THE LARCH. 409 



From possessing these properties it is considered by 

 good judges to be better adapted for naval architecture 

 than any other timber. It becomes harder and more 

 durable by age in a ship. It holds iron as firmly as Oak, 

 but, unlike Oak, it does not corrode iron. It does not 

 shrink; it possesses the valuable property of resisting 

 damp. It catches fire with difficulty, and it does not 

 splinter when struck by a cannon-ball. These qualities 

 have been tested in the case of the Athole, a 20-gun 

 frigate which was launched in 1820, the keel, masts, and 

 yards of which were made wholly of Larch. 



The timber is found to be equally well suited for house 

 carpentry, joining, &c.; and for hop-poles, vine-props, and 

 rails for fencing, it is preferred to any other wood, bearing 

 exposure to all weathers without showing any symptom of 

 decay in the course of many years. For the same reason 

 it is in great demand for the sleepers of railways. The 

 bark possesses tanning properties to a considerable extent, 

 but being in this respect far inferior to Oak, it will not 

 pay the expenses of peeling and carriage. 



From the trunk of the full-grown Larch is procured 

 the substance known by the name of Venice turpentine. 

 This is a liquid resin found in large cavities, which 

 measure sometimes several inches across, and are situated 

 in the solid wood five or six inches from the heart of 

 the tree. In order to obtain it, holes are pierced with 

 augers, and into them are inserted wooden tubes, through 

 which the turpentine flows into little buckets suspended 

 at the other end to receive it. The season for collecting 

 it lasts from May to October. It is perfectly clear, and 

 needs no further preparation than straining through a 

 coarse hair cloth to free it from impurities. It derives its 

 name from the city of Venice, from which it was formeily 

 exclusively exported. It is used in medicine, and for 

 making several kinds of varnish. 



A manna is also produced from the shoots of the young 

 Larches, which resembles that of the Ash ; it is called 



T 



