CONIFERS FOR ECONOMIC PLANTING. 



to be affected by sudden changes from wet to dry. I have used 

 it largely for cleading slieds and strengthening river embank- 

 ments, as it stands the vicissitudes of dry and damp alternately 

 better than almost any other home-grown timber. 



Another point in favour of Silver Fir timber is that, owing to 

 its being procurable in greater widths than that of any other 

 tree, if, perhaps, we except the Douglas Fir, the cost of utilising 

 is considerably lessened in proportion. The tree itself will grow 

 well beneath the shade and drip of other trees ; grows with greater 

 rapidity and of a larger size than almost any other ; is, practi- 

 cally speaking, fairly free from disease, and does not require a 

 particularly rich soil to grow it to perfection — all points of great 

 moment in treating of Conifers for economic planting. From 

 long experience of the timber of the Silver Fir grown in this 

 country, it may be safely said to be of great value for constructive 

 purposes, and numerous experiments carried out by those who 

 are practically acquainted with the conversion of our home- 

 grown timbers only serve to show that the wood of the Silver 

 Fir is not employed in anything like the quantity that its merits 

 deserve. 



(3) The Corsican Pine {Pinus Laricio) is another Conifer of 

 great value for profitable planting in this country, and one that 

 I make bold to say will yet outrival in this respect any other of 

 the family to which it belongs. It is of very rapid growth, and 

 is well suited for planting even in the most exposed and wind- 

 swept situations ; a non-fastidious subject as to soil, and withal 

 perhaps the most valuable timber- producer, excepting the Larch, 

 that has ever been brought before the British arboriculturist. 



Having as yet been tested to no great extent for timber-pro- 

 ducing purposes, it may, perhaps, be premature to speak too 

 loudly in support of its qualities in that respect ; but as I have 

 cut up and utilised in various ways some of the biggest logs 

 that have ever been grown in this country, I may be allowed to 

 at least venture the remark that the timber is of excellent quality, 

 and peculiarly suitable for constructive purposes. Speaking of 

 trees of fully fifty years' growth, I have found the wood strong, 

 tough, elastic, very resinous, and easily worked. I have experi- 

 mentally used home-grown Laricio wood for many purposes, and 

 always with the most satisfactory results — some of the largest 

 planks employed in this way being fully 27 inches wide, and 



