PROFITABLE TIMBER TREES 97 



is quite possible that it may succeed on dry soils better 

 than the common variety ; and if it does not prove subject 

 to the heart-rot so detrimental to the other tree, then it 

 may deserve a share of the praise so lavishly meted out 

 to it by some foresters and others. Its disease-resisting 

 powers, whether actual or supposed, are not of such im- 

 portance, perhaps, as might be supposed, for the attacks 

 of P. Wilhommi on European larch must be considered as 

 much the effects of bad health as the cause of it. 



The Corsican pine and larch make a good mixture on deep 

 gravels, especially when they contain a small quantity of clay 

 or deep loam. Both being rapid growers, and the Corsican 

 not given to develop side branches for the first twenty years, 

 heavy crops may be grown with this mixture. The Corsican 

 pine being a tree that can usually be depended upon to grow 

 to maturity, the ultimate success or failure of the larch is of 

 less importance when mixed freely with this tree, for it is 

 in little danger of getting suppressed, and when the larch 

 is at last removed a crop of stout healthy Corsicans remains 

 to grow on as long as desired. 



Silver Fir {Abies pedinata). 



Although the silver fir is one of the handsomest of our 

 European trees when properly grown and fully developed, 

 it cannot be said to be in any great favour as a commercial 

 timber tree. One reason for this is its coarse and knotty 

 nature, when given the slightest freedom in the way of 

 crown development. It has in the past been invariably 

 grown amongst other species, and in such a way as to 

 present few or no obstacles to the formation of side 

 branches. This, combined with the few useful purposes 

 to which its timber can be applied, has almost erased it 

 from the list of profitable timber trees. 



On deep dry gravels or sands, and in fairly moist 

 localities, the silver fir grows to an enormous height and 

 bulk. In the Longleat woods silver firs of 130 feet in 

 height, and containing from 300 to 400 feet of timber, 

 are fairly plentiful, and these dimensions have been attained 



7 



