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straight, and nearly of an uniform thickness, if driven into the ground for a few inches in a row, at 
the distance of a few inches from each other, with the split sides all one way, they would make one 
of the neatest and most complete fences that can be seen. The tops of these uprights may be 
received into a piece of sawed plank, with holes bored in it for that purpose; and supported at due 
distances by sloping pieces reaching from the ground to the top. 
These are a few of the uses to which the small spires from the first thinnings of the plantations 
may be applied. As they advance to a larger size, for windows, joists, flooring, panelling, couples, 
rafters, and every other purpose in building, they would be superior to any other kind of wood 
hitherto employed for these purposes; and for ship-building, especially planks, it would be supe¬ 
rior to Oak itself. 
There is not a branch or a twig of the Larch, that may not be put to some useful purpose. 
The larger branches may be employed in fencing, and the smaller brush for filling drains and 
for fuel. In drains, it is more durable than any other wood; and though the timber will not 
burn readily, yet the brush is found to make a fire almost equal to the billets of many other 
trees.^ 
The acknowledged utility of the Larch, induced the truly respectable Society for the encourage¬ 
ment of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, at London, to offer very early both honorary and 
pecuniary rewards for the propagation of this tree; and so long since as the year 1788 three gold 
medals and a premium of thirty pounds had been bestowed by the Society for planting Larch, and 
giving an account of the utility of the wood. 
This attention of the Society, and a conviction of the superior qualities of the Larch impressed 
upon the minds of gentlemen in various parts of these kingdoms, has induced them to make some 
considerable plantations; and we are informed by Mr. Drummond, of Blair Drummond in Scot¬ 
land, son to the late Lord Kaims, that by the great plantations of Larch, yearly made both in 
England and Scotland, the value of this excellent tree is now well understood; and if these planta¬ 
tions are continued for some years with the same spirit, there can be little doubt, that in half a 
century, the many thousand pounds annually sent to Norway for timber, will be entirely saved to 
this country.j- 
Some of these plantations are the following.—John Sneyd, Esq. of Belmont in Staffordshire, 
between the years 1784 and 1786, planted 13000 Larches. 
The Duke of Athole, alone, says Dr. Anderson, plants 200,000 Larches every year; and one 
nurseryman at Edinburgh has this year (1796) above five millions. 
A valuable produce of the Larch tree is the Venice Turpentine, which issues spontaneously 
from the bark, but is more commonly obtained by boring a hole with an auger about two feet 
above the ground, till it reaches near to the heart of the tree; into this hole is inserted a small pipe 
or cock, through which the turpentine flows into proper vessels placed for its reception. This pro¬ 
cess is continued from the end of May till the end of September. When the trees will yield no 
more that season, the turpentine is pressed through a cloth to purify it. This is usually thinner 
than any of the other sorts, of a clear whitish or pale yellowish colour, a hot pungent bitterish dis¬ 
agreeable taste, and a strong smell, without any thing of the aromatic flavour of the Chian or Cyprus 
Turpentine obtained from Pistacia Terebinthus. The common and Strasburgh Turpentine is from 
the Firms Picea: and the Canada balsam, which may be considered as the purest of the Turpentines, 
is procured from the Silver and Balm of Gilead Firs. 
* Anderson s Essays, Vol.3. p.407 to 422. + Transact. Arts. Vol. VII, for 1789e 
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