Habitat of Larch. 1 5 



is a native of the northern slopes of the Alps 

 and Apennines where it attains great height 

 and girth, and the timber is most valuable. 

 In this country, however, where it has been 

 cultivated with great success, it only attains 

 great dimensions in favourable sites and soils. 

 It is a native of bright skies and a clear 

 atmosphere, and under our cloudy skies and 

 dull atmosphere its vitality is more sluggish, 

 hence its predisposition to disease. As a 

 conifer it undoubtedly forms the most 

 important tree in our plantations, especially 

 when the soil and site have been well chosen, 

 or where the tree has been judiciously 

 selected. Here it grows rapidly, and yields 

 in a few years a quantity of timber to the 

 acre which is surpassed by no other tree of 

 its kind. 



All will agree that if the larch will grow 

 well no other tree should be selected where 

 an early return is desired ; but there are 

 many soils and many situations where the 

 larch will not grow well, and where it is folly 

 and waste to plant it, and yet acres and acres 

 are planted year by year without thought or 



