Value of the Larch and Silver Fir. 



269 



Art. IX. On the relative Value of the Larch and Silver Fir. 

 By H. H. Maiue Witham. 



(From the Scotsman.) 



Having been interested by some recent experiments made by 

 my friend Mr. Salvin of Croxdale, in the county of Durham, 

 upon the respective strength or toughness of the larch (Z,arix) 

 and silver fir (Picea), I thought it proper to visit those lo- 

 calities where 1 might see these trees in the greatest perfection: 

 1st.' to enable me to compare their respective growths in a 

 given number of years ; and, 2dly, to ascertain whether any 

 experiment had already been made by those who had been 

 mainly instrumental in the introduction of these valuable coni- 

 ferous trees. In the plantations of Dupplin, Dunkeld, Monzie, 

 and other localities highly worthy the attention of all planters, 

 I have invariably found that the silver fir greatly exceeded in 

 growth the larch, which will be satisfactorily proved by the fol- 

 lowing measurements, taken with great accurac}'. After a good 

 deal of enquiry, I could not find that any pains had hitherto 

 been taken by the proprietors of these plantations to find out 

 the relative strength of these species of wood. It may not be 

 amiss, therefore, to call the attention of the owners of plant- 

 ations to the advantages the silver fir holds out, whicli are so 

 considerable as to render them an object of importance in a 

 national point of view. I therefore take the liberty to com- 

 municate a few facts and remarks upon the subject to the 

 public through your journal. I am not without hope that they 

 may induce other proprietors to make enquiries and experiments, 

 the issue of which may probably be to remove the deep-rooted 

 prejudice now prevalent against the silver fir. 



Trees of the Pine Tribe measured at Dupplin Castle, the seat 

 of the Earl of Kinnoull, near Perth. 



4 ft. from ground. 





4 ft. from 



ground. 











ft. in. 







ft. 



in. 



Weymouth pine 



- 



7 10 



Scotch fir 



_ 



- 9 



3 



Larch 



. 



8 9 



Weymouth pine 



. 



- 8 



1 



Larch 



- 



8 3 



Weymouth pine 



. 



- 8 



3 



Larch 



- 



8 4, 



Spruce fir 



- 



- 8 



8 



Spruce fir 



- 



8 1 



Spruce fir 



. 



- 9 



1 



Larch 



- 



8 9 



Scotch fir 



- 



- 10 



3 



Silver firs, as follows : — 













2 ft. from ground. 



4 ft. from 



ground. 



2 ft. from ground. 



4 ft. frorr 



i ground 





ft. in. 



ft. 



in. 



ft. in. 



ft. 



in. 





17 2 



14, 



7 



15 10 



13 



3 





14, 5 



12 







15 8 



13 



4 





14 6 



12 



3 



15 6 



13 



11 





13 9 



12 



1 



14 3 



12 









15 9 



13 



5 











These trees were all planted at the same time, and are supposed to be 

 about 105 years old. 



