55 



tions, such as the grove at Boldrewood, where the best deodar 

 measured 64ft. in height. Mr. Elwes ventures the opinion that 

 the dying off in deodars is most common on soils that are poor 

 in lime. As an ornamental tree there are few in the world that 

 can compare with the deodar. I am not in a position to speak 

 definitely as to the general success or failure of the deodar in this 

 immediate neighbourhood. There are some fairly good trees to 

 be met with in some parks and gardens, but none of exceptional 

 size. In the Winter Gardens in Bournemouth there are two fairly 

 well-grown trees. In the public gardens immediately above the 

 Square there are three trees, while further up there is a pendulous 

 form. At Hinton Admiral I have come across an interesting 

 plumose variety of deodar not yet determined. 



Larch. 



As a garden tree, Mr. Bean says the common larch has much 

 to recommend it as it is singularly beautiful when grown as an 

 isolated specimen, and no tree exceeds it in the soft tenderness of 

 the young green foliage. There are two weeping forms. From 

 the point of view of yielding timber it is said " that no tree ever 

 introduced to Britain has proved of so much value or been so 

 extensively planted. For many years its economic value has ex- 

 ceeded that of any other tree — even the oak." In Scotland the 

 Duke of Atholl before his death in 1764 altered the appearance 

 of the landscape by planting many square miles of hillside with 

 larch. His example was followed by other landowners both in 

 Scotland and in England for it was found that owing to the durable 

 character of the wood even in young trees, from ten to twenty years 

 old, the thinnings of a larch plantation were serviceable and readily 

 saleable. Unfortunately the larch disease (Chermes) has done an 

 immense amount of damage to plantations. The remedies sug- 

 gested (1) not to expose larch to contact with the Norway spruce 

 and (2) not to plant it as a pure crop but mixed with other trees 

 may do much to combat the disease. 



In Scotland self-sown seedlings of larch are often seen and 

 are encouraged. On the suggestion of Mr. Maw I made a search 

 for such seedlings on Minchinghampton Common, near Stroud, in 

 the Cotswold country, and found quite a number on the slopes 

 and margins of roads. , 



The Japanese larch, a fast growing species, when young, has 

 been tried as an alternative species, but serious doubts are enter- 

 tained whether it will prove as valuable a tree, commercially, as 

 the European species. Attention has latterly been drawn to the 

 merits of the American or Western larch. This has a fine 

 columnar habit and is the mightiest of the genus, reach ng a height 

 of 180ft. or more. There are three specimens of the Western larch 

 at Kew about 35ft. high. 



Cypresses and Their Allies. 



The Cypresses are all foreign trees, but they are so widely 



