32 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



certain trees, and which are likely to be inimicable to any or 

 all trees. 



Features of Trees. 



As the result of observations for some years, the writer has 

 formed an opinion — which he ventures to put on record — 

 regarding the comparative soil requirements of European and 

 Japanese larches. It first occurred to him as a result of 

 observations in the nursery, and it has been tested and 

 apparently confirmed in the plantations, namely, that the 

 Japanese larch is much less exacting on soil fertility than its 

 European relative, and recently it has been made a practice to 

 use them together in groups or blocks on variable soil, relegating 

 to each its appropriate place in smaller groups or patches 

 according to the soil variations. Although the tests have 

 not been sufficiently prolonged to enable one to speak with 

 certainty, yet the indications favour the opinion expressed, 

 and tend to demonstrate that Japanese larch will give satis, 

 factory results on soils where the European larch would 

 fail. 



This leads to some observations of a similar nature — based 

 on experience — concerning the merits of common spruce 

 and Sitka spruce. It is frequently maintained that the latter 

 compared with the former stands in the same relationship as 

 Japanese and European larches, yet in this locality the develop- 

 ment of the two species does not seem to bear this out to any 

 appreciable degree. On spruce soils of a good and fair quality 

 it would appear that, as a rule, Sitka establishes itself more 

 quickly, and may have an advantage in that sense, since, as is well 

 known, it has a natural tendency to grow much more rapidly, 

 but as regards general health there is no comparison between 

 the two. On poorer soils and on peat the difficulty in becoming 

 established would appear to be less marked, and the rate of 

 development would appear to be more equal so far as present 

 observations go, but on ground of doubtful quality the Sitka 

 spruce has not proved its superiority over the common spruce to 

 any appreciable extent. On such soils the development of each 

 may be said to vary, just as the soil varies. No instance has 

 yet come under observation where it can be claimed that Sitka 

 spruce has proved a success and common spruce a failure under 

 equal conditions. 



