g8 THE NEW FORESTRY. 



to a good size, and no doubt the wood would find a ready 

 market, judging by the quantity used up of foreign origin 

 The walnut prefers a good soil and favourable climate, but 

 large trees are frequently found at considerable elevations in 

 England and Scotland. 



SCOTCH Fir. Pinus Sylvestris. — The value of the Scotch 

 fir as a timber-tree has been adverted to already. Here it may 

 be added that probably none of the fir tribe have such a wide 

 geographical distribution in Europe as this species, extending 

 as it does, as a useful timber-tree, almost from the Arctic Circle 

 southwards to the Middle Rhine, where it joins the vine; 

 and eastwards to Asia, covering hills and plains alike and 

 thriving on the poorest soils. The quality of the timber varies 

 greatly, even within the British Islands, being best on dry and 

 worst on moist soils, and in a cool moist climate, but seldom so 

 inferior anywhere as to be unfit for many useful purposes. 

 No ordinary healthy soil that is well-drained or naturally dry 

 comes amiss to it, and, if anything, it is more at home, once 

 fairly established, in poor sands than anywhere else. This is 

 particularly noticeable on the sand dunes near Bournemouth 

 and in many parts of Germany and Holland. It makes a 

 useful pole of pit-prop dimensions in from thirty to forty years, 

 if planted thickly and sparingly thinned or not thinned at all 

 during that period. We have seen Scotch fir like this grown 

 in Yorkshire and elsewhere, but, as a rule, poles of the above 

 age, owing to their having too much room, are usually so rough 

 as to be unsaleable. It is best grown as pure forest, and it 

 should be planted on a large scale. The price of Scotch fir 

 varies from sixpence to.ninepence per foot 



CORSICAN FlR. Pinus laricio. — If the Scotch fir is ever 

 superseded we venture to think that it will be by this species, 

 which appears to have all the good qualities of the Scotch fir, 

 with the advantage that it beats the latter in bulk of timber 

 from the first. This is due, no doubt, to the fact that the leaf 

 surface of the Corsican fir is considerably greater than that of 

 the Scotch fir, and timber is consequently laid on more quickly. 

 It has been planted very extensively on the Wortley estate in 

 a variety of soils and situations and at different elevations, 

 and this description holds good in every instance. It is also 

 very favourably reported on by foresters generally in these 

 respects. It does not transplant well in winter, but if planted 

 early in August, September and October, or in April and May, 

 the failures are quite as few as in the Scotch fir. When the 

 Corsican fir began to be planted it was often confounded with 



