered 

 state, which effectually prevents the birds from inter- 

 fering with it. The seeds, if sound and good, may be 

 sown at about one-fourth of an inch from each other ; 

 the young plants may remain one, two, and sometimes 

 three years, when they are ready for their final plant- 

 ing out into the forest for timber trees. 



"Effect in Landscape. — The larch is not generally 

 planted by the mere landscape-gardener, yet it is 

 capable of producing very fine effect, especially where 



