LARCH : ECONOMICAL USES. The larch and its products are applied to a large number of uses in the arts. The timber is for many purposes more valuable than that of its sister-tree the fir. For instance—it is more free from knots; it is more durable, as the knots which it contains are seldom rotten ; it is less liable to shrink ; it will not crack with any moderate degree of heat, when in the form of boards or narrow pieces ; it is much more tough ; and it is enseeptiblo of receiving a much higher polish, developing a grain or texture often singularly beautiful. On all these accounts larch timber has been much sought after in recent years. Railway and canal engineers espe cially value it, on account of the long period during which it will bear alternatidis of wet and dry without decay. It has been experimentally determined that when oak and larch posts of equal size arc driven into the beds or banks of rivers, the Larch rot much less speedily than the oak. On one occasion a plank-bridge was examined after fifteen years, when it was found that the only planks which had not decayed wero those made of larch. It has bee-' found a very valuable sub etitast. for the more expensive oak in shipbuilding, ehlefly in small %comets. As sleepers for railways, axles for mill-work, horspolos, and Makes for plants In general, larch preseess great value. Especially for rallwayeleepere is this usefulness observable ; because, as the 'harpers are placed on ground subject to frequent alternations of wet and dry, the power of the timber to resist this action becomes a matter of great Importance. larch Is not so useful In common house-carpentry as deal. bemuse It is • wood difficult to saw and plane ; • less durable wool is selected on acoount of its ease in working. The use of larch has been lunch encouraged by the grand operations of the dukes of Athol. About hundred and thirty years ago, the hills in the Dunkeld and Blair-Athol district/1 were barren and almost valueless, scarcely worth a shilling an acre for any industrial purposes. James, the duke of Athol of those days, planted a few larches for ornamental purposes and then planted two thousand more for timber. It was a thought worthy of • great leaded proprietor ; for it could only be in the time of hi; succs tors that the trees would be old enough to cut down for timber. Much difficulty hail to be encountered ; for the terse, broom, juniper, and heath, greatly retarded the growth of the but this obstacle was conquered by perseverance.
duke planted eleven thousand larches between 1764 anti 1774 ; while the son of this latter, in the fifty-two years from 1774 to 18211, planted the enormous number of fourteen millions, some of them even on the summits of mountains. It was calculated about the lest named date, that during the second half of the present century all these will successively become magnificent timber trees, suitable for ship-building and large engineering operations ; and that, if all went well, the planting would virtually be a creation of property to the amount of six or seven millions sterling.
On the continent, larch is applied to a great variety of purposes. The Rhenish wine-casks are made of this wood, and are said to be more durable than any other. In some parte of Franco and Switzer land houses are built of larch, by placing bulky squared trunks one upon another ; the heat of the sun, melting the resin in the wood, causes it to run down the sides and to fill the interstices between the logs, thereby keeping out both sir and moisture. Larch is in general use for water pipes in those countries. The larch vine-props are left in the ground for year. together ; all around thorn are props which perish year after year, wlule the larch itself remains sound.
Other parts of the tree are also applied to useful purposes. The bark is used in France and England for tanning. The leaves are eaten by cattle and sheep. The burnt wood yields very heavy charcoal, excellent for iron foundries. Venice turpentine, so called, is obtained from the larch. In certain parte of France, during four months of summer, the obtaining of this turpentine is a regular employment ; a full-grown tree yielding in this time six or eight pounds. Incisions about en inch in diameter are made in the trunk of the trees; small troughs or descending channels are placed in connection with these incisions; vessels are placed unditrneath ; and after regular intervals of a few hours, the vessels become filled with clear turpentine.
It may here be mentioned that within the last few years some little understood disease his affected the larch plantations in many parts of England ; and that a volume has just been published on this special subject by Mr. Macintosh, the author of various works on gardening and planting.
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