SOILS AND SITUATIONS. 37 



through. What is therefore required on the part of 

 the planter is to see that moory soils are free, loose, and 

 open. If they are naturally so (except sand), he may 

 safely plant ; but if bound and hard, he must either 

 break up and render them open, or forego the attempt 

 at growing larch. 



Sandy soil can probably be less improved for planting 

 (if naturally unsuitable) than all others. Trees root 

 well in sand; few deaths occur immediately after plant- 

 ing, but trees grown upon it are always, when aged 

 (except Scotch pine), decayed in the heart-wood, and 

 seldom attain large proportions. 



Planting upon gravel is either attended with con- 

 siderable success or almost total failure, just in pro- 

 portion as it is loose and open, and mixed with other 

 substances, or solid and pure shingle. Pure gravel is 

 incapable of sustaining larch, but is a beneficial in- 

 gredient in clay, moss, and other soils, by keeping 

 them open. Tenacious clay soils are fatal to larch, 

 although it grows fast upon them during ten or fifteen 

 years after planting. The flourishing state of young 

 plantations upon clays often induce such soils to be 

 planted. Loams are adapted to grow larch to the 

 highest state of perfection ; and yet as many larches 

 have probably died (prematurely) upon loams as upon 

 any other description of soil. Dry loams, rather j^oor, 

 are suitable. Damp, clayey, and rich loams are not. 

 It is not only necessary on the part of the planter to 

 know the different varieties of soil by name, but also 

 to know them practically, so that, when turned up by 



