JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULrURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
February  25,  1904. 
172 
worked  under  that  rotation  we  can  count  on  an  average  pro¬ 
duction  in  the  way  of  timber  as  follows : — Ash,  about  40 
cubic  feet  per  annum,  according  to  quarter  girth  measure¬ 
ment  ;  Oak,  46  cubic  feet  ;  Beech,  57  ;  Scots  Pine,  70 ; 
Larch,  73;  Spruce,  84;  and  Silver  Fir,  about  111  cubic  feet 
per  annum.  Placing  the  value  per  cubic  foot  for  Oak  and 
Ash  all  round  at  Is.  5d.,  Beech  lid.,  Larch  lid.,  Scots  Pine 
and  Silver  Fir  8d.,  and  Spruce  7d.,  Larch  gives  the  highest 
annual  money  production,  and  Scots  Pine  and  Spruce  the 
lowest.  But  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  mean  annual 
production  culminates  at  difl'erent  periods,  that  of  Oak 
being  as  much  as  130  years,  whilst  that  of  Spruce  is  ninety 
years. 
The  Cost  of  Planting. 
Economy  in  planting  is  of  great  importance,  because 
compound  interest  on  the  original  outlay  must  be  allowed 
for  a  long  period  of  time.  Generally  speaking,  the  cost  of 
planting  is  greater  in  the  case  of  broad-leaved  trees,  such 
as  Oak,  Ash,  and  Sycamore,  and  smallest  in  the  case  of 
Conifers,  such  as  Larch,  Scots  Pine,  and  Spruce.  The 
exotic  Douglas  Fir  makes  an  exception,  because  its  seed 
is  as  yet  expensive.  For  argument’s  sake  we  may  place 
the  cost  of  planting  an  acre  with  Spruce  at  £3  10s.  ;  Scots 
Pine,  £4;  Larch,  £4  10s.  ;  Beech  and  Silver  Fir,  £5  ;  Oak 
and  Ash,  £6.  Charging  compound  interest  at  the  rate  of 
2^  per  cent.,  we  find  that  the  cost  of  planting  amounts  at 
the  time  of  cutting  over  the  wood,  in  the  case  of  Larch  at 
(seventy  years),  £25  ;  Scots  Pine  (eighty  years),  £29 ; 
Spruce  (ninety  years),  £32 ;  Ash  (seventy  years),  £34 ; 
Silver  Fir  (120  years),  £97  ;  Beech  (120  years),  £97  ;  Oak 
(130  years),  £l49. 
Value  of  Soil  for  Forestry. 
I  cannot  take  you  through  all  the  intricacies  of  the 
calculations,  but  I  may  say  that,  based  upon  the  above  con¬ 
siderations,  and  additional  data,  which  I  cannot  now  place 
before  you,  I  have  calculated  the  amount  which  a  pro¬ 
prietor  may  pay  for  land  if  he  wishes  to  plant  certain  trees 
and  get  2^  per  cent,  on  the  invested  capital.  I  have,  then, 
to  keep  on  the  safe  side,  deducted  25  per  cent,  from  the 
amount  thus  obtained,  and  I  find  that  he  may  pay  for  his 
land  the  following  sums  per  acre: — For  planting  Oak, 
£9  11s.  ;  Beech,  £9  17s.  ;  Scots  Pine,  £14  5s.  ;  Spruce, 
£15  Is.;  Silver  Fir,  £16  6s.;  Ash,  £24;  Larch,  £34  2s. 
That  is  to  say,  if  he  obtains  the  land  at  a  lower  rate,  he 
gets  more  than  2^  per  cent,  on  his  investment ;  if  he  pays 
more  he  gets  less  than  per  cent.  You  will  observe  that 
Larch  pays  best  by  far.  Ash  comes  next,  while  Oak  stands 
last. 
External  Dangers. 
Here  the  hardwoods  haVe  a  decided  advantage  as 
regards  insects,  fungi,  fire,  gales,  &c.  Spruce  and  Scots 
Pine  are  especially  exposed  to  insect  attacks,  also  to  fungus 
attacks,  but  the  most  serious  thing  of  all  is  the  liability  of 
Larch  to  be  attacked  by  the  canker  produced  by  Peziza 
Willkommi.  Indeed,  this  fungus  has  now  spread  to  such 
an  extent  in  these  islands  that  few  places  will  be  found 
where  it  does  not  occur.  The  appearance  of  this  fungus 
makes  the  planting  of  Larch  in  future  highly  problematic. 
Great  efforts  have  been  made  to  get  at  the  bottom  of  this 
disease,  but  the  results  are,  up  to  date,  not  satisfactory. 
The  Peziza  is  a  wound  parasite — that  is  to  say,  the  tree 
must  have  been  injured  in  some  way,  to  break  the  bark  and 
let  some  sap  flow  out,  to  enable  the  spores  of  the  fungus 
to  germinate.  Different  opinions  are  held  as  to  how  the 
injury  has  been  caused.  Causes  have  been  given,  as 
damage  by  frost,  the  attacks  of  the  aphis  Chermes  laricis, 
hail,  wind,  and  what  not.  Mr.  Massie,  of  the  Royal  (gar¬ 
dens  at  Kew,  has  lately  published  an  article  on  the  subject 
in  the  Board  of  Agriculture’s  Journal.  That  article  states 
what  is  known  regarding  the  disease  up  to  date,  but  it 
contains  one  view  which  I  do  not  consider  correct.  Mr. 
Massie  maintains  that  the  disease  is  chiefly  due  to  the 
damage  done  by  the  aphis,  inasmuch  as  the  canker 
generally  commences  somewhere  around  a  branch,  and  the 
aphis  mother  settles  in  the  angle  of  the  branch  with  the 
main  stem.  This  is  vei’y  ingenious,  and  I  have  no  doubt 
that  the  attacks  of  the  aphis  may  cause  the  damage.  But, 
on  the  other  hand,  the  canker  appears  where  there  is  not 
an  aphis  within  miles  around.  I  have  just  condemned  and 
cleared  away  a  Larch  wood  seventeen  years  old,  because  it 
was  ruined  by  canker,  and  I  have  never  seen  an  aphis 
within  five  miles  of  the  'wood,  although  I  have  watched  it 
for  the  last  eleven  years.  My  personal  opinion  is  that  we 
have  not  yet  got  to  the  bottom  of  the  matter,  but  that 
probably  snow,  ice,  and  wind  have  more  to  do  with  it  than 
the  aphis.  If  heavy  snow  or  rime  settles  on  the  tender 
branches  they  are  pressed  down,  and  probably  small  rents 
are  caused  where  the  branch  joins  the  main  stem.  Sap 
flows  out,  and  gives  the  spores  the  means  of  germinating. 
It  is  not  improbable  that  strong  wind  causes  the  damage. 
Unfortunately  the  result  is  that  pure  Larch  woods  must  be 
given  up.  The  only  way  to  proceed  is  to  plant  a  sprinkling 
of  Larch  into  other  woods.  In  that  case  it  has  a  better 
chance  of  escaping  the  disease,  and  if  not,  it  can  be  cut  out 
in  the  thinning  without  ruining  the  rest  of  the  wood. 
Indigenous  Trees  versus  Exotics. 
To  sum  up,  in  my  oninion  the  best  plan  in  economic 
forestry  in  this  country  is — Plant  Ash,  Sycamore,  and  Oak 
on  lands  which  are  thoroughly  suited  to  it,  and  Conifers, 
such  as  Scots  Pine,  Spruce,  Corsican  Pine,  and  perhaps 
others,  on  the  rest,  in  either  case  with  a  sprinkling  of 
Larch.  On  wet  lands,  probably.  Poplar  pays  best.  There 
can  be  no  doubt  that  it  is  desirable  to  make  experiments 
with  such  exotics  as  are  likely  to  suit  our  climate  and  soil, 
but  we  must  be  careful  not  to  be  carried  aw'ay  by  enthusi¬ 
astic  recommendations.  It  stands  to  reason  that  the 
indigenous  species  have  stood  the  test  of  climate,  soil,  and 
other  conditions,  and  we  know  what  we  may  expect  of 
them.  Planting  exotics,  except  on  an  experimental  scale, 
is  always  a  risky  matter,  until  actual  experience  has  shown 
decided  results.  And  that  takes,  unfortunately,  a  long 
time.  There  is  no  knowing  what  diseases  exotic  trees  may 
develop,  and  I  think  the  case  of  the  Larch  is  a  case  in 
point.  Still,  the  Larch  has  done  us  a  good  service,  at  any 
rate,  for  a  time,  and  there  are  other  exotic  species  which 
may  do  the  same.  Amongst  the  latter  the  three  most 
promising  are  the  Douglas  Fir,  the  Weymouth  Pine,  and  the 
Corsican  Pine.  The  last-mentioned  produces  a  straighter 
stem  than  the  Scots  Pine,  and  suffers  less  from  rabbits. 
The  Weymouth  Pine  gives  heavy  crops  of  timber ;  it  is  the 
species  which  yields  the  Canadian  White  Pine.  Above  all, 
however,  the  Douglas  Fir  deserves  attention.  There  are 
t^wo  varieties  of  it,  the  Atlantic  or  Vancouver  variety,  and 
the  Colorado  variety.  The  former  is  a  marvellously  fast 
grower,  but  it  is  not  quite  so  hardy  as  the  other.  The  Van¬ 
couver  variety  is  to  be  recommended  for  the  south  and  west 
of  England  and  Ireland  ;  the  Colorado,  or  slower  growing 
variety,  for  the  north  of  England,  and  for  Scotland.  The 
Tayrnount  plantation,  on  the  Earl  of  Mansfield’s  estate  near 
Perth,  proves  that  the  Douglas  Fir  gives  a  yield  that  beats 
the  Larch  in  its  palmiest  days,  and  I  may  also  mention  a 
wood  of  it  on  the  estate  of  Lord  Ducie,  which  made  a  most 
favourable  impression  upon  me.  There  are,  no  doubt, 
other  exotic  trees  which  deserve  attention,  but,  as  I 
have  said  already,  we  should  be  careful  to  avoid  planting 
them  on  any  considerable  scale  until  actual  experience 
has  shown  that  they  are  superior  to  our  indigenous  trees, 
for,  as  the  old  proverb  puts  it,  “  A  bird  in  the  hand  is  worth 
two  in  the  bush.” 
In  conclusion.  Dr.  Schlich  said  forestry  was  an  industry 
based  upon  science.  It  could  not  be  studied  in  the  class¬ 
room  only,  but  there  must  be  instruction  and  observation 
in  the  forest.  The  treatment  of  woods  differed  with  every 
change  of  conditions,  and  it  was  necessary  to  observe  their 
development  from  the  time  the  seed  was  laid  down  till  they 
were  finally  cut  over.  Above  all,  continued  action  and 
treatment  in  a  given  direction  were  essential.  The  want  of 
these  had  been  one  of  the  jirincipal  causes  why  the  industry 
of  forestry  had  not  been  more  developed  in  this  country. 
However,  there  seemed  to  be  a  little  forward  movement 
going  on  now.  Lord  Onslow’s  predecessor  appointed  a 
committee  some  eighteen  months  ago,  which  had  led  to  the 
provision  in  the  first  instance  of  instruction  for  those 
interested  in  the  forestry  industry,  such  as  proprietors,  land 
agents,  and  woodmen.  That  would  be  developed  at  that 
College,  and  he  hoped  similar  measures  would  be  taken  by 
other  Agricultural  Colleges  in  the  country,  and  also  by  our 
leading  universities.  Steps  had  also  been  taken  by  the 
Commissioners  of  Woods  for  the  instruction  of  woodmen 
and  foresters  on  a  small  scale  in  the  Forest  of  Dean,  where 
the  men  received  instruction  on  two  days,  and  worked  the 
other  four.  He  wished  the  students  before  him  all  success 
in  the  prosecution  of  their  studies  in  that  new  branch  of 
work,  and  he  thanked  them  for  the  way  they  had  listened  to 
his  remarks. 
