DISEASES. 247 



those. M. de Charpentier mentions with admiration 

 the larch forests of Moritzbourg and of Tharanz, near 

 Dresden, which are only 238 feet above the level of 

 the sea, and which at forty or fifty years old rival in 

 size the most beautiful forests in the Valais. I my- 

 self have seen in the Yosges, and in some valleys of 

 Dauphiny, forests of larches (sown in the Vosges, but 

 spontaneous in Dauphiny), flourishing at very trifling 

 heights ; but I am inclined to believe that larches can 

 oTow at a lower heisrht in our climate, where the air 

 is pure and the atmosphere less damp than in your 

 country. 



" I can satisfy myself with a tolerably good account 

 of the facts known concerning the growth of larches. 

 These trees generally thrive on the declivities of our 

 mountains, seldom on flat places, because on declivi- 

 ties there is always a little dampness on the earth 

 coming from the summit, and at the same time the 

 trees, on account of the inequality of their bases, have 

 more space at their tops, and are better exposed to the 

 light ; whereas flat places are often too dry, and the 

 trees being all of the same height, overshadow each 

 other. Amongst declivities, those which are connected 

 with summits covered with perpetual snow are those 

 where larches grow best ; because there they grow 

 slightly, and continually watered, and at the same 

 time their top well exposed to the sun. Declivities, 

 and, in general, elevated countries, suit larches best, 

 because the action of the light is more intense than in 

 low countries. Yet the larch succeeds well enough 



