414 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



P. Tcamtscliatica, Endl. Conif. 135. Abies Gmelini, Ilupr. Bietr. Pfl. 

 Buss. Reicli. ii. 56. L. amurensis, hort. 



Hahitat. — Near the Amur River, Amurland, Saghalien, Dahuria, 

 and eastern parts of Siberia. 



Hardy. 



L. europsea, De Cand. Fl. Franc, iii. 2/'7 ; Loud. Arbor. Brit, 

 iv. 2350, f. 2258-62, and Encycl. of Trees, 1053, f. 1972 ; Pinet. Wob. 

 133 ; Link in Linnsea, xv. 534 ; Desf. Hist. Arbr. ii. 567 ; De 

 Chambr. Tr. Prat. Arbr. Resin. 277, pi. 3, f. 16, 17 ; Schouw in Ann. 

 Sc. Nat. ser. 3, ii. 241 ; Knight, Syn. Conif. 40 ; Carr. Traite Gen. 

 des Conif. 276 ; Gord. Pinetum. 124 ; Henk. and Hochst. Syn. der 

 Nadelh. 130 ; Beissn. Nadelh. 321. Pinus Larix, L. Spec. PL 1420. 

 P. L. a communis, Endl. Conif. 134. L. decidua. Mill. Diet. n. 1. 

 L. vulgaris, Fisch. in Spach, Hist, des PL Phan. xi. 432. L. excelsa, 

 Link in Abh. Berl. Akad. d. Wissensch. 1827, p. 182. L. pyramidalis, 

 Salisb. in Linn. Trans, viii. 313. L. decidua a communis, Henk. 

 and Hochst. Syn. p. 130. L. curopxa communis, La\vs. Man. 386. 

 Abies Larix, Lam. Illustr. t. 785. 



Habitat. — On tlie whole region of the Alps and in Central Europe, 

 chiefly at altitudes of from 3,000 to 5,000 feet, forming dense forests, 

 often intermixed with the Spruce and Silver Firs, and sometimes with 

 the Cembra Pine ; also on the Carpathian and Sudetian Mountains ; 

 also in Siberia, from the Ural Mountains to Kamtschatka. 



Introduced into England prior to 1629, in which year it is men- 

 tioned by Parkinson in his " Paradisus." 



Larix europsea, the common Larch, is considered by many to be by 

 far the most valuable of all our coniferous trees. The wood is applicable 

 to almost any purpose, and weighs Avhen green 68 lbs. 13 oz., and when 

 dry 36 lbs. 6 oz. per cubic foot. It makes a first-class charcoal. The 

 sap furnishes the Venetian turpentine of commerce, the branches 

 exude the manna of Briancon, and the bark supplies excellent tannin. 

 The tree being thus useful in all its parts, we may well ask. Where is 

 its equal or substitute to be found ? 



The wood of the European Larch, according to Kasthoffer, lasts 

 four times longer than thafc of any other species belonging to the tribe 

 Abietineoe. The Avood of trees produced in a good soil is of a yellowish 

 white, but that of trees grown in a cold and elevated situation is 

 reddish or brown, and very hard. In a suitable situation the timber 

 is said to come to perfection in forty years, while that of the Pinaster 

 (Finns Pinaster) requires sixty years, and that of the Scotch Pine 

 (P. silvestris) eighty years (Trans. Soc. Art. xxix. 25). 



The wood of Larix europsea, is used in Switzerland for coA-ering the 

 roofs of houses, being cut into shingles of about a foot square and half 

 an inch in thickness, which are nailed to the rafters. At fii-st the roofs 

 appear white, but in the course of two or three years become perfectly 

 black, and the joints are stopped by the resin Avhich the sun extracts 



