222 THE LARCH. 
These two trees are only fair specimens of a few dozens 
standing in the same avenue. The table shows their dimen- 
sions at the age of one hundred years, and their progress 
during ten years thereafter; but at the end of that period 
their vigour began to cease, and in 1861, when I applied to 
ascertain their progress during the ten preceding years, I was 
informed by the intelligent forester, Mr. Taylor, that, at the 
height of twenty feet, in many instances their girth had only 
increased one, two, and three inches beyond that of 1851, and 
during that period they had added little or nothing to their 
height. There was but one exception to this general state of 
affairs ; it was a larch known as, or marked, No. E. The 
general appearance of this tree indicates more vigour than 
that of the others. It stands quite clear of other trees, and 
has a river frontage, and is sufficiently near to draw nourish- 
ment from the running water, but perfectly free from stagnant 
water. Its girth at the height of twenty feet was, in 1841, 
8 feet 1 inch; in 1851, 8 feet 6 inches; and in 1861, 8 feet 
11 inches. A gale in 1860 blew down one of the larches in 
the line, and it was found that decay had begun, but only in 
a small spot of no importance near the root, and the quality 
of the timber was found very superior. When I first saw 
these remarkable trees (in 1851), they were 110 years of 
age. At that time I observed that the top shoots of many of 
them were quite visible above the extremities of their lateral 
branches, but very soon after their vigour subsided, and the 
yearly growths of the tops disappeared, and now they pre- 
sent a more round-headed form, and of late they in general 
have a more open appearance, arising from the foliage having 
become more thin and scanty. 
The Norway spruce firs associated with the larches in the 
avenue at Paradise are said to have been planted in the year 
1720, and, notwithstanding the advance of about twenty years 
in their favour, the larches are on an average the largest in 
cubical contents, although not quite so lofty as their asso- 
ciates. The avenue in which these trees stand is proportion- 
ally wide, and they have long luxuriated in ample space. 
