26 LAECH FIE. 



drell's, I know of no other extensive plan- 

 tations which are in many parts of North 

 Derbyshire which could supply sleepers for 

 twenty miles of future railway, within us or 

 within reach of us, nor one-half of the 

 collieries of Hyde, Dukinfield, Ashton, Old- 

 ham, or Hollinwood, with post-wood for six 

 months certain, so deplorably has the growth 

 of this kind of fir timber been neglected for 

 the last century among us. Similar neglect 

 or mistakes have been made and occurred in 

 other districts. 



As on the London and South-western Bail- 

 way, many miles of which pass through 

 forests of Scotch fir, and scarcely one larch 

 to be seen amongst them, as thinly spread as 

 I am told the giant mahogany-tree is seen 

 growing amidst the forests of Honduras ; and 

 yet wherever a larch has been placed, and has 

 had a fair chance, it has shown proof that it 

 would be a profitable timber to occupy those 

 situations. What timber their sleepers are 



