CONIFERS. 



109 



timber equal to any, and superior to many of its congeners, when grown 

 under the same conditions. We have it in almost every description of 

 loam, clay, sand, gravel, peat, and compound earths ; all, of course, 

 made sweet and healthy by efficient drainage; and in situations the 

 most sheltered and exposed, in maritime and inland localities, on high 

 and low altitudes, and everywhere — unless, indeed, in close, soft peat, 

 and spongy marsh — it is doing well. I know of no Pine less subject 

 to the attacks or ravages of insects, fungoid enemies, gam -, or vermin ; 

 for frequently have I seen its congeners, the Austrian and the Scotch 

 Pines, crooped by hares, mooped by conies, and disbudded by Uack 

 cocks and grey hens, while the Corsican remained untouched. This, 

 doubtless, is accounted for by the peculiarly bitter, aromatic flavour, 

 with which its sap is impregnated, and should this be found to be the 

 case everywhere, as it is with us, what a most important and valuable 

 addition a\ ere this to its other numerous and good qualities as a profit- 

 able timber tree. Its wood is somewhat coarse-grained, yet long-fibred, 

 elastic, tough as hemp, easily wrought, capable of receiving a good 

 polish, resinous, creamy-white and yellowish -brown in colour, and 

 when matured and seasoned, a very durable timber for a Pine. 



Amongst culturists there is a prejudice against this Pine, it being 

 what in common parlance is termed a "carroty-rooter" and a *'bad 

 transplanter." That it is a sparse or non-fibrous rooting plant, I do 

 indeed admit; but that it is difficult to transplant I do in tofo deny, 

 inasmuch as we have during the past half-dozen years transplanted 

 several thousands of it annually; and our mode of cultivating this and 

 all the very sparse rooting Pines is to transplant or bed-out the 

 seedlings the first season, and to transplant them again every succeeding 

 season until large enough to be put out in the plantations; by this 

 means ensuring the lives of ninety and nine of every hundred of the 

 plants planted out; and our failures by such frequent transplanting in 

 the nurseries are 7iiL ISTo doubt this incurs an additional expense in 

 cultivation, and ^^ome theorists say injures the health and enfeeble ^ the 

 constitution of the plant, but we have clearly proved, and can show 

 our proofs over thousands of acres of Firs and Pines, that the nursery 

 expenses in the first planting of a plantation are more than recovered; 

 and that our stunted, yet sturdy plants, the first season after being put 

 out, soon excel in vigour, health, and beauty, the nice, clean, and 

 apparently healthy, but seldom transplanted plants, which the inex- 

 perienced arboriculturist thinks are fine plants, while his ex- 

 perienced brother would, in Iiis selection of plants, be more parti- 



