'230 WOODS OF COMMERCE. 



Larch a favourite wood in ancient Rome. Caesar styles it " lignum 

 igni impenetrable." Augustus built his forum with it ; Tiberius 

 brought this timber for the repair of bridges from the forests of 

 Rha3tia and preserved one tree, which was 120 feet long and 2 feet 

 in diameter throughout, as a curiosity ; and Vitruvius attributes 

 the decay of the buildings erected in Rome at the time to the 

 disuse of Larch on the exhaustion of the forests near the city. 

 Much of Venice is built on Larch piles, which, after ages of 

 exposure to alternate wet and drought, are still sound. Being of 

 rapid growth, Larch is much used for scaffold-poles, ladders, pit- 

 props, sleepers, and fencing ; and, being more free from knots 

 than Spruce, is much prized by carpenters and wheelwrights. In 

 ship-building, though its durability is in its favour, its shrinking 

 is against it ; but it is classed with Douglas, Huon, Kauri, and 

 Pitch Pines, in the eighth line of Lloyd's Register. Larch is not 

 largely imported ; that from Italy being small, crooked, and 

 coarse-grained, that from Poland rather larger and straighter, and 

 that from Northern Russia the largest. When growing in the 

 plains the Larch has proved so susceptible to the fatal attacks of 

 the fungus Peziza Willkdmmii that it seems likely to be replaced 

 as an object of cultivation by the Douglas Spruce. 



Larch, American, Black, or Red. See Tamarack. 



Larch, Chinese or Golden (PseudoUrix Kwmpferi Gord. : 

 Order Abietinece). China. Height 120130 ft. Very heavy 

 and hard. 



Larch, Himalayan (Ldrix Gri/ithii Hook. fil.). Eastern 

 Himalayas. Height 40 60 ft. Of small dimensions, white, 

 soft, easily split, but durable. Of little value. 



Larch, Japanese (L. leptolepis Gord.). Central mountains of 

 Japan. " Toga, Kara-matsu, Fuji-matsu." Height 6080 ft. or 

 more; diam. 1 J 2J ft. Heart red-brown, heavy, hard, and strong; 

 but little used, as it grows at altitudes of 5000 or 6000 ft. 



Lasrin (AlUzzia odomtissima Benth. : Order Legumindsce). 

 India, Burma. Dark brown with darker streaks, very hard, 

 seasoning and polishing well, and fairly durable. Used for 

 wheels, oil-mills, and furniture. 



