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THE LARCH. 



best improver of heath or moor-pasturage known 

 in this country. If planted thick, it will in a few 

 years choke the heath and coarser grasses ; and 

 these plants will be succeeded by finer grasses, 

 with a foliage possessing a softness and luxuriance 

 never acquired in open situations. The Larch 

 ripens its seeds freely in Britain, and is now 

 raised by the Scotch nurserymen in larger quan- 

 tities than any other timber-tree. 



Larch timber is said to be superior to foreign 

 Fir in the following respects : it is clearer of 

 knots, more durable, the dead branches even being 

 never found to be rotten ; it is much less liable 

 to shrink or split ; it may be seasoned in a much 

 shorter time ; it is more tough ; it is of a better 

 colour, and susceptible of a polish superior to 

 that of the finest mahogany, and more durable, 

 bearing exposure to changes of climate and 

 moisture for many years without undergoing any 

 change. 



From possessing these properties it is considered 

 by good judges to be better adapted for naval 

 architecture than any other timber. It becomes 

 harder and more durable by age in a ship. It 

 holds iron as firmly as Oak, but, unlike Oak, it 

 does not corrode iron. It does not shrink ; it pos- 

 sesses the valuable property of resisting damp. 

 It catches fire with difficulty, and it does not 

 splinter when struck by a cannon-ball. These 

 qualities have been tested in the case of the 

 Athol, a twenty-gun frigate, which was launched 

 in 1820, the keel, masts, and yards of which were 

 made wholly of Larch. 



The timber is found to be equally well suited for 

 house carpentry, joining, &c. ; and for hop-poles, 



