112 THE NEW FORESTRY. 



common larch, in fact, it surpasses that of any of our more 

 valuable indigenous trees. On the average it is found that 

 at five years the trees are three feet six inches high, at ten 

 years ten feet, and at fifteen years nearly twenty feet In 

 certain cases trees of nine years of age have reached the 

 height of thirty-seven feet, but this is quite an exceptional 

 rate of growth. Height-growth appears to continue right 

 through the summer, and on till the end of September. It is 

 found that the Japanese larch does not curve over on the top 

 to the same extent as the common larch. It is very important 

 to note that the Japanese larch possesses very great power of 

 resistance in regard to both the larch moth and the larch 

 disease. This tree also recovers very much more rapidly 

 from injuries than is the case with the common larch. When 

 it loses the main shoot, it produces a fresh leader in a very 

 short time." 



The trees in Perth and Galloway were raised from seed 

 collected by the owners of the estates named, in Japan, and 

 sent home by them, and the trees have now passed the 

 critical stage at which the disease usually shows itself, though 

 growing near diseased larch of the European kind. I have 

 inquired into every case of reputed disease of the Japanese 

 variety, including those reported by Colonel Bailey in his 

 Novar pamphlet, but in no instance have the cases reported 

 been confirmed. If the Japanese larch proves disease-proof 

 its value as a substitute for the common larch can hardly be 

 over-estimated. Five years ago I formed a small plantation 

 of the Japanese larch and Corsican fir, in equal proportions, 

 on a very exposed north-east aspect about 800 feet above the 

 sea level, on naturally well-drained ground and thin soil. This 

 was, I believe, the first regular plantation of the Japanese larch 

 planted in Britain. The trees were from the first batches 

 raised by Dickson & Co. I bought them in one year's 

 seedlings, and after giving them one season in the home 

 nursery, I planted them out alternately with the Corsicans 

 when about six inches high. Very few of either failed, and 

 when I visited the plantation last I found that the larch were 

 the dominant trees, running from seven to twelve feet in 

 height and over-topping the Corsicans. This may be con- 

 sidered good growth in the time on one of the bleakest spots 

 in Yorkshire. 



DEODAR. Cedrus deodara. This tree has not been as 

 yet tested as a timber-tree in this country, but in its native 

 habitat it is known to produce timber of the best and most 



