58 DISTKIBUTION OF 



sions, but is not now much esteemed as a forest 

 tree — the oak, being more valuable and hardy, is 

 in all cases preferred. The wood is seldom sound 

 when the tree has arrived at full maturity ; how- 

 ever, it makes a very fine ornamental tree upon a 

 lawn or park, and it requires a good strong soil and 

 considerable shelter, in order to make it develope 

 itself properly. 



The Lime Tree is properly an ornamental lawn 

 tree, and very seldom introduced into the forest. 

 The wood is valuable when of a large size, but as it 

 requires a sheltered situation and a pretty strong 

 soil to make it grow large and valuable, it cannot 

 with propriety be recommended for the forest. 



The Scots Fir {Pinus silvestris) is a native of 

 Scotland, and is a well-known tree throughout the 

 whole of the north of Europe. It is found growing 

 naturally in many parts of Scotland, particularly 

 in the native forests of Invercauld and Rothiemur- 

 chus, where there are by far the finest specimens 

 of this tree to be found in Britain. The Scots fir, 

 in favourable situations, attains a very large size, 

 frequently eighty feet high, and three and four 

 feet in diameter. Next to the larch, it is the most 

 valuable of what is generally termed the fir tribe. 

 The timber of the Scots fir is much influenced by 

 the soil and situation upon which it is grown ; that 

 produced upon the cold high districts of the north 

 of Scotland, is found superior to any imported from 



