THE SCOTCH PINE. 367 



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Fertility of Soil. — Except oii favourable localities, the 

 fertility of the soil is liable to suffer, after the Scotch pine 

 has passed the age of 50 years ; hence it should be under- 

 planted between the 20th and 40th year with beech, silver fir, 

 Douglas fir, spruce, or Weymouth pine. 



External 7>rt»//('/-.s. — Scotch pine requires no protection 

 against frost or drought ; frost lifting may occur in early 

 youth. It suffers, however, very much from snow and rime, 

 and Scotch pine woods are much exposed to fires ; to protect 

 them against the latter regular fire traces must be cleared, 

 and a strict watch kept during dry weather over the use of 

 fire in the woods and in their vicinity. The tree is not much 

 sul)ject to be thrown by wind, except on a shallow soil over an 

 impermeable stratum ; its branches and top are, however, 

 liable to be broken. 



Scotch pine is nibbled by cattle and game, but rarely 

 peeled. Eabbits do much damage by peeling the bark of 

 young trees near the ground, and squirrels by peeling them 

 later on in the upper part. The number of these animals 

 should be reduced by shooting, or trapping in the case of 

 rabbits. 



Scotch pine is liable to a greater variety of insect injuries 

 than any other tree, especially when grown on poor soil. 

 Seedlings are destroyed by wire-worms, Tipula larvae, and 

 milhpedes, also by chafer-grubs. Young plants (2 to o years) 

 are injured by root-feeding bark-beetles {Hijhistrs), and they 

 are gnawed by numerous weevils, especially Hijlohius ahietis, 

 which kills a large number. The needles are destroyed by 

 the larvae of LijMiris nionaelia, Fidoiua, Trachea, and other 

 moths, Lnplii/i lis pint and other sawflies ; and on the 

 Continent by Gastropaelia pini, which frequently kills the 

 trees, lletinia larvae cripple the terminal shoots, which are 

 also thinned out by Hylurgus pinipevda. Many weevils, 

 Pissodes, Magdalinus, Tomicus hidentatus, etc., live in the bark 



