104 



PROTECTION AGAINST ANIMALS. 



Occasionally peeling gives rise to the formation of ad- 

 ventitious buds from below the wound, and frequently to 

 decay, such as red-rot in spruce, or Peziza Willkommii in larch. 

 The stems which have been attacked become unserviceable 

 except for fuel, and the tree often gets broken by wind or snow 

 at or just above its injured portion. Insects, such as bark- 

 beetles and wood-wasps, frequently attack the tree, which will 

 die if completely girdled. 



Such injuries to broadleaved species are soonest healed in 

 the case of the oak. In favourable cases only little damage may 

 be done, leaving small local traces of decay (Figs. 26 and 27). 



The newly-formed rings of wood, however, never completely 

 repair the damage when the sapwood has been exposed, 



Fig, 28. Transverse section of a 60 80-year-old spruce, which has been 

 occluded after being peeled by red-deer. 



though they may occlude it. Wounds of the ash also recover 

 rapidly, although the wood of this species is easily injured. 

 Beech and hornbeam recover with greater difficulty, and the 

 maple more slowly still. 



Amongst conifers the following scale is in descending order 

 of power of recovery : 



Silver-fir, larch, Weymouth and Scots pines, spruce. Such 

 a thorough recovery as is shown in Fig. 28 is very rare. 



