158 STATISTICAL SURVEY 



it forms a pleafmg variety, and promifes to be a great- 

 acquifition to the planter ; there are a few of them in 

 other places ; they have fomewhat of the appearance 

 of the Scotch fir, but the leaves are much larger, and 

 their branches more fpreading. In the plantations at 

 Montalto are two of the black fpruce of America; 

 they are about twenty years old, rich in colour, and 

 thickly clothed to the bottom. 



Amongft the many kinds of trees, which have been 

 introduced here within the laft fixty, or probably fe- 

 venty years, the larch feems to be the greatefl acquifi- 

 tion ; whether it is confidered, as an ornamental tree, 

 as a nurfe to others, or as a valuable improvement in 

 point of timber : viewed in the firft light, it is one of 

 the moft pi&urefque trees, either fmgle or as a fkirting 

 to a lawn, for -which the elegance of its pendent 

 branches feem peculiarly adapted : in the fecond ia- 

 flance, its extreme hardinefs qualifies it to. aflifl more 

 tender plants, until they are once completely efta- 

 blifhed ; and in the laft, it is fuperior almoft to any 

 tree, in duration and ftrength. In Switzerland, where 

 thefe trees abound, they are converted to every ufe ; 

 the houfes are built, furnifhed, and covered with them j 

 the rofm, which flows from them, flops every joint, 

 and makes them impervious to the weather. As this 

 tree has fcarcely been long enough naturalized here, 

 to judge of its durability, we muft and may be fatisfied 

 with the various tefliraonies from the countries, in 



which 



