152 BRITISH FOREST TREES 



be based on a total misapprehension of the sylvicultural 

 characteristics of this species. Except in its Alpine home, 

 it occurs in mixed forests only as a subordinate species 

 in admixture with beech, spruce, silver fir, and also to 

 some extent in Scotland with Scots pine, and moreover 

 is here advisedly introduced into such woods sparsely as 

 individuals, or in wide rows, or small patches, in place 

 of larger patches or groups, such as may often be noticed 

 amid Alpine scenery. Its sylvicultural treatment in such 

 mixed forests has been referred to when dealing with the 

 ruling species concerned. It may merely be remarked 

 here, that in equal-aged mixed crops on good average soils 

 it maintains its crown free in beech forests till about the 

 tenth year, and in silver fir till about the fiftieth ; but in 

 spruce usually only till the thirtieth. When it has thus 

 been overtaken by the latter two species it should be 

 removed and utilised, as for all sylvicultural purposes these 

 are preferable woods after the larch has ceased to be 

 predominating in height. In cases where larch, originally 

 planted as a nurse for oak, has remained to form part of 

 the existing crop at sixty to seventy years, this is due to 

 its being retained only so long as it does not appreciably 

 interfere with the development of the oak, and not to any 

 deliberate intention to form such a mixture with a view 

 to larch forming any part of the mature crop. 



Artificial Formation and Reproduction of Larch Forests. 

 In the formation or reproduction of larch, whether in pure 

 or in mixed forests, artificial regeneration is the rule, and 

 a decided preference is given to planting, for, as in the 

 case of the oak and the beech, transplants can be put out 

 at almost any age. 



Natural reproduction, where practised at all, can take place 

 along small strips at the edge of mature woods whence the 

 seed might be wafted. Many of the mixed forests in 



