498 CONIFERS. 



by the ancient masters, for their unshrinking' quality, tough- 

 ness, and durability ; and Gilpin remarks, " that many of 

 Raphael's pictures are painted on boards of Larch.'" In 

 Germany casks are made of it which are almost indestruct- 

 ible, and which allow of no evaporation of the spirituous 

 particles of the wine contained in them. In Switzerland 

 it is much used for vine-props which are never taken up, and 

 which Loudon remarks " see crop after crop of vines spring 

 up, bear their fruit, and perish at their feet, without show- 

 ing symptoms of decay." The uninjured state in which it 

 remains when buried in the earth, or immersed in water, 

 renders it an excellent material for water-pipes, to which 

 purpose it is largely and invariably applied in many parts 

 of France. The other products obtained from the Conti- 

 nental forests of Larch, are known by the names of Venice 

 turpentine, and manna of Briangon. The former is pro- 

 cured by tapping the full-grown trees, which are known 

 to be surcharged with turpentine by the exuding of resin- 

 ous tears through the bark, when the sap begins to flow in 

 spring ; holes in a slanting direction upwards are then bored 

 with an auger on the south side of the trunk, care being 

 taken not to penetrate to the centre of the tree, and into 

 these are inserted tubes, or wooden gutters, made of Larch 

 wood, which conduct the limpid turpentine into small ves- 

 sels or troughs, placed at the foot of the trees. The tur- 

 pentine thus collected is afterwards strained through coarse 

 hair-cloth, to free it from leaves and other accidental im- 

 purities that may have fallen into it, and then sent to 

 market, without further preparation. The flow of the tur- 

 pentine continues from May till September, when it ceases, 

 and the holes are stopped up, and are again re-opened at 

 the commencement of the next season ; and it is said that 

 a full-grown, healthy Larch, if tapped when of proper age, 



