102 BRITISH FOREST TREES 



preferably the silver fir, is in the highest degree advisable 

 in the light of recent experience throughout Germany. 



On many parts of the northern slopes of the Bavarian 

 Alps, the larch also occurs as a subordinate species along 

 with silver fir and beech in spruce forests. Its growth at 

 first is much more rapid than that of the spruce, and on deep 

 fresh soil the advantage thus early won is maintained till the 

 sixtieth to seventieth year, or under favourable circum- 

 stances longer, although only too often it is caught up and 

 overtopped by the spruce. Where the soil, however, is 

 wanting in depth and strength, or where, as in Britain, both 

 species are removed far from their natural homes, and culti- 

 vated under conditions in many respects dissimilar from their 

 normal requirements, it not infrequently happens that the 

 spruce, stimulated to lively growth in height, catches up the 

 larch as early as the twentieth to thirtieth year, when nothing 

 remains but to cut out the latter, and allow the spruce to 

 form pure forest. Even when the larch has been introduced 

 in patches among the spruce, little can be done in such 

 cases to protect it, as its further growth is prejudiced by the 

 side-shade, and it can no longer develop satisfactorily. As 

 a rule, the larch should only be grown in spruce forests on 

 parts where the soil is of better quality than the surrounding 

 ground, and on such patches it generally thrives better in 

 groups than when planted out alternately with spruce, or only 

 simply here and there, although it maybe remarked here that 

 Burckhardt recommends its being planted out singly only, 

 except along the edges of compartments where it may form 

 rows or belts. The groups should not, however, be too 

 large, as otherwise there is the same tendency towards 

 crooked, sabre-like growth as is characteristic of pure larch 

 forest away from its Alpine home. Experience shows that 

 when grown along with spruce, the larch is less liable to be 

 attacked by fungous disease (Peziza Willkommii) than when 



