THE NEW FORESTRY. 103 



from the north of Europe in the shape of clean, straight butts 

 of small size, but of a quality inferior to English birch. Large 

 quantities of the timber are used for making bobbins and other 

 purposes in Lancashire, Yorkshire, and elsewhere. 



COMMON ALDER. Alnus glutinosa. (See birch.) The 

 timber of the alder is not in such demand by itself as the birch 

 is, but good clean stems are readily disposed of. The tree 

 prefers a moist soil, but thrives in any .well-drained soil that 

 is deep. Water-logged soils do not suit it. It may be planted 

 or sown with the birch in the more moist situations. 



MOUNTAIN ASH OR ROWAN. Pyrus aucuparia. This 

 tree succeeds well with the birch, and although not specially in 

 demand, doggers accept it for the same purposes. It grows, 

 when young, as fast as the birch, propagating itself freely, but 

 soon shows a tendency to become branchy and round-headed. 

 When in flower or in berry it is one of the most beautiful trees 

 we have, particularly in those districts where the rainfall is 

 heavy and the air moist. In some parts of the Highlands, 

 especially in Argyleshire, the size and brilliancy of its fruit are 

 remarkable. In the chapter on game this tree is referred to 

 as a food producer. 



BLACK POPLAR. Popdus nigra. There are several 

 species of poplar all producing timber of much the same 

 quality, but the black poplar is perhaps the most rapid grower 

 of the family, the hardiest, and the most profitable to grow. 

 It exceeds all other broad-leaved species in the rapidity of its 

 growth, towering above its neighbours at an early age, and 

 hence it is an undesirable tree in a mixed wood. Moist or wet 

 soils suit it best, and in such situations it should be planted 

 thickly alone, or mixed or under-planted with willow. As the 

 timber is not durable, and is used mainly for indoor purposes, 

 the demand is not great, but it can always be disposed of in 

 moderate quantities at from tenpence to one shilling per foot. 



WILLOW, COMMON. Salix alba. Like the poplar, this 

 species thrives in swampy soils, where it attains to a large 

 size. The timber is in moderate demand for special purposes 

 in which lightness and toughness are required as in cricket 

 bats, oars, etc., but recently there has been an increasing 

 demand for this wood for brakes for railway trains and 

 waggons, it being found that willow timber, owing probably 

 to its peculiar fibre, wears rough and takes a better grip than 

 harder and heavier woods that wear smooth by friction. The 

 only other wood that is used for the same purpose is poplar, 

 which is sometimes substituted for the willow, both fetching 

 the same price. 



