TEEES FOE WATEE CATCHMENT AEEAS 129 



In the west of Scotland, Wales, south-west England, and 

 Ireland it is at home from sea-level up to 1000 or 1200 

 feet elevation ; and is adapted for the zone of hill pasture 

 wherever the soil is moderately deep. It is not suited 

 for the heather moor or heaths, where pine and larch are 

 the successful species. Silver fir is a good wind-resister, 

 and attains a greater height in the teeth of the wind, 

 whether inland or close to the sea, than any other species. 

 This great height -growth enables it to produce a large 

 volume of timber in moderately exposed situations. Used 

 as a shelter belt in wind-swept districts, it will protect 

 other species planted in masses to leeward and greatly 

 augment their production of timber. Shelter belts of silver 

 fir mixed with beech would also greatly improve pasture 

 lands in the west of Ireland, Wales, etc. 



In the young state silver fir is liable to spring frost, 

 and on that account may occasionally require the protection 

 of nurses in its early stage ; and for this purpose hornbeam 

 or birch may be used, planted either with the silver fir or 

 one or two years previously. Silver fir may be planted 

 pure or mixed with beech or spruce ; and for many years 

 should be kept dense on the ground in order to produce 

 well-shaped clean stems. 



In Ireland silver fir scattered in mixed woods regener- 

 ates itself very freely, as the seedlings spring up in great 

 numbers amid the ordinary woodland herbs, and grow well 

 in the partial shade. Shelter belts and plantations of 

 silver fir mixed with beech, sycamore, and ash could always be 

 naturally regenerated, and would often be very remunerative. 



The timber ordinarily produced by silver fir in this 

 country has been rough, branched, and knotty, as it was 

 usually thinned too early or mixed with unsuitable species 

 like Scots pine. Grown in complete canopy, it produces 

 an extraordinary volume of timber, only surpassed in this 

 respect by Douglas fir and Sitka spruce. On favourable 

 sites 100 to 120 cubic feet per acre per annum may be 

 expected. Grown close the timber is narrow-ringed and 

 of excellent quality. 



