194 NATURAL REGENERATION 



marked by very cold winters and very hot summers. In 

 many cases, trees from such climates are shy of bearing seed 

 in this country ; or even if they bear seed in abundance in 

 this country, as many of them do, there is a great probability 

 that only weakly and tender trees will be produced there- 

 from. Whereas those trees introduced from a country 

 where the climate is somewhat similar to that of this country, 

 are far more likely to produce seed that will grow into strong, 

 healthy, vigorous plants. A consideration of the foregoing 

 may explain the reason why Silver Fir is often so shy of 

 reproducing itself naturally in this country; and it will 

 explain the inferiority of home-grown Larch seed. 



It is probably always preferable to obtain foreign seed of 

 Silver Fir, Nordmann's Silver Fir, Norway Spruce, Wey- 

 mouth Pine, and Cupressus macrocarpa. This latter produces 

 abundance of seed in this country, but it would not be wise 

 to use it largely, until more experience is gained with 

 reference to trees produced from home-grown seed. 



On the other hand, there is every likelihood that home- 

 grown seed of Thuya gigantea, Douglas Fir, Sitka Spruce, 

 and Sitka Cypress will produce strong, healthy trees. 



There is, indeed, much young Douglas Fir, self-sown and 

 otherwise, which, so far as present experience goes, is 

 perfectly healthy and vigorous. 



When seed from these four species of trees is imported, 1 

 it is very essential that it should have been collected in the 

 damp regions near the coast in British Columbia. Such 

 seed of Thuya gigantea and Douglas Fir would be far more 

 likely to give better results altogether, than seed obtained 

 from higher altitudes in the Rocky Mountains ; though 

 experience may prove even the contrary to be the case. 



The natural regeneration, however, of these coniferous 

 trees whose seed admit of it and make it desirable in this 

 country, may, with the exception of Norway Spruce, be 

 effected under either of the three systems. 



Norway Spruce is not suitable for natural regeneration, as 



1 This matter of the importation of seed is also referred to in 

 Chapter III. 



