Some Problems of Re-afforestation. 7 



I'inus insignis (=- radiata) is not hardy enough for general 

 planting, but in the south and south-west of England, in the 

 south-west of Scotland, and over a large part of Ireland, 

 especially near the coast, it grows with great vigour, and in a 

 slmrt time, forms a large quantity of timber, not, however, of 

 th> highest quality. Mr. B. W. Adkin has given some figures 

 us to the relative rate of growth of this tree. In Cornwall, 

 iM>ar Xt>\v<|iiay, in a mixed plantation the common spruce 

 averaged 3 ft. in girth, Scotch pine 3 ft. 4 in., Spanish chestnut 

 J ft. s in. to 3 ft., and P. insignis 5 ft. 4 in. to 5 ft. 8 in. In a 

 wood near Penzance P. pinaster girthed 2 ft. to 3 ft. and 

 P. hisignix 3 ft. to 4 ft. "In Hampshire also the P. insignis 

 have quite double as fast a growth as larch, though the larch 

 grows to perfection." At Muckross, near Killarney, in a wood 

 45 years old " the larch are undoubtedly fine, but the pine 

 (P. insignis) is nearly double the diameter of the larch, and no 

 doubt contains three or four times as much timber." ' 



'J'/inja gigantea (=plicata), the Red. Cedar of Western 

 Canada, is held in high esteem by certain planters in this 

 country. It is quite hardy, grows fast, is highly decorative, 

 and yields fine red durable timber, which, in the tree's native 

 country, is chiefly used for shingles, a purpose at present of no 

 account in this country. There is a mixed wood of T. gigantea 

 and Douglas fir on the estate of Benmore, Argyllshire, planted 

 in the winter of 1876-77. In 1911 the Douglas fir averaged 

 about 70 ft. in height, and T. gigantea 10 ft. less. A sample 

 area was measured in that year," there being 890 stems per 

 acre, half of which were Douglas fir and half T. gigantea. 

 " The volume of timber per acre, according to quarter-girth 

 measurement to 5 in. diameter, deducting 1 in. for bark, is as 

 follows : Douglas fir, 5,000 cub. ft. per acre, and T. gigantea 

 2,430 cub. ft. per acre. This gives a total of 7,430 cub. ft. per 

 acre, and although the Douglas fir has proved much superior 

 to the other, the yield of T. gigantea compares favourably with 

 that of many other species." 3 



The Corsican Pine (Pinus laricio) with its varieties, the 

 Taurian and Calabrian, is not a new species, having been intro- 

 duced into this country over 150 years ago, but it is one whose 

 merits deserve wider recognition. On strongish land, and on 

 thin chalk, it grows much better than any other pine, and 

 furnishes timber, which, though somewhat coarser than Scots 



1 (Juart. Journ. Fur., Vol. vi., p. 13. 



2 D. K. M'Beath, Tram. liny. ,s',W. Arb. Sue., Vol. xxvii., p. 107. 



3 Since the above was written, a leaf disease {Keithia thujiiiti) has appeared 

 in this country, and has proved very destructive in Ireland and in Sussex. It 

 might therefore be well if planters were, for the present, to hold their hand in 

 respect of this species. 



