82 



BRITISH FOREST TREES. 



mechanical division, or its powers of absorption 

 or retention of moisture; and its chemical compo- 

 sition would seem only efficacious as conducive to 

 this. 



Soils and subsoils^* may be di\ided into two classes. 

 The first, where larch will acquire a size of from 30 

 to 300 soHd feet, and is generally free of rot ; the 

 second, where it reaches only from 6 to 20 feet sohd, 

 and in most cases becomes tainted with rot before 

 30 years of age. 



Class I. soils and subsoils proper for 



LARCH. 



Sound rock, with a covering of firm loam, pa?^- 

 ticularly when the roch is jagged or cloven, or 

 much dirupted and mixed with the earth, — In 

 such cases, a very slight covering or admix tm'e of 

 earth will suffice. We would give the preference to 

 primitive rock, especially micaceous schist and moun- 

 tain limestone. Larch seldom succeeds well on sand- 

 stone or on trap, except on steep slopes, where the 

 rock is quite sound and the soil firm. 



We have had no experience of larch, excepting very young, 

 growing on chalk and its affinities. We are told there are a few- 

 instances where larch has reached 50 years in these calcareous 

 soils, some distance south of London. This merits attention. 



