THE ALDER. 301 
largest recorded trees are in the Bishop of Durham’s park at 
Bishop-Auckland. 
As an ornamental object, the alder is often deficient, more 
particularly when young; and the praises which have some- 
times been bestowed on its appearance arise from. its associa- 
tion with rivers and rills, which are pleasant and enduring 
beauties in nature; the alder, being a marginal accompani- 
ment of these, comes in for a share of respect and esteem. 
In a cultivated state, however, and in good soil, when the 
tree attains to a considerable size, and is about to complete 
its upward growth, it often assumes a change of character, 
becomes more picturesque in figure, and displays a ramifica- 
tion little inferior to that of the oak. 
The timber of the alder is not valuable. When used for a 
post, it soon perishes when it comes in contact with the 
ground; but it is well adapted for piles in laying the foun- 
dation of bridges or embankments beneath water. It has 
also been successfully employed in a young state as brush- 
wood, when cut in winter, for filling drains in the reclaiming 
of marshy land. It is found suitable for the staves of fish- 
casks and for packing-boxes, and it is sometimes employed 
by last-makers, turners, patten and clog makers, along with 
other soft wood, such as the willow and poplar. As the 
wood is subject to the attack of insects, the finer pieces, 
immediately after felling, are sometimes in Highland dis- 
tricts immersed for a few months in a pit of water dug in 
a peat bog; and the effect of this preparation is reckoned 
more complete if the water is impregnated with a quantity 
of lime. The wood prepared in this way is well adapted for 
cabinets, tables, etc., and has some resemblance to maho- 
gany. The charcoal of alder wood is esteemed in the manu- 
facture of gunpowder. 
The propagation of the tree is speedily effected from seed, 
which is found in small cones, which ripen in October and 
November. These should be collected when dry. The seeds 
are usually extracted by spreading out the cones on a. loft 
floor, to the depth of eight or ten inches; and, if situated 
