34 



FLORA AND SYLVA. 



of the vivid covering of verdure which it imparts 

 to the land, soon results in sickly and stunted 

 plants, unless careful thinning is resorted to. In 

 order to avoid such a result, it is a very good plan 

 not to sow broadcast, but in lines ; this will ensure 

 the health of the seedlings and make the thinning 

 at a future time much more easy. A kilogramme 

 of seed contains on an average 40,000 seeds. The 

 seeds are larger than those of the Scotch Fir and 

 smaller than those of P. maritima. The percentage 

 of non-productive seed is generally higher than in 

 the case of either syhestris or maritima. The right 

 quantity to sow, having regard to the probable 

 failures, is 7 to 8 kilos the hectare." 



As to planting, Lord Powerscourt in Woods and 

 Forests is clear and sound : " The plan adopted by 

 me was that usual in Scotland — notching, viz., the 

 planter, with a spade made for the purpose, cuts the 

 surface in the shape of a cross, and by reversing 

 the spade turns up the four corners of the soil, 

 when a boy following him with a bundle of plants 

 drops one into the hole, and the planter, holding 

 the plant upright with one hand, treads down the 

 notch again over the roots with his foot. 



" This is all that is required with plants from 

 9 to 15 inches in height, the best size for planting ; 

 and as the sides of the notch hold the plant quite 

 tight when pressed down on each side of it, it af- 

 fords more protection, and prevents the roots being 

 shaken after being put in, which would be fatal to 

 the success of the tree, as every experienced planter 

 knows. The great thing is to plant firmly, so that, 

 although, of course, the plant itself may be exposed 

 to the wind, the roots shall be firm and steady in 

 the ground, as any plant which is liable to have its 

 roots moved after once being placed in the soil will 

 certainly die." 



The Tree in its Wild State. — The Corsican forests 

 are among the finest in the world. The trees attain 

 their utmost size and beauty in positions that are 

 from 4,500 to 6,000 feet above the sea level, and 

 in gravelly soil created by the decaying of the gra- 

 nitic rocks. In the Aitona forest, trees 140 to 150 

 feet high are not uncommon, their circumference 

 at 3 feet from the soil varying from 16 to 18 feet. 

 Such trees may be 400 years old ; the growth, at 

 least in height, is less after the first 100 years. In 

 the Calabrian mountains, at nearly the same altitude 

 as in Corsica, it has been ascertained that some of 

 the Calabrian forms of this Pine are fully 180 feet 

 high, and bigger in all their parts than the Corsi- 

 can ones. Those trees are chiefly used for naval 

 construction. In several forms this Pine is a native 

 of Spain, Corsica, Mount Etna, the Calabrias, Thes- 

 saly, and Asia Minor, where it clothes the less lofty 

 of the mountain spurs. The Corsican forests, being 

 under the control of a forest department, are natur- 



ally the best known. It is to be desired that the 

 Calabrian were better known, and seed and plenty 

 of that fine form more easy to obtain. 



A Visit to the Trees in Corsica. — A visit to the 

 Corsican Pine forests is described by Mons. Maurice 

 de Vilmorin in the Revue Horticole. " You must 

 make haste," we were told, " if you wish to be in 

 time to see what is left of very old trees and forests 

 in a state of nature." An excursion to Corsica was 

 organised in 1897 by a band of friends who were 

 to compose the caravan. These included M. Ed. 

 Andre (who, however, left us ere his trip was half 

 begun, recalled by stress of business to Paris, not 

 without regret, perhaps), my brother, and Mr. W. 

 Robinson, of The Garden. The party, thus reduced 

 to four, reached Ajaccio under the guidance of M. 

 Doumet-Adanson, a Corsican by adoption if not 

 by birth. At Ajaccio we met with a very cordial 

 reception from the Conservator of Forests, who 

 also imparted to us some very valuable information 

 as to the present state of the forests. M. Mabaret 

 was also good enough to mark us out an itinerary, 

 which was to enable us to see the very finest 

 examples of trees that was possible in the time of 

 our excursion. Such information as we were able 

 to obtain will be valuable alike to tourists and tree 

 lovers. 



The forests of Corsica are for the most part 

 very easily accessible at the present day, thanks to 

 the Department of Bridges and Highways, which 

 has constructed some marvellous roads. The limi- 

 tations of our visit necessarily debarred us from 

 visiting the more out-of-the-way forests, approached 

 only by way of mule tracks and mountain paths, 

 and where the very oldest trees are to be found 

 still standing in isolated grandeur in the rockiest 

 and least accessible situations distant from the con- 

 served forests, to which peculiarities of situation 

 they owed their immunity from the axe of the con- 

 tractor. The finest forests visited by us were those 

 of Aitona, Valdoniello, Vezzana, Marmano, Boni- 

 fato, the four first being situated in the arrondisse- 

 ment of Corte, and the last in that of Calvi, and 

 all traversed by good roads. Those of Valdoniello 

 Marmano offer the easiest opportunity of seeing the 

 finest trees in the most picturesque surroundings. 



The best specimens of the Pine we met with 

 were not more than 1 8 feet in circumference. Seven 

 or eight years ago there was still standing at the base 

 of the Valdoniello forest two trees known as the 

 King and Queen, both 27 feet in girth. Frequently 

 enough, we saw trees that measured \i\ to 15 or 

 1 6 feet in the bole. Some of these trees were more 

 than 130 feet in height, but the average height of 

 fine old trees is 1 1 5 feet. In the forest of Marmano, 

 close to the pass of Verde, the trees are to be found, 

 which are at once the loftiest and the best shaped, 



