Planting Larch, as a national Object. 249 



Art. V. On the Planting of Larch, as a'national Object. By C. C. 



My attention has of late been seriously called to the very 

 important subject of the cultivation of larch, as an object 

 of national economy; and the more so, as I foresee that the 

 period is not far distant when that species will be found to be, on 

 the whole, the most valuable of the European trees. Amongst 

 the many anomalies presented by our extraordinary situation 

 on the theatre of the world, none is, assuredly, greater than that 

 (depending, as we do, on our naval power for the preservation of 

 our vast possessions, and the influence derived from them) we 

 should not only be extremely deficient in many of the most essen- 

 tial articles of equipment of a navy, but that we should overlook 

 the most obvious mode by which the want might be supplied. 



Probably, few of my readers are aware of the great scarcity 

 of timber which existed during the war, which was partly 

 owing to the previous mismanagement of the royal forests, but 

 still more to the gross abuses of the government, which in- 

 fected the civil branch of the naval administration. All that is 

 necessary to observe on this subject is, that at this moment the 

 interest of the countless millions that were sunk in that gulf 

 are paid out of the produce of the national industry, and an- 

 nually deducted from the national capital. The consequence 

 of these abuses is, that, after twenty years of peace, we are 

 obliged to ransack the forests of Scandinavia, of Russia, and of 

 Prussia, of Canada, of Honduras, of Sierra Leone, of Pegu, of 

 Norfolk Island, and New Zealand, in quest of an object of 

 primary necessity, which, I shall show, could be produced at 

 home with comparative ease. These reflections have been more 

 strongly impressed upon my mind by observing that the naval 

 administration, highly to their credit, are, in addition to the far- 

 spread territories we have mentioned, adding Italy to the list, 

 and contracts are now advertised for, on a large scale, for larch 

 the produce of that country. 



Most people are familiar with the princely undertakings of 

 the Dukes of Atholl, who, by a steady system of moderate expen- 

 diture, have converted the barren mountains on the Tay into a 

 future source of revenue so vast, that the late duke intimated 

 that the holder of those forests would be as rich, in a certain 

 number of years, or richer than any other individual in Britain ! 

 I can conceive nothing more truly noble than the employment 

 of possessions for such a purpose, which places the Dukes of 

 Atholl by the side of the Duke of Bridgewater, the Duke of 

 Bedford, and other really great men, who, whilst laying the 

 foundation of enormous wealth for their familiesj have con- 

 ferred a lasting benefit on the country. I can pay no greater 

 homage to this great example than by recommending and urg- 



