44 JOUKNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



It is also well known that sickly trees, as if by a last dying 

 effort so as to propagate their kind, bear an unusually large 

 quantity of seed, and as these are in nine cases out of ten col- 

 lected at so much per sack or bushel, can it be wondered at that 

 the bulk of our home-saved seed is partially unfitted for repro- 

 ductive purposes ? It is well known that a diseased tree cannot 

 bring forth good fruit. 



The durability of the wood of the Larch is well known, and, 

 as compared with that of Scotch and Spruce Firs, is about 

 doubly durable. A fence of Larch cut from trees of from twenty 

 to thirty years' growth will last from seventeen to twenty years, 

 while that of the Spruce lasts about nine years, and Scotch Fir 

 five years. This refers directly to rails, not to posts, which decay 

 in about half that time. For mining and railway purposes 

 the durability of Larchwood makes it much sought after, its 

 value being still further enhanced by its extreme lightness, a 

 cubic foot of seasoned wood weighing only [34 lbs. Substitutes 

 for the Larch have often been recommended, but in the true 

 sense of the word none can be termed substitutes, except, indeed, 

 in the narrowest sense, although doubtless some of those whose 

 claims will yet be set forth might reflect one or more of its 

 valuable qualities, but this is the widest limit of comparison. 



(2) The Silver Fir {Abies ijectinata) is, so far as our present 

 knowledge leads us, the next most profitable Conifer to the Larch 

 that is cultivated in this country. Be it remembered, however, 

 that in a quarter of a century or so at least two other Conifers 

 may be found to be equally profitable as British timber- trees 

 w^ith the Silver Fir, but at present we must deal with facts. On 

 several occasions I have pointed out that the Silver Fir is a 

 neglected forest-tree in this country, and that its timber is of 

 far greater value than is generally supposed. The experi- 

 ments made or conducted on the Highland Bail way proved so 

 far that the timber of this tree will bear the wear and tear of 

 rolling-stock and stand the climatic changes equally well with 

 the best Pinewood from Norway ; indeed, when last I saw the 

 experimental sleepers, those of Silver Fir were equally sound 

 with the Norwegian samples. 



For roofing, few boards can equal those of the Silver Fir ; 

 indeed, amongst all the Conifers grown in this country, I consider 

 it to be one of the best, as producing timber that is not liable 



