CHAPTER. VIII 



TREES FOB ECONOMIC PLANTING. 



(1) Coniferous Trees. Amongst the many conifers that 

 have been introduced to this country during the last three- 

 quarters of a century very few can, with any amount ol 

 confidence, be recommended as suitable for profitable 

 planting. The following, so far as is known, are the only 

 species to be recommended. They are not arranged accord- 

 ing to their value for so doing. 



The Larch (Larix europaa). Both for and against the 

 larch much has been written and said, particularly of late 

 years ; but, however much has been said in commendation 

 of it, there can be no doubt that to overstate its value as a 

 timber tree, as well as its exalted place in the economy of 

 British forestry, would be a task of some difficulty. When 

 we combine its great, almost peculiar, aptitude to suit itself 

 to nearly all conditions of soils, altitudes, and diversities of 

 climate, its long- established value as a timber tree, rapidity 

 of growth, and ease of culture, it is clear that no other tree 

 Cultivated in this country can be ranked on a par with the 

 larch. Unfortunately, however, of late years the larch has 

 suffered much from disease, the predisposing causes of which 

 may mainly be attributed to the variableness of our spring 

 weather, and rapidly degenerating state of the tree the 

 latter chiefly brought about by an injudicious selection of 

 seed. >By far too little attention has been paid to this im- 

 portant matter, the result being that weakness and 

 tenderness have got into the constitution of the tree, and it 

 is tlms unable to withstand even a few degrees of frost. So 



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