I 4 6 BRITISH FOREST TREES 



ainous tracts of central and northern Germany and eastern 

 France has on the whole been as unsatisfactory as in the Scot- 

 tish Highlands. Although at first more rapid in growth than 

 the spruce, it did not long fulfil its early promise, but was 

 often caught up in growth, if it had not already sickened and 

 died off, and had finally to be cut out. Somewhat better 

 results were in general obtained on the more level situations 

 and uplands (in Scotland up to 1,500 feet) than at elevations 

 corresponding more to an Alpine climate, and in Scotland, 

 Denmark, and Norway plantations near the coast thrive well 

 when not directly exposed to the sea-wind. 



The cultivation of larch should not be attempted on the 

 poorer classes of sandy soil, nor on tenacious land, nor on 

 moist or wet soils of any description ; it seems on the whole 

 to prefer mild, stony, moderately fresh soil having sufficient 

 depth to permit of the normal development of the root- 

 system. The soil-improving qualities that were claimed for 

 the larch in Scotland, when the Duke of Athole reckoned that 

 an increase in grazing returns would render the planting of 

 this species very remunerative, without even taking the return 

 from timber into account, have not invariably made them- 

 selves apparent ; for in some localities heather gains a foot- 

 hold in the woods instead of grass, although it is only fair 

 to say that in many places an original growth of heather 

 often becomes transformed into grass. For grazing-ground 

 in mountainous tracts the good service done by larch in 

 improving the quality of the grasses is undeniable, but it 

 should then only be planted in rows of 8 to 10 feet x 20 

 to 30 feet, and not with any sort of ultimate intention 

 that they should form forest. Though the soft, easily 

 decomposed foliage is well capable of improving the soil, 

 the usually interrupted canopy of pure larch woods prevents 

 a rich layer of humus being accumulated on the soil. Whilst 

 of energetic growth, its soil-improving qualities are evident, 



