836 The Trees of Great Britain and Ireland 



measured 1 700 cubic feet. The market value of the timber, which could be used for 

 poles and pit-props, worked out at about 1000 marks for the Douglas, and about 360 

 marks for the spruce. Thus, growing on the same soil, the Douglas, as compared 

 with the spruce, had yielded about twice the amount of timber, with about three 

 times the value. I visited this plantation in August 1908, and measured two of the 

 largest trees, which were 74 feet high by 3 feet 8 inches, and 2 feet 7 inches ; but 

 the average was considerably less. I noticed that the lower branches, though dead 

 for several years, were not falling off; and that many of the trees showed the same 

 irregularity in straightness that I have noticed elsewhere. My impression was that 

 unless heavily thinned, a large proportion of the trees would soon be suppressed by 

 their more vigorous neighbours, and that such close planting was neither economic 

 nor desirable. 



Timber 



I have said so much about the timber of this tree in its own country that it only 

 remains to speak of its probable future value here, and as this subject has been 

 ably dealt with in a recent paper by Mr. J. D. Crozier, 1 I cannot do better than 

 summarise his opinions. 



He agrees with me that we cannot hope to compete with the imported timber 

 in size, age, or quality, and thinks that in a young state it is not so dense in fibre or 

 so tough as larch of the same age. " For standing in contact with soil, and for such 

 purposes as gate-making, fencing, etc., where the ability to stand wear and tear is a 

 desideratum, it is inferior to larch, but there are many other purposes for which it is 

 infinitely superior, and for the supply of which an infinitely greater volume of timber 

 is required. For constructive purposes of all kinds it is especially suited, and owing 

 to the beauty of its grain and the ease with which it can be worked, it is valuable for 

 the finished work of interiors. The timber stains well, and when varnished, takes 

 on and retains a beautiful gloss. Outlying and badly-grown trees, when sawn up 

 are liable to warp, but this defect is not apparent when dealing with trees of clean 

 straight growth ; and with home timber more freedom may be used in regard to 

 nailing. In a younger state it has been tried and found useful as curing-barrel 

 staves and headings, and for box wood, for which in this locality there is an unlimited 

 demand." 



" What the most profitable length of rotation may be is a question which will 

 have to be determined by trade demands, but to provide timber of a class fitted 

 for house construction, any period short of 100 years need not, I feel convinced, be 

 contemplated, and on deep rich soils, probably other ten or twenty years will require 

 to be added to that period." 



" As a pitwood tree the Douglas fir is well adapted, and is deserving of con- 

 sideration wherever crops cultivated for that purpose are found to pay. Crowded 

 together in pure plantation, by the time they have reached their thirtieth year, they 

 will be found capable of yielding an amount of pitwood almost incredible to those 

 who have not seen the tree so grown. For this purpose the planting should not be 

 done at more than 3 feet apart." (H. J. E.) 



1 Trans. Roy. Scot. Arb. Soc. xxi. 31 (1 908). 



