Characteristics of Comvion Forest Trees 53 



owing to the rapid growth of surface herbage, and to the ground 

 seldom being in a proper condition (see Natural Regeneration, p. 27). 



Thinning. This should be done sparsely and repeated often,, 

 up to the age of fifty or sixty years. The removal of live branches 

 is a mistake, although the knocking off of dead branches will 

 improve the quality of the timber. 



A. C. Forbes, in " English Estate Forestry," advocates the 

 following method of growing Scotch pine. 



" The sole and only secret of growing it to perfection consists 

 in sowing or planting it thickly at the outset and then leaving it 

 entirely alone. No thinning should be done whatever, beyond 

 the taking out of the dead or dying trees at periodic intervals." 



The objection to this plan appears to be the presence of dead 

 stems in the wood, as the species in question is particularly liable 

 to attacks from insects and fungi. Moreover, where there is 

 convenience for creosoting, the thinnings are a profitable item, 

 even the earlier ones. 



2. Austrian or Black Pine {Pinus laricio, var. austriaca). 



Distribution. This species is not indigenous to this country, 

 its natural home being in Lower Austria, Dalmatia, and the Eastern 

 Alps. 



Soil. Calcareous soils are specially preferred, and probably 

 the finest specimens are found on the chalk, provided there is 

 sufficient depth of soil. It is probably more easily content in this 

 respect than any other species of conifer. 



Nursery treatment. See Scotch pine, which it resembles; but 

 as it is capable of a more dense canopy, it is better able to keep up 

 the soil fertility. 



3. Douglas Fir {Pseudosuga Douglasii). 



Distribution. This species is not indigenous to this countrj', 

 its natural home being in temperate North America. 



Sometimes no differentiation is made between the free-growing 

 species, growing on the lower slopes, and the variety glauca growing 



