CHAPTER I 

 INTRODUCTION 



The relation of a fungus to its host. Life-history of a fungus. The 

 morphology of the larch ; long and dwarf shoots ; internal structure of 

 the stem. 



Historical. The history of larch-growing in Britain pre- 

 sents features of peculiar interest. In no other tree have 

 such high hopes been placed, hopes which too often have 

 led to disappointment, and with no other tree has it been so 

 necessary to modify the method of sylvicultural treatment 

 on account of liability to disease. 



The story is as follows. The larch, which is a native of 

 the Alps, Carpathians, and a part of southern Russia, was 

 introduced in the early part of the seventeenth century. It 

 was then only grown for decorative purposes, and a hundred 

 years elapsed before the larch was employed as a timber- 

 producing species. From 1730 onwards, however, it .was 

 planted extensively in Scotland, particularly by three 

 successive Dukes of Atholl on their estates of Atholl and 

 Dunkeld, and the faith of its ducal sponsors proved to be 

 so well founded that the tree waxed great in popularity, 

 and before the close of the century large plantations might 

 have been found on the south as well as on the north side 

 of the Tweed. 



In 1820 a frigate was built for the navy of Scotch larch 

 to test the durability of the wood under conditions of 

 exposure. She was appropriately called the Athol, after 

 the duke who grew the timber, and for the sake of com- 

 parison the Nieman, also a ship of war, was built at about 

 the same time of Baltic fir (i. e. Scots pine). According to 

 Laslett, who wrote in 1875, when he was Inspector of 

 Timber to the Admiralty, the former lasted for a very 



