MR WITHERS. 



205 



much exposed to parching or evaporation ; this ex- 

 posure of the stem rendering fir timher much 

 hardei and more resinous. Every body who has 

 touched larch must be convinced that the slow 

 grown on poor tills ^ especially with long naked stems 

 in exposed situation^ is very much stronger and 

 harder than the quick grown, though often not so 

 tough : but much depends on the variety in larch, 

 those having the reddest matured wood being much 

 harder than the paler coloured, 



Memel fir, which is the largest growthed red 

 pine we are acquainted with, is gone r a - B y-e»feeeffled 

 very strong and durable, probably next to the pitch 

 pine of North America ; yet the very large growthed 

 Memel is generally weakest, though we frequently 

 find a log of small growthed, mild and inferior 

 in strength. In old buildings we have often wit- 

 nessed the beautiful small growthed red wood pine 

 wormed, when the larger growthed was sound, but 

 we are sensible that spontaneous decomposition and 

 consumption by insects are very different ; much re- 

 sin deters insects, whereas, in moist situations, as in 

 treenails of vessels, it conduces to spontaneous de- 

 cay ; yet is it preservative when the timber is ex- 

 posed to the weather by excluding the rain. 



