292 



FLORA AND SYLVA. 



found at a greater height than 650 feet. 

 Southward this altitude increases, but 

 with a perceptible lowering towards the 

 west, where conditions are less favour- 

 able to its growth than on the eastern 

 slopes of the Alps. Thus in the Tyrol 

 it is found at a height of 6,500 feet and 

 in the Engadine even higher, but as it 

 ascends it quits the plains and valleys, 

 and is not found growing spontaneously 

 below a limit of about 1,900 feet in the 

 Vosges and jura, and 2,500m the Mari- 

 time Alps. In France, indeed, it exists 

 only as a tree of the mountains, with a 

 range higher than that of the Fir. The 

 Spruce, planted alone, or along with 

 the Scotch Fir and Larch, forms vast 

 forests in the eastern and northern por- 

 tions of its area. 



The Spruce is not exacting as to 

 soil but it must be moist, or even wet ; 

 peat, while not favourable, is not really 

 harmful. In a dry soil it may exist but 

 only in a degraded condition, with yel- 

 low or rusty coloured foliage instead 

 of its natural dark green. The needles 

 also are short, its cones unnaturally 

 abundant, and its growth much below 

 that of the normal tree. Its first essen- 

 tial is a moisture-laden atmosphere, fre- 

 quent rains, and heavy dews, which 

 maintain the cool surface necessary to 

 its feeble roots. It loves the light and 

 has none of the Silver Fir's tolerance 

 of shade, disappearing if kept too long 

 under cover of other trees. In mixed 

 woods of Fir and Spruce one may often 

 see the Silver Fir growing well under 

 cover of the Spruce, but never the Spruce 

 under the Fir, except in a dwindling 

 state. 



Its wood, known as "white deal," 

 is the object of a vast trade throughout 

 northern Europe, enormous quantities 

 being shipped to this country. It is dis- 

 tinguished from that of the common Fir 

 by its lighter and softer tissues, its dis- 

 tinct grain and smell, and its colour — 

 in general paler than Pine-wood. The 

 timber grown in this country is usually 

 softer and less valuable than that of 

 northern Europe, but there is no reason 

 to doubt that on our cold mountain 

 lands in Wales and the north it would 

 in time produce timber as good as any 

 other country, if grown in the true 

 forest way. * * ™ 



A WILLOW-SHADED WILD 

 GARDEN. 

 The beauty of a wood of Willows is re- 

 markable, and quite distinct from that 

 of any other wood. The feathery cha- 

 racter of the foliage never admitting of 

 any deep shading, produces a beautiful 

 and diffused light over thewholewood. 

 The undergrowth of plants flourish in 

 this light, and a wood of Willows is 

 therefore a good home for moisture- 

 loving plants and bushes, like the tall 

 Water Iris, Sweet Alders, hardy Aza- 

 leas, Bamboos, Royal Ferns, Feather 

 Ferns, giant and other Meadowsweets, 

 giant Poppies, Knotworts (Polygonum)^ 

 tall Meadow Rues, and many beautiful 

 plants too vigorous for the garden but 

 which could be seen at their best in the 

 gentle shade of a Willow bottom. This 

 kind of wild gardening may be done 

 without in the least reducing the value 

 of the Willow patch for the growth of 

 timber. The undergrowth of these 



