156 HARDY CONIFEROUS TREES. 



timber, but it is generally rough, knotty, and hard to work, and 

 that, too, even when the trees are growing in close order. 

 The tree inclines more to spend its energy in the formation of 

 many weighty side branches than in the building up of a clean 

 and gradually tapering stem. The Austrian pine grows well 

 on almost any class of soil, and bears exposure to rough winds, 

 as I have ofttimes noticed on the bare and exposed Welsh 

 hill-sides. Several large trunks that I had cut up for the 

 express purpose of testing the quality of the timber turned 

 out well, the plants being remarkably resinous, of a dirty 

 yellow colour, and rather hard to work. It stands the 

 changes from wet to dry as well as any home-grown timber I 

 know, and the experiments I undertook eleven years ago on the 

 Ogwcn River in North Wales have turned out quite satisfactory. 



The Cluster Pine {P. Pinaster). So far as the value 

 of the timber of this pine is concerned, the tree might almost 

 be described as valueless for economic planting. That it will 

 thrive well and produce fine, bushy specimens where very few 

 other trees could succeed has been well exemplified along the 

 Mediterranean coast, as well, indeed, as in not a few maritime 

 districts of Great Britain. This of itself renders the tree one 

 of great value, and eminently qualifies it for using as a nurse 

 to other less hardy kinds. The rate of growth is rapid, 

 several specimens growing on gravelly soil that I measured 

 having produced 90 feet of timber in thirty-three years. 



Nordmann'S Fir {Abies Nordmanniana), when better 

 known and more readily procured, will no doubt be used for 

 afforesting purposes. It grows rapidly when suitably placed, 

 a number of specimens of which I kept a record having pro- 

 duced nearly 2 cubic feet of wood annually, while the upward 

 growth was 2 feet 3 inches in the same time. From the 

 appearance of the wood of trees grown in this country, which 

 have been cut up under my own supervision, the quality of 

 that produced in its native country would seem to be well 

 sustained, it being firm, clean, and readily worked. Unfortu- 

 nately the tree is apt, especially when growing under adverse 

 circumstances, to become infested with woolly aphis. 



