ECONOMIC VALUE OF FOREST FLORA 205 



be used too much in association with larch, except when 

 the latter is regarded as a nurse tree. 



The yield capacity of Douglas is probably greater than 

 any good timber tree that can be cultivated in the 

 British Isles. The well-known Taymount plantation, now 

 tifty years of age, was measured by Prof. Somerville in 

 1903, and found to contain 7977 feet, equal to 155 cubic 

 feet per acre per annum, and measurements by other 

 authorities give somewhat similar results. Whether this 

 plantation is more favourably situated than the average is 

 a matter of opinion, but there is little doubt that a produc- 

 tion of 100 cubic feet per acre per annum can be relied upon 

 wherever the conditions are up to the average for conifer 

 growth, and away from wet or limestone soils, or windy 

 situations. The best nurse for Douglas is either Japanese 

 larch, spruce, or silver fir, according to the density with 

 which it is planted. At distances of 12 feet or so, a quick 

 growing tree, such as the Japanese larch, must be used 

 to prevent the development of side branches. With 

 closer planting, say 6 or 8 feet, spruce or common larch 

 serve the purpose as well as any, and are much cheaper 

 than the Japanese larch. 



Spanish chestnut is a valuable broad-leaved species for 

 sandy soils in the south and east of England, or wherever 

 dry, deep soils prevail south of Scotland, the latter 

 country generally being too wet and cold for its develop- 

 ment, although occasionally good specimens may be met 

 with. The yield and value of chestnut as a crop depends 

 largely upon methods of cultivation, but the best results 

 are probably obtained from coppice woods worked on 

 rotations of ten to fifteen years. In Sussex and Hants 

 shorter rotations of seven or eight years paid well at one 

 time for producing rods and hoops, but the demand for 

 these has now dropped considerably, and the tendency 

 is to work on longer rotations. As a timber tree, in the 



